Train to be a volunteer mentor
A positive relationship can have a powerful impact on children and young people’s mental health. As a volunteer mentor with Kids Inspire, you'll build a trusted relationship with a young person, helping them feel supported, understood and more confident in themselves and their future.
Our next training weekend is Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026.
We're currently looking for volunteer mentors to support children and young people across Essex and Ipswich, Suffolk.
Especially in these areas:
Basildon
Castle Point
Harlow
Ipswich, Suffolk
Rochford
Tendring
What is a mentor?
A volunteer mentor provides one-to-one support to a child or young person through regular meetings, shared activities and positive experiences. Mentors help young people build confidence, develop life skills and explore their interests in a safe and supportive environment.
Our mentoring programme supports children and young people who are moving on from therapy, as well as those who may not require therapeutic support but would benefit from the encouragement, guidance and consistency a mentor can provide.
A mentor can:
Be a trusted adult role model for a child or young person, offering encouragement and a listening ear when it's needed most
Share positive experiences and quality time together, helping a young person feel valued, supported and connected
Help young people grow in confidence, develop resilience and believe in what they can achieve.
Could you be a volunteer mentor?
Our mentors come from all walks of life.
A mentor-mentee relationship is about having a positive relationship in the young person’s life, enjoying the small changes as and when they happen. Sometimes the mentor might not even feel that they are making a difference, although you definitely are
Hear from some of our volunteers
Please enquire about becoming a volunteer mentor. Get in touch by email or call us on 01245 348 707.
Is mentoring right for you?
We’ll support you with:
Comprehensive mentor training
Regular supervision and ongoing guidance
A dedicated mentoring team who are always on hand to help
Opportunities to connect with and learn from other mentors
We are looking for people who are:
Able to commit to mentoring for a year
Empathetic, patient and supportive
Dependable and consistent in supporting a young person
Open minded and flexible in their approach
Comfortable volunteering within safeguarding and organisational guidelines
What our mentor training covers
Our two-day training is interactive, supportive and designed to help you get the most from your mentoring journey:
Getting to know each other and sharing your hopes, motivations and any concerns about mentoring
Understanding the role of a mentor and what to expect from the mentoring journey
The different stages of a mentoring relationship, from first meetings through to endings
Building positive relationships with children and young people, including understanding attachment and trust
Setting healthy boundaries and keeping mentoring safe and effective
Practical exercises to help develop listening, communication and relationship-building skills
Meeting current mentors and hearing about their experiences
Exploring different approaches to mentoring
Understanding the support available, including supervision, and staying in touch with the Kids Inspire team
How to become a volunteer mentor
Step 1: Apply
Email mentoring@kidsinspire.org.uk to express your interest. Our Volunteer and Mentoring Manager, Louise will be in touch and ask you to complete our application form, telling us a little about yourself and why you'd like to become a mentor.
Step 2: Meet the mentoring team
We'll invite you to an interview to discuss the role in more detail, answer any questions you may have, and get to know each other better.
Step 3: Attend mentor training
You’ll take part in our two-day mentor training programme alongside other prospective mentors.
Step 4: Complete the next steps
Following training, we'll guide you through the final stages of the process, including references, an Enhanced DBS check, online safeguarding training and any required paperwork or additional learning.
Step 5: Be matched with a young person
Once everything is in place, we'll work to match you with a child or young person who could benefit from your support.
Referrals for mentoring come from across Essex and Ipswich (Suffolk), and we carefully match each mentor with a child or young person based on their individual needs, interests and location. Because of this, there may be a wait before a suitable match becomes available.
Ready to find out more?
Email mentoring@kidsinspire.org.uk or call 01245 348 707.
Mentoring
Interested in training to be a mentor?
Carole and Sally
The mentoring relationship.
Expression of interest to volunteer
Get in touch, find out what roles are available.
Page last updated: 7 August 2026