After graduation with a degree in Public Health and Community Studies, I noticed a role being advertised with North Yorkshire Youth (NYY) as a Youth Mentor on the Achieve project in Scarborough. I knew immediately this was what I wanted to do, and I was lucky enough to be successfully appointed and couldn’t wait to get started!
My role on the project involves offering one-to-one mentoring sessions for eligible students to support them with daily challenges they might be facing both personally and at school. Young people also have the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular activities, trips, visits and residentials to many fun and exciting places.
I have always felt that it is so important for young people to have someone at school who they can turn to for advice and support when coping with day-to-day challenges of school and teenage life, and I find it very rewarding to be able to provide this within my role.
As a Youth Mentor I am able to provide emotional support, general guidance, coaching to build confidence and support with setting goals. Young people and I are also able to enjoy shared experiences together through activities and trips.
I feel I play a key role in helping young people navigate the complexities of growing up, offering them a positive role model and a trusted adult to turn to. I love to watch young people flourish with every mentoring session that is offered to them.
One of the things I have been discussing in my mentoring sessions this month has been Random Acts of kindness day, which fell on 17th February this year. I like to introduce this theme with young people, because we know that performing acts of kindness can boost a young person’s self-esteem and sense of purpose. Hopefully, this can go some way towards starting a ripple effect, inspiring other young people to practice kindness towards each other. It is a privilege to share dedicated time with young people where we can work on personal development topics in this way and provide a positive input into their lives.
Toni Delaney, Achieve Youth Mentor, Scarborough