ReachOut is a national mentoring and education charity, rooted in local communities. Working in under-resourced areas, we support young people to grow in character and confidence, sparking change in themselves and society. Our volunteer mentors are at the heart of everything we do.
If you’d like to help a young person develop their character and confidence, you’ve come to the right place!
What you'll do
As a volunteer mentor, you’ll be supporting young people in your local community, helping them grow in character and confidence, all whilst developing your own skills and experience.
- You'll give two hours a week during term time to come to a ReachOut project in your area.
- Our mentors are paired with a young person that they work with each week over the course of the school year.
- You'll spend time with them each week, talking with them, supporting them on basic maths and English activities as well as working with them as part of character-building group activities.
- You'll be supported every week by our Project Leaders and the ReachOut team.
What you'll gain
Mentoring doesn’t just impact the young people who take part in our projects – it has a hugely beneficial impact on our mentors as well.
- See a long-term impact by dedicating just two hours per week to your mentee for at least one academic year.
- Volunteer alongside like-minded people and have the opportunity to form lifelong friendships.
- Feel part of your community by making a difference in your local area.
- Develop your skills. Former mentors have told us that volunteering really helped to build their confidence, communication and team working abilities.
- Come away with scenarios and situations where you will have used your commitment and resilience, which can be perfect for bringing up in job applications and interviews.
Our different projects
We run three types of projects – ReachOut Club which takes place in primary schools with young people aged 9-11; ReachOut Academy which takes place in high schools with young people aged 11-16 and ReachOut + a programme that works with ReachOut alumni aged 16-19, helping them with the transition from school to whatever comes next.
Where can I mentor?
We run mentoring projects across London, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Yorkshire. The majority of our projects across all regions are in-person, but some projects take place online via zoom. All our mentoring locations are in close proximity to public transport so you’ll be able to travel to and from them easily.
Attend a mentor training
After you’ve applied to be a mentor, you’ll be invited to an in-person or online mentor training session, where our volunteer team will talk you through everything you need to know about being an amazing mentor. You’ll also be able to ask them any questions about what it means to be a volunteer mentor.
Training includes a detailed e-learning module on safeguarding so you can feel secure in your understanding of your responsibilities when working with young people.
You’ll also be asked to provide information for a DBS Check which will be paid for by ReachOut.
After completing your mentor training you’ll be able to let us know what project you’d like to volunteer on. We’ll send you a timetable of our projects so you can pick the dates and locations that fit you best. Projects are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, but we’ll always do our best to get you on a project that works for you!
