How we work with mentors
Our mission to help young people make confident and informed decisions would be impossible without our volunteers. The young people on our programmes choose their mentors for a 1:1 conversation so they can access the best advice, guidance and support as they choose their future pathway.
We may provide the mentoring experiences, but our volunteers make them a success.
Volunteering as an online mentor
Online mentoring is a flexible volunteering opportunity that gives you and your mentees the agency to go at your own pace. Our online mentoring is built on text-based messaging through the online mentoring platform and mobile app, rather than using video calls, phone calls or live-chat sessions.
Together, you’ll work with your mentees to establish how often you’d like to be in touch, what they want to get out of the experience and how you can best help them to realise their goals. We ask our volunteers to commit one to two hours a week for the duration of the project, typically 10-12 weeks, with a small number of mentees.
Online mentoring conversations can be about higher education, careers and career pathways, interview techniques and transitions into university or the workplace. We run on a project by project basis, usually with 13-18-year-olds, and so we’ll invite you to take part in specific mentoring projects.
By volunteering with Brightside, you’ll develop leadership skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills and gain valuable experience in working with young people. All of these skills are hugely beneficial to your own personal development in the workplace or in higher education – and you’ll be making a huge difference to a young person’s life!
I had a great experience on this project. I thought the Brightside platform was very, very good for an online mentoring experience. I expected it to be a bit dry but it wasn’t; you could access it on the phone or the Mac and it was all seamless.
Steve, mentor
You can accept every project we offer or say no until the right one comes your way – there’s no pressure once you’re part of our volunteer network.
If you’re interested, we’ll ask that you:
- Join our volunteer network here
- Attend our volunteer network induction when you’re invited
- Complete a DBS check and a mentoring skills session
- Regularly check your emails for invitations to a mentoring project
- Commit to one to two hours a week once you’re placed on a project
- Commit to completing a feedback form at the end of the mentoring experience
- Let us know whether you’d like to take part again (and we’ll signpost you to your next opportunity!)