We always love to hear from young people we’ve supported through our programmes; it’s great to know how they’re getting on and to hear about the things they are doing after their time with us. It also helps us to understand the impact of our work beyond the length of our programmes.
From time to time we make contact with the young people we have worked with to ask for their feedback and to hear their thoughts about YAT and its impact on them, having had time and space to look back and reflect on their experiences. Recently we’ve been in touch with some young people who had completed our Adventure Programme and then continued through our Mentoring Programme, being supported for a further year by a volunteer mentor. The young people, now aged between 16 and 18 years, are working hard with final exams, college courses or in the workplace. Here’s some of the things they told us;
“I am proud that I reached all my targets at work and that I got along with everyone when I was a new employee” Rhianne, 18 years
“I have been doing well in sixth form and I’m enjoying it a lot” Kieran, 17 years
“I’m still determined to pass my maths qualification and know not to give up and just put my mind to it”
Evie, 18 years
Reflecting on their time on our Mentoring Programme, young people shared with us how they were helped and supported by their mentors. They remembered how it felt to have someone to listen to, trust and understand them;
“She was insanely kind and listened to me”
Gemma , 18 years
“I felt like I could trust John a lot more than any of the other adults and I felt awkward talking to family members about some of the things I spoke to him about” Josh, 18 years
“He always understood and helped me and, even if I was wrong, he would support me and help me realise instead of shutting me down” Harrison, 17 years
Amazingly, young people identified some of the long-lasting impacts that having a mentor has had on them. Themes around improved social skills and confidence came through strongly, which then had positive effects on subsequent relationships with friends, teachers and colleagues;
“I am much more confident in talking to people and now have a bigger group of friends, I also have better relationships with teachers than I thought I would ever have” Ethan, 18 years
“The Mentoring Programme gave me confidence in my speaking which opened a lot of doors job wise and now I’m a full time worker serving customers and speaking often”
Emily, 18 years
Young people also felt mentoring has made a difference to other aspects of their lives; having an impartial person who supported and believed in them impacted on their choices, their mindset and aspirations for the future;
“It made a difference in my choices as my mentor made me feel like I was a person who could do anything and I strive to achieve that now” Isobel, 17 years
“I’m able to confidently do things on my own, to take charge of my everyday life” Sarah, 18 years
“It helped me prioritise more important things like revising for exams and other necessary activities in my life which has now helped me get 2 offers from the 3 universities I applied to”
Luke, 18 years
We’d like to thank the young people for taking the time to talk to us, and also offer our huge congratulations for continuing to practice a positive attitude and resilience in the face of challenges. As we know, life isn’t always easy, but it has been heartwarming to hear how these young adults are navigating the next stages of lives with such confidence, insight, and awareness.