Mentor for Care Experienced Young People - Side By Side Programme

A brand-new service in Norfolk supporting care experienced young people leaving care is looking for adult volunteers.

The Side by Side care leavers programme, created by leading children’s rights charity NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) matches volunteers with young people who have left care to offer advice, guidance and mentoring.

Every year, 10,000 young people leave care. Many are thrust into the adult world before they are ready, facing a life without the support of family and friends that so many of us take for granted. Side by Side aims to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness for care leavers and to bridge the gap between leaving care and finding their own way in the world.

The pioneering programme is now looking for adult volunteers in your area to support local young people. For this rewarding opportunity, NYAS are looking for volunteers as diverse as the young people they support, who are simply willing to listen to and spend time with care leavers. Volunteers do not need any specific skills or experience, nor are they expected to pay any ‘out of pocket’ expenses. Instead, the charity provides full training and support, reimburses travel expenses, and provides volunteers with a small budget to support their young person with emergency or essential expenses.

A side by side volunteer is a positive role model for young care leavers; a champion of their needs and aspirations; a stable adult in their lives. A side by side volunteers will befriend the young person, become someone young care leavers can turn to for practical and emotional support, who they know will be there for them when they need someone to talk to and listen to their worries.