Life Enrichment
Young Parents
Peer Mentoring Project
The Warwickshire Peer Mentoring Project, which has been developed and delivered by Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs (WAYC), funded by Connexions, through Warwickshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services, with support from Connexions, Education for Out of Schools (ECOS) and Millennium Volunteers, is based in Leamington Spa but is running across the County, working with young parents from Nuneaton to Bidford. The project works to assist young parents-to-be and young parents to discuss their feelings and fears with people of a similar age, to help address feelings of isolation and loneliness. The course also gives peer mentors the opportunity to gain a sense of achievement and a positive addition to their CVs. Connexions played a key role in promoting the project and identifying and referring the young people onto the course. Lorraine Jaeger, Connexions Delivery Manager, was an important part of the course as not only was she the link to Connexions but she attended every session and supported the young parents outside of the course. So far, eleven young people have joined the peer mentoring training programme, which is made up of a taster day, three days of training, a refresher day, and an evaluation day. The training days look at a range of peer mentoring skills including: boundaries; communication; listening; confidentiality; support; child protection; and different behaviour types. A range of different techniques were used to ensure that informal learning was encouraged, these included role plays and drama, group discussions and group tasks. Once the training is complete the young parents will be buddied-up with other young parents and mums-to-be in their local areas within Warwickshire. They will receive regular support from the workers throughout this time in order for them to reflect on and develop in their mentoring roles. ECOS will play a big role in this, as they will be identifying the young people that will be mentored. One of the key benefits of the course is that the young parents will be making a real difference to their own communities – as they will be mentoring other young parents or mums-to-be in their own areas, they might even have attended the same school. This project also feeds into the Warwickshire Teenage Pregnancy Strategy which aims to “tackle social exclusion among young parents and their families” The project has been funded for one year, but plans are being made to apply for further funding, in order for this work to continue and develop along with the young parents. Some of the young parents on the course; Some quotes from the young people;
“I have changed because I am more confident and I am happy more because I know I am not the only 15 year old mum”
“I enjoyed everything… Meeting new people, the food, the training , being able to have fun. The childcare was good as well.”
“I enjoyed that fact that I will be making a difference to someone who needs help because they’ve been in a similar situation to me”
“I enjoyed everything, it was informative, fun and educational, I loved every minute of it”
For any further information please contact Rebecca Orton or Victoria O’Connor on 01926 450 156 for details of the course.
SUPPORT THIS PROJECT! £500 would pay for one young person to take part in this opportunity.
