Why I am committed to volunteering as a mentor for young people
At Kids Inspire volunteer mentors play a vital part in supporting young people with their mental health, by becoming positive role models, and helping them build self-esteem and confidence. They offer personal guidance, empathy, and a safe space for young individuals to express their emotions. Mentoring relationships help develop important life skills. The long-term relationships formed between mentors and mentees create stability and contribute to the wellbeing and positive development of young people, helping them navigate mental health challenges and difficult periods of their lives.
Meet Oliver
Oliver become a mentor for Kids Inspire in February last year. He has kindly shared his story of why he decided to volunteer and take on such an important role.
1. Tell us about yourself
I have lived in Chelmsford all my life, and now live with Kirsty, my wife of 5 years. We enjoy travelling in our spare time and love an adventure holiday rather than just sitting by a pool! We have been fortunate to see many amazing sights around the world and can hopefully continue to do so.
I enjoy going to the gym as I really believe that a healthy body helps with a healthy mind. At the same time I also love eating and am a keen foodie, with one passion being hosting BBQ parties on my pride and joy...my Big Green Egg BBQ!
My day job is Head of Technical Business Development for a pharmaceutical company. I have worked at the same company since I was 18 and been very fortunate to have been supported with my personal development and now I’m part of the Senior Leadership Team.
2. Why did you choose to train to be a Mentor?
I trained to be an Executive Coach in 2020 as helping people grow and develop really gives me a buzz. I was watching Comic Relief in 2021 and a piece about mentoring came on. It highlighted how many children benefit from it, and I thought how I have the necessary skills and more importantly the urge to help. My wife and I were both NHS Responder Volunteers during the pandemic and I got so much out of giving up something as small as time. Therefore, mentoring really sounded like something that would be both rewarding for me as well as those I could support.
3. What's your favourite part of mentoring?
It’s a really nice feeling to know that the time you personally have given up is both transformational and supportive for a young person. Seeing a mentee change and grow over time is a reassuring. It might feel like you’re not doing a lot but it means a lot to the mentee.
4. How do you explain the role of a mentor?
I think it is hard to put into a definitive list of words what the role of a mentor is. It will very much depend on you as a mentor and the mentee you are paired with. With my current mentee, I simply simply spend time with them doing what they want to do, in their own time and space.
5. Can you tell us about a personal highlight from your journey as a mentor?
A personal highlight was getting feedback from Kids Inspire that had come from the mother of the mentee. The mother said how much of a difference she saw in her child after our sessions. You sometimes can’t tell if you are making a difference as they can be quite closed off, so hearing that really gave worth to the time we spend together.
6. What advice would you give to someone thinking about becoming a mentor?
If you want to become a mentor, then do it for the right reasons. It is an investment in a young person and you have to be 100% committed as that is what they deserve.
If this has inspired you to volunteer with us as a mentor, then please get in touch.