Mentoring
These extracts from the book are four years old. Since then the mentoring programme has grown in size, but retains its individual approach, and a central part of our schools outreach work.

Friday 6th November 2015
People never seem to get bored of the age-old witticism, ‘Of course, you only work on Sundays, don’t you?’ We hear that on a more or less weekly basis. I presume they are joking. I’ve got to think that or else it would really start to wind me up. But even if they have given any thought to what James’ work might be beyond the obvious on a Sunday, I’m guessing they would be totally wrong about today.
He, and about ten team members from church, have spent the day on Dartmoor. Climbing, abseiling and doing high ropes in the middle of a forest. In torrential rain. A team-building activity day. It was wet, cold and great fun, I’m told. With them were ten students from St Luke’s school, students who had been identified by the school as struggling or vulnerable in some way, and this is the start of a mentoring programme. Over the next school year, our team will meet one-on-one with these guys. Once a fortnight for a coffee, or more likely a can of drink, and to give them a space to be listened to. To be able to talk and to be valued. We don’t know what will happen. Whether it will work. Whether they will want to talk. Today they just got to break the ice and to get to know each other. James returned from an unusual day at the office very muddy

Wednesday 13th July 2016

We have just been told by St Luke’s school that every pupil that we have mentored either maintained their level or improved their academic performance over the year. Some have even begun to put up their hands in lessons, a mark of their increasing confidence, even if their answers aren’t always the best. Before the programme started, the sad expectation was that many or all would drop even lower academically, or struggle even more with school life. I’m excited that we have been part of such a change. The whole team is encouraged before another year starts. In truth, I’m also saddened that it has actually taken very little to help these young people change the courses they were set upon. One hour, once a fortnight … I long now to do more, for more. There are so many opportunities. We are limited only by the size of our team.

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