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ALL ‘ THE BUZZ ’ FROM THE HIVE !
This month we want to shine the spotlight on the Hive ’ s groundbreaking Mentoring Programme . Thanks to the generous support from the team at Bridging Finance Solutions , The Hive have been able to strengthen their mentoring team managed by Mentoring Coordinator Sandra Platt , allowing them to work with up to 45 + mentees at any one time . A vital element of The Hive offering , mentoring offers young people a chance to unlock their potential and aspire for a brighter future …
Building Relationships & Inspiring Futures
Do you remember your very first mentor ? The person who inspired you to be the best version of you , reach for your goals and achieve your dreams ?
Most of us can pinpoint a teacher , family member or friend who really took us under their wing , nurtured our talents and encouraged us to aim high . For many of the young people who attend The Hive , positive role models are often in short supply which is why their groundbreaking mentoring service is so vital .
Alongside the vast range of activities and engaging projects on offer every day , young people can access additional support by joining the Mentoring Programme
This vital service provides mentor support for vulnerable and at-risk children and young people , aged between 8 and 19 years old ( up to 25 with additional needs and disabilities ). It supports young people who are struggling for many different reasons including family breakdown , exclusion from mainstream education or engagement in antisocial or criminal activity .
The programme was borne out of the belief that every young person should have a positive role model in their life . Volunteer Mentors provide this for young people who can lead difficult and often complicated lives , building a relationship based on respect and trust . The programme helps them to develop valuable social skills and develop positive behaviours and aspirations .
All The Hive mentors are volunteers from a variety of different backgrounds . Not only do the Volunteer Mentors give huge amounts of time they provide emotional and practical support through weekly one-to-one mentoring sessions , they also deal specifically with issues such as health , family , home , education and employment . Together with the wider army of volunteers at The Hive they have recently been honoured with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service . Steve Barber , Managing Director of Bridging Finance Solutions explained : “ As a Wirral based business , for us it ’ s incredibly important to work with and support local charities . We visited the Hive and it had a huge impact on us all . We believe this programme is a lifeline for young people , it increases confidence , builds their self-esteem , and supports them to make positive choices . Supporting this particular initiative seemed like ideal way to make a real difference and help retain the brilliant team that work there .”
James ’ s Story
James ( identity protected ) is a young person on our mentoring programme . He was referred to allow us to support him on increasing his levels of resilience , improving his confidence , and improving his social and emotional well- being and communication skills .
James is autistic , ADHD and dyslexic . At the time of referral he was struggling with anxiety , depression and low self- esteem . James supports his Father in caring for his Mum in between doing school work . James didn ’ t really do anything outside of school due to his caring responsibilities him and his Father have , mentoring enabled James to do activities he has never had the chance to experience and also improve his mood and mental well-being . Home life could be tough for James dealing with his own well-being and helping support Mum and Dad . James attended for the first few weeks with his hood up but once he trusted his mentor he started to take it down . Over six months , the positive change in James was remarkable . With support from his mentor he started attending the Sunday ‘ Hiveability ’ to use the climbing wall . James then built a relationship with the climbing youth worker and felt comfortable to attend the universal senior sessions for climbing . James started building positive relationships with other young people and other young people . He now enjoys playing pool and doing Archery amongst other activities .
The change in James since mentoring started has been massive . James has stated that ‘ coming on sessions on Thursday and Friday has made a massive difference in my life . On the first go I was only meant to stay for 30 minutes but I ended up staying for the whole time ’.
Why Your Support Matters …
Catherine Sandow , Head Fundraiser at The Hive said that generous support like this from Bridging Finance Solutions is essential to maintain services such as the mentoring project :
“ Unfortunately , we are now faced with a significant funding gap here at The Hive . Our amazing Patrons , corporate and individual supporters make a huge difference to the work we do here and allow us to keep these vital services open for our young people . We are so grateful to all of our supporters , as , without them we simply could not continue to do the work that we do . This particular support from the team at Bridging Finance Solution will make a huge difference to our mentoring programme and help countless young people in the process .”
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