At Phase we are passionate about equipping children and young people so that they don't just survive but thrive as they journey through life. We love to help children and young people build good wellbeing and resilience. At Phase we have the opportunity to do this in a number of ways, but one way in particular which we are able to this at the moment is through virtual mentoring.

Mentoring at Phase offers young people a space to chat and be open, to be fully listened too, a space be challenged and encouraged and an opportunity to work towards a goal. For each young person mentoring will look slightly different, as each young person brings something different to the table, but the core principles of what is involved in mentoring do not change. Through mentoring we want to be able to help young people to see hope, to be able to realise their value and potential, and ultimately thrive.

Darlene Zschech in her book The Art of Mentoring states that ‘We all need people who will believe in us until we can believe in ourselves.’ I believe this to be very true; we need people who will encourage us and spot the potential in us. I am thankful for the mentors in my life who have believed in me, and encouraged me to give things a go, so gradually I grew in confidence. Mentoring can help a young person realise their potential and grow in confidence. To read further around what mentoring is, take a look at a recent blog written by Kieran Murphy on the topic of mentoring.

I am personally a huge advocate for mentoring. Throughout my life I have been fortunate enough to have had a number of mentors who have helped guide me, listen to me and speak wisdom into my life. I am very thankful for these people and know the difference that they have made to my life. Molly also shares her story around the difference that having a mentor has made to her.

We believe creating this space for young people is particularly important, especially at this time that we find ourselves in. Young people, like many of us, are grappling with many emotions at the moment. They are facing the emotion of ‘loss’, whether that’s the loss of what was, their daily routine, not being able to sit exams, missing out on an end of year prom, or the loss of a loved one. Many are also experiencing higher levels of anxiety or struggling to find motivation each day. Through this time, we are passionate about equipping young people with tools to be able to continue to build good wellbeing and resilience.

If you feel that you or someone you know would benefit from mentoring from Phase at the moment please download our information leaflet which explains our virtual mentoring in more detail, or you can also email support@phase-hitchin.org for more information or to discuss mentoring further. We would love to hear from you.

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