Case Study 1 - Horizons Youth Mentoring

“Well where do I start? Does anyone understand what mentoring is? I'll try to explain it to you. They're not here to dictate you, but to offer advice and support. Think of them as your mates and not your enemy. Tell them to get lost if you want, they can come back another time. If you feel embarrassed that your mates see you with them, tell them it's just an old friend and you're catching up.

“When I made my photo presentation as part of my timetable, I had to go to a police cell. It frightened me when the copper put the cuffs on me, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. For a moment I thought it was for real. I had to pinch myself to make myself realise it wasn't real. Thank God I've changed for the better. Thank God I listened to my social workers, especially Pete. This old codger stood next to me. He was there, always to help me. I help out at a drop in centre for kids who are in care or leaving care now. I love doing it because I've been there and I know what it's like.

“I've been through most of the rubbish teenagers go through, getting nicked, doing drugs, drinking all day, I've even got so low, I've cut myself, but I'm over that now. I see mentors as godsends who are there to help young people in a crisis or just at a time in their life. Maybe if I'd have had one earlier, things would have been different. Together we can make a difference. Let's make a difference, we can do it together.”

Jonathan's Case Study

Toc H Horizons has been a life-changing experience for 16-year old Jonathan, who lives in the Cheshire area.

Having spent much of his life in a local authority care home, before being placed in a foster home, Jonathan had serious behaviour problems and difficulty integrating into the main stream school system. He was finally expelled from his local school, with no alternative placements available in the area.

“I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. I was always in trouble at school and at home and even got arrested a couple of times,” said Jonathan.

Toc H Horizons is a 14-week programme specifically tailored to the needs of the young person concerned. The aim of Horizons is to engage them in a mutually agreed creative activity and encourage him or her to produce a documented album or personalised logo T-shirt to encapsulate a journey of creative learning and personal growth.

Jonathan had a passion for photography, so a timetable was created with his mentor, Pete, to engage his interest. This included using digital photography and a laptop computer to record scenes in and around the local and regional area.

Each day Jonathan was collected at 9.30 am and brought to the Toc H centre to begin his day of activities. His journey of learning began from the moment he entered Pete's vehicle, with conversations familiarising him with road signs and road markings and observing the local area.

“Initially, Jonathan was a little suspicious of me and reluctant to co-operate, but within days of our meetings, the barriers started to come down and he really started to enjoy his learning experience,” said Pete.

Each week of the programme was themed with topics of English and English Heritage, History and Art, Science, Sport, Maths, Music and PSHE, with each topic covered twice in the 14 week schedule. The idea is that the themes are reflected in the nature of the activity of outdoor pursuit with an educational and learning focus to it, thus associating education and learning with fun.

Toc H operates a series of youth initiatives across England, including mentoring, after-school clubs, nurseries and PHSCE programmes. For more information call 01296 642020.

* The name of the youth in this case study has been changed to protect his identity.