A mentoring scheme aimed at supporting black and minority ethnic (BME) boys is seeking new mentors after being inundated with young men seeking support.

Earlier this year, the Mayor of London gave £100,000 towards the project, which is being run by Croydon Mentoring Consortium, who are providing mentors to BME boys in the borough who are at risk of becoming Neet (not in education, employment or training).

Mentors provide support for at least a year and aim to help boys aged between 10 and 16 to identify goals and develop a sense of responsibility and skills that will allow them to lead constructive lives.

Richard Bolade has mentored for six months and urged others to get involved.

He said: "I have found working as a mentor to be extremely rewarding experience.

"I see mentoring as an opportunity to give something back to the community in which I live and also to offer the benefit of my experience to young males from BME backgrounds.

"As mentors we are in no way authority figures to our mentees but rather we come across big brothers or uncles who are available to relate, support, encourage and offer the benefits of our experience to young BME men who may or may not have positive male role models in their own individual lives.

"Many of the mentees I work with are very intelligent and bright young men who need a bit of guidance to help stir them in the right direction and to help them avoid the pit falls of gang culture.

"I would encourage anyone who believes that they could positively influence the life of a young BME male to sign up to become a Mentor as they would find the experience very rewarding."

Both male and female mentors are being sought for the scheme. To get involved call 0208 684 3719 or email mentoring@bmeforum.org.

 

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