FtSE Member News: TACT - Care-experienced volunteers needed to mentor children in Wales

TACT (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust) Cymru, is seeking young care leavers to volunteer for an innovative pilot project providing peer mentoring to children and young people in care aged 10 to 13, who will then in turn will be trained to mentor future children and young people cared for by TACT.

The TACT Cymru Peer Mentoring/Mentora Cyfoedion project has been set up with the help of £10,000 from the People’s Postcode Lottery and will provide mentoring training to 20 young people who will help co-design the programme.

Stephen Humphreys, Deputy Area Manager for TACT Cymru said: “Care-experienced mentors understand the issues around growing up in care, what it is like first going into care, or leaving care.  They are familiar with the transitions and challenges that children and young people experience, for example starting a new school, being bullied, feeling isolated and lacking confidence.

From this pilot TACT hopes to develop a peer mentoring alumni to mentor future TACT children to lessen the potential for contact with the criminal justice system, plus low outcomes in education, health and employment.

Stephen Humphreys said:” The TACT Peer Mentoring/Mentora Cyfoedion project is about care experienced young people building trust and confidence with looked after children who are the most vulnerable and who have suffered considerable trauma and harm. We want to create a positive community for supporting their aspirations and increasing achievement.” 

If you are a young care leaver, aged approximately 20 – 30, and interested in volunteering for the peer mentoring project please contact Stephen Humphreys on 07506219752 or email him at: s.humphreys@tactcare.org.uk

Source:
https://www.tactcare.org.uk

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