Pioneering mentorship scheme connects young volunteers with opportunity

A trailblazing new mentoring programme, which brings together local young volunteers and leading role models in the tech and digital sectors, has recently reached its grand finale.

Delivered by social value specialist Ahead Partnership, the first-of-its-kind programme has aimed to give back to young volunteers aged 16-19 at Harehills-based youth empowerment charity CATCH Leeds by connecting them to mentors from key employers such as AND Digital, First Bus West Yorkshire, and Aire Logic, helping to invest in the young participants and improve their future prospects.

As the first mentoring programme that Ahead Partnership has delivered outside of mainstream education, it seeks to contribute to CATCH’s mission of empowering young people and adults to effect positive change in their communities through voluntary work, in collaboration with organisations across the city.

Designed to empower the young volunteers and boost their personal development, the tailored mentoring programme has given young volunteers the opportunity to better understand the value and the potential of the skills they have earned through their volunteering work with CATCH, and learn how to best utilise these skills in pursuit of their future goals.
The mentoring scheme comes under Ahead Partnership's well established Growing Talent Digital Leeds programme, a wider careers initiative designed to connect young people, particularly those who are underrepresented in the tech and digital sectors, to employers and career opportunities through various events and workshops across the region.
Young volunteers from CATCH have engaged in multiple sessions across the past two months, having one to one mentorship from key role models in growing and emerging sectors. The young participants have explored topics such as future planning, skills development, and goal-setting to explore how to apply their volunteering achievements toward their future aspirations.

The initiative has welcomed fantastic feedback from mentors and mentees alike, with both sides of the scheme seeing significant benefit from the pioneering programme. One mentor said: “The thing that sprung out to me is friendship, and how that’s developed between my mentees and myself, it’s brought out the best in the place that we’re all part of: they’re like my neighbours.”

The partners behind the initiative, both Ahead Partnership and CATCH, are part of the wider Leeds Learning Alliance, a collective of organisations invested in reducing inequality in the local community by working together to improve outcomes for young learners.

Faron Convey, project manager at Ahead Partnership and Volunteer at CATCH, said: “We are so proud of this initiative, which has been a first of its kind for Ahead Partnership.

“This collaboration has allowed us to reach young people through channels outside of mainstream schooling, including those less represented in key sectors, who might see significant impact in their future prospects through this type of guidance.

“It has been a real privilege to support in the championing of these local young volunteers, working closely with CATCH to help to deliver this. Collaboration such as this highlights the best of our region; an investment into our young people is an investment into our future as a city, and we look forward to seeing where the impact of this work might reach within Harehills and beyond.”

Those role models involved, as with the young volunteers themselves, come from demographics that are currently underrepresented in the tech and digital industry. These mentors have offered an alternative perspective to mainstream guidance, while showcasing the opportunities that are available to people from all backgrounds.

One young mentee involved in the programme said: “When I started I wasn’t that confident and I would be shy to speak in front of people, but with time, I’ve got more confident and it means I can secure my goals in the future.”

A second young volunteer said: “It taught me how to be creative and how to get something beautiful out of what seems like a random connection. It made me realised that you can reach your goals even if you’re starting from the bottom.”

Jen Wilkins, operations manager at CATCH, said: “At CATCH, we encourage people to find strength through outreach, to give back to their community in order to grow; we see the benefits of this every day in our young volunteers.

“It has been fantastic to see communities coming together, with particular support from Ahead Partnership, in recognition of the dedication our young volunteers show, and to offer them the guidance and the tools needed to put their best foot forward in their personal goals.

“We look forward to continuing to collaborate purposefully within our community, and work with like-minded organisations and individuals to secure better opportunities for our young leaders within their local communities and within key city sectors.”