I have just finished signing the beautiful cards our lovely new, and very artistic, administrator has created for our volunteers to say ‘Thank you’ this Volunteers Week.
Some of those I am sending cards to have not even met a mentee yet,but have patiently tried to organise various meetings with me to do so – often our young people’s diaries change unexpectedly due to work or even anxiety.
Some have had a match meeting with their mentee but then not been able to organise a meet-up after that – I wonder whether some young people engage at the first meeting as they are used to having to attend appointments with organisations but are not actually 100% sure they want a mentor.
Our volunteers who are facing this issue and gently trying to maintain contact and offer an opportunity for a meet-up are also due our gratitude.
The majority have been meeting with their mentee for some time and providing invaluable support which ultimately will prevent homelessness. I am sure that these fun meetings over coffee and cake with our vibrant and awe-inspiring young people is enough of a reward, but I also hope they know how grateful we are.
They underwent two days of training, jumped through the inevitable hurdles of getting a DBS and references we need for safeguarding purposes and now give up their busy time freely to mentor a young person who needs a non-judgemental cheerleader to tell them ‘you got this!’
So here is a big THANK YOU to you all and I look forward to training lots more volunteer mentors in the future.