Our Mentoring Programme supports young people to develop their careers skills, whilst making positive change in their community.
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).
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 NEET in Birmingham, Leeds and London.
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 Work Experience 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.
Recent research from the Office for National Statistics states:
There are an estimated 794,000 young people aged 16-24 and NEET in the UK.
11.6% of young people aged 16-24 in the UK are NEET.
Over the past three years, children and young people have experienced significant disruption to their education, whilst opportunities to improve social mobility have dwindled. Disadvantaged young people have been most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside the cost-of-living crisis. We aim to:
10.2% of young people aged 16-24 in the UK are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) - an estimated 692,000 young people (ONS. 2022). We support these young people in collaboration with volunteer mentors, sharing professional advice and guidance and providing careers skills training.
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.
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 or Birmingham? Register below for more information about the Mentoring Programme and your potential participation.
The Diana Award Mentoring Programme delivers further opportunities connecting young people to volunteer mentors.
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 Birmingham, Leeds and London 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 Work Experience 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.
The Diana Award is the charity legacy to Diana, Princess of Wales’ belief that young people have the power to change the world. We have 20 years’ experience running bespoke youth programmes for children and young people aged 9 – 25 and are proud to have supported over 800,000 young people to date through our interventions.
Our vision is one in which young people are empowered to change the world. We exist to empower young people to make positive change by unlocking potential, creating opportunities, and inspiring action.
We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our funding and volunteering partners.
Adam took part in the Mentoring Programme in January 2017 and his social action project focused on knife crime; how devastating it is, how it destroys
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Logan was supported by mentors from Wakefield District Housing (WDH), Melon Holidays and a student from Leeds University.
Ryan completed the Mentoring Programme in July 2017. “Our project was on knife crime and this is something we were really passionate about. Living in
