"Aspire Mentoring transforms the lives of society’s most unheard children and young people through personalised one-to-one and group mentoring."
Aspire Mentoring provides individualised support to children and young people facing vulnerabilities and disadvantages. Our primary focus is on those who are care-experienced or have a Social Worker, but we also support individuals at risk of offending, involved in mental health services, or struggling with education.
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The goal of Aspire Mentoring is to help children and young people develop a strong sense of self, purpose, and belonging. We achieve this by broadening their horizons through creative practices guided by an Aspire Mentor.
Who Benefits from Aspire Mentoring?
Aspire Mentoring is designed for children and young people in the care system or in need, particularly those at risk of not engaging in education, employment, or training. Eligible individuals are matched with an Aspire Mentor for one-to-one sessions over a set period, starting from an initial 24-hour intervention.
Aspire Mentors build trusting relationships and introduce creative activities tailored to the interests of each child, fostering personal, social, and emotional development, as well as educational achievement.
Why Aspire Mentoring is Needed?
Many young people in care or facing various challenges experience loss and trauma, impacting their ability to engage in education and society. This can lead to multiple vulnerabilities, including low self-esteem, difficulty in regulating emotions, disengagement from education, risky behaviour, and low resilience.
Aspire Mentoring addresses these issues by providing a supportive mentor to help young people who feel “stuck.” Briefed by social care professionals and schools, Aspire Mentors engage with individuals through creative activities such as film, drama, music, poetry, photography, and storytelling. These activities allow young people to explore their world, develop new skills, and address personal and emotional challenges from a safe, creative distance.
Aspire mentoring take place in school or in a community centre. The length varies from 1 month - 12 months. There are many factors that will decide this but we aim to do what’s best for the young people we serve.
Who are our Aspire mentors?
We have an ever-growing pool of Aspire Mentors. Our Creative Mentors are artists, creative practitioners, and professionals from various sectors of life who work within the arts and cultural sector and have been for many years.
Before joining our Creative Mentor pool, our mentors must provide a clear enhanced DBS check (preferably part of the government’s update service), current Public Liability Insurance, two satisfactory references, as well as Business Insurance.
All of our Creative Mentors go through a robust training programme with us at Hopereaching United.
Get Involved
Interested in learning more about Aspire Mentoring and how to get involved? Check out our pages below!
