The Diana Award Mentoring Programme_

Our Mentoring Programme supports young people to develop their careers skills, whilst making positive change in their community through social action.

Our Mentoring Programme

We collaborate with professional volunteer mentors to deliver mentoring interventions and careers skills development programmes for young people aged 14-18 who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

Programme Aims

  • Improve workplace readiness, instil active citizenship and increase social mobility through mentoring interventions and campaigns aimed at young people aged 14-18.
  • Be a national voice and convener for mentoring in the UK, advocating for changes in policy that reduce birth to work inequality for young people.
  • Support businesses and organisations across the UK to invest time and resources into local mentoring interventions that develop internal skillsets and build constructive corporate social responsibility frameworks, to create a more equal and inclusive society.

Twelve-Week Mentoring Programme

The Diana Award Mentoring Programme offers a twelve-week group mentoring and career skills development initiative for ‘at risk of becoming NEET’ aged 14-18 in Leeds & West Yorkshire and London. Collaborating with volunteer mentors, we provide professional guidance, career skills training, and encourage youth-led social action projects addressing community issues.

Social Action Accelerator Pilot

During the twelve-week pilot, young people will have the opportunity to apply for further support for their youth-led social action project through our Social Action Accelerator pilot. Two groups of young people from each region will be supported by The Diana Award staff and volunteer mentors for another five months. Staff and volunteer mentors will provide ongoing advice and guidance, as well as resources to support the implementation of the project, such as venue hire and equipment.

Career Lounges and Online CAREERS FAIR

We also provide further careers skills development opportunities for young people across the UK. Our Career Lounge and Online Careers Fair projects are delivered in collaboration with our volunteering partners, including Salesforce Foundation, PwC, KPMG and WeWork. They provide young people with insight into the world of work and specific employment sectors and organisations, improve knowledge of routes into further and Higher Education and employment, and further support the development of careers skills.

THE NEED FOR MENTORING_

The UK is struggling with social mobility and equality of opportunity. Over the past three years, children and young people have experienced significant disruption to their education, whilst opportunities to improve social mobility have dwindled. Recent research from the Office for National Statistics indicates that there are an estimated 900,000 NEET young people in the UK- that is 12.6% of young people.  Therefore, through The Diana Award Mentoring Programme, we aim to:

Build character and resilience in young people

Improve workplace readiness and increase social mobility

INSTIL Active citizenship through youth-led social action

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED_

Click below to register your school for the Mentoring Programme, or to volunteer with the Mentoring Programme.

I WANT TO VOLUNTEER

Do you want to volunteer as a mentor? Learn more about our Mentoring Programme and additional opportunities.

REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL

Are you a school based in London, Leeds and West Yorkshire? Register below for more information about the Mentoring Programme and your potential participation.

Our Locations_

The Mentoring Programme is available in the following regions across the UK:

  • Birmingham
  • Leeds
  • London

We also have alternative opportunities for mentors who don’t live or work in these regions. Our wider services include Career Lounges, online webinars and workshops, and blog posts.

Our Events_

The Diana Award runs a series of mentoring events connecting young people with mentors.

Image of a Mentoring event

MENTORING WEBINARS AND WORKSHOPS_

The Diana Award runs a series of mentoring webinars connecting young people with virtual mentors.

Image of a Mentoring event

ONLINE WORK EXPERIENCE_

The Diana Award Mentoring Programme delivers twenty online sessions with support from our professional volunteer mentors.

ONLINE careers fair_

Our Online Careers Fair project is delivered annually in collaboration with our volunteering partners. It provides young people with insight into the world of work, improves knowledge of routes into education and employment, and further supports the development of career skills. Online Careers Fair is available to all young people aged 11-18.

Our Nationwide Approach

The Diana Award Mentoring Programme leads on policy, research and advocacy work to showcase the power of mentoring to unlock the potential of young people and aid social mobility across the United Kingdom

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS_

HOW WE DO IT

Our London, Leeds and West Yorkshire Mentoring Programmes are delivered in Autumn (October–February) and Spring (March–July). The programme consists of twelve group sessions, delivered primarily in secondary schools, further education settings, and alternative provisions. Sessions last around an hour and are delivered on the same day and time each week.  Mentors come from a range of professional backgrounds such as the technology, finance and education sectors.

During the twelve-week Mentoring Programme, young people have the opportunity to apply for further support for their youth-led social action project through our Social Action Accelerator Pilot. Staff and volunteer mentors provide ongoing advice and guidance, as well as resources to support the implementation of the project, such as space and equipment.   

We also provide further careers skills development opportunities for young people across the UK. Our Career Lounge and Online Careers Fair projects are delivered in collaboration with our volunteering partners, including KPMG and WeWork. They provide young people with insight into the world of work and specific employment sectors and organisations, improve knowledge of routes into further and Higher Education and employment, and further support the development of careers skills.

WHO DO WE WORK WITH?

The Diana Award Mentoring Programme works with young people aged 14-18 at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Our eligibility criteria take seriously the risk factors which contribute to young people becoming NEET. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Young people with a 10% or more absence rate.
  • Young people with lower than expected or declining educational attainment.
  • Young people from low-income households, or who have experienced food and/or digital poverty.
  • Young people eligible for Pupil Premium or Free School Meals.
  • Young people living with disability.
  • Young people who are – or were previously – looked after or have ever been on the children in need census.
  • Young carers.
  • Young people receiving SEN/SEND or SEMH support.
  • Young people who have spent time in Pupil Referral Units or have previously been suspended or excluded.
  • Young people with low self-esteem or a lack of confidence.

WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT?

The Mentoring Programme is free to schools and students thanks to the generosity of our corporate and trust funders.

We are always looking for more funders to ensure that we can continue to provide our programme to disadvantaged young people. If you would like to fund the Mentoring Programme, please email us mentor@diana-award.org.uk.

MADE POSSIBLE BY

We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our funding and volunteering partners.

Meet OUR young people

#HOODEDHELPERS
Stories
Mentoring

#HOODEDHELPERS

Last year, mentees in Jersey planned and delivered their youth-led social action project with support from The Diana Award Staff, volunteer mentors and the wider community. Hooded Helpers challenged negative stereotypes and promoted positive messages about young people instead.

#BESEEN
Stories
Mentoring

#BESEEN

Motivated by their personal experiences and discussions in the Mentoring Programme about the Black Lives Matter Movement and negative portrayals of young people in the media, two mentees from The Global Academy came up with a plan.

Mentee Story - Demi
Stories
Mentoring

Mentee Story - Demi

This is Student Story. We would like to introduce you to Demi who was a mentee on the Leeds Mentoring Programme at Selby Community House.