Volunteer Mentor

About New-U:

New-U is a charity which aims to support young people furthest from work with activities, workshops and work experience placements which run from our permanent unit in the Castle Quarter Shopping Centre, Norwich. We run a sustainable swap shop where quality clothes and accessories are donated in return for swap tokens which can be spent on other items in store.

Expectations:

Mentors are needed to work with young people on a 121 basis and support them into positive outcomes such as volunteering, education, training and ultimately employment. 

Mentors will be prepared to meet their mentee twice a month either face to face or virtually for up to an hour for a period of 3 months or until the relationship naturally ends due to the young person moving into a sustainable outcome. Mentors will be expected to take on 2 mentees minimum at any one time.

To get the most out of the role, we hope our volunteers will stay with us for a minimum of 12 months giving the necessary time, energy and support to meeting face to face and virtually with young people, staff and other volunteers (as appropriate).

Main Duties:

·        To mentor young people on a 121 basis and assist them with their personal and professional development.

·        To help young people set and commit to short/medium/long term goals and develop a plan of steps, resources and actions to help them achieve those goals.

·        To be proactive in supporting young people remove any barriers they may be facing to access a positive outcome which may require research and networking on behalf of their mentee.

·        To motivate mentees by being positive, encouraging, giving constructive corrective feedback and reinforcing learning and progress.

·        To commit to sending through thorough and timely Mentor Reports to their main contact which accurately capture the progress or set-backs of the young person they are supporting.

·        To troubleshoot queries or concerns about their mentee with their New-U contact.

·        To be prepared to meet with their New-U contact face-to-face or virtually for continuous reviews, training and further communication.

Attributes we are looking for in a Volunteer Mentor:

·        The ability to relate to young people from a range of backgrounds and gain their trust.

·        To be a relatable role model with a positive story and relevant work or life experience that can broaden the perspective and horizons of young people.

·        Good communication skills, reliable, flexible, approachable, patient and understanding.

·        The ability to motivate/coach young people.

·        A non-judgemental attitude.

·        Good time management and organisational skills.

·        Awareness and understanding of the variety of local and national initiatives/opportunities and how young people can engage with them.

·        Basic IT skills.

·        A supportive attitude towards positive mental health and wellbeing - must be able to relate to people with low level health issues, disabilities, hidden disabilities and those lacking self esteem and confidence.

Benefits of volunteering with New-U:

·        The satisfaction of being a positive role model in a young person's life and helping them gain the skills and experiences to move towards work or training.

·        Induction, training and support from a dedicated staff member.

·        Your knowledge of the challenges facing unemployed young people will grow.

·        Your time will allow us to support more young people on work experience placements.

·        We welcome the knowledge, skills and experience you will bring.

·        Your input will keep our small charity thriving and ensure the best possible chance of success and sustainability.

·        Opportunities to socialise and connect with other volunteers and contacts and get involved in other aspects of our work e.g. events, campaigns, strategies.

·        50% points discount on swap items on the days that you volunteer for New-U, applicable after 20 volunteering hours completed. Must be redeemed on date of volunteering.

Next steps:

All prospective volunteers will be asked to complete a volunteer application form and be invited to an informal interview. Subject to interview we will require you to provide contact details for a character referee, undertake a DBS check (at no cost to you) and partake in an induction and training process to ensure suitability of the role for the individual and the organisation.