What we do

Mentor Young People

About the Project

The Buddy Plus+ Project recruits and trains volunteer mentors to work with Young People, between the ages of 8 and 18, at risk of social and educational exclusion and of committing anti-social or offending behaviour and support them with literacy, numeracy and life skills.

This project aims to:-

1. Improve a young person’s self-esteem through a positive relationship with a mentor.
2. Improve a young person’s basic literacy, numeracy and life skills.
3. Build a young person’s confidence through achievement.
4. Provide positive role models for young people.
5. Empower a young person.
6. Reduce the potential of offending behaviour.

Young people who are not succeeding at school are at a much greater risk of social exclusion and engaging in offending behaviour than those who are succeeding.

65% of young people attending a youth court have either been excluded from school or are regular truants, many have poor basic skills in literacy and numeracy.

Read J’s Story “J was in a lot of trouble.  He’d fallen out with his parents, given up going to school and got in with a bad crowd.  Life was going downhill fast …”

The Buddy Plus+ Volunteer Mentoring Project works in partnership with the Derbyshire Youth Offending Service (YOS) and the Looked After Children Education Service (LACES).

Buddy Plus+ volunteer mentoring project showcased at Westminster