Our Mentoring Programme supports young people to develop their careers skills, whilst making positive change in their community.
The programme also places emphasis on social action, with mentees and volunteer mentors working together to plan and develop social action projects tackling issues that directly impact young people and their community.
The Diana Award Mentoring Programme delivers a twelve-week group mentoring intervention and careers skills development programme for young people aged 14-18 who are at risk of becoming Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) in London, Leeds and West Yorkshire.
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 six 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.
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 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 794,000 young people aged 16-24 and NEET in the UK – that is 11.6% of young people. We aim to:
Click below to register your school for the Mentoring Programme, or to volunteer with the Mentoring Programme.
Do you want to volunteer as a mentor? Learn more about our Mentoring Programme and additional opportunities.
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 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.
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Mentoring believes in the power of mentoring to unlock the full potential of young people and aid social mobility across the United Kingdom.
The group is chaired by Dr Lisa Cameron MP, with the Secretariat provided by The Diana Award.
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 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 Diana Award Mentoring Programme works with young people aged 11-18 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 from low-income households.
• Young people eligible for PP (Pupil Premium) or FSM (Free School Meals)
• Young people with a disability
• Young people with a mental health difficulty
• Young people with SEN/D
• Young people who are - or were previously - carers
• Young people who are - or were previously - looked after
• Young people with persistent absence
• Young people not predicted to achieve 5 GCSEs
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.
We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our funding and volunteering partners.
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.
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.
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.
