Meet Our Mentors 2022: Faye Banks
Our mentoring scheme is a valuable support tool for children and young people to help alongside our therapeutic services. Our mentors are trained volunteers offering guidance to a young person by building a trusting relationship and modelling positive behaviours in a fun and caring environment. We rely on our fantastic mentor volunteers to provide this service for our children and young people in order to help with their relationship and social skills, alongside any personal issues they are facing.
To celebrate our mentoring scheme and to discover more about our mentors, we will be showcasing some of our superb mentors over the coming months. Finding out more about their work, motivations and passions outside of Kids Inspire.
How does mentoring work?
A mentor offers the young mentee a safe place to discuss any issues and supports them to access new experiences, explore interests and develop new life skills. The mentor and mentee relationship is an opportunity for the mentee to improve their self-confidence, resilience and emotional wellbeing.
Young people are referred into the mentoring scheme through school, professionals, or parents. A mentor meets with their mentee on a regular basis, usually for an hour once a week. It is a joint decision between the mentor and mentee what they do with their time. This is often based on the mentee’s interests and hobbies, what is available in the community and what they feel comfortable with, but it could be to go for a walk, enjoy a hot drink and snack or perhaps visit a local place of interest.
A trained mentor commits to taking on the role for a year, providing the young mentee with regular, consistent support.
Faye Banks
First up in our 2022 Meet the Mentors series is Faye, who has been a mentor for Kids Inspire for just over 4 months. She discusses her background and highlights so far in our short interview.
“I want to be their personal champion and help them to understand how they can build positive relationships which they can use in the future.”
Tell us about yourself & how you first came across Kids Inspire?
My name is Faye and I started mentoring for Kids Inspire in April this year. I am currently a full-time mature student studying a Primary Education Degree. I also work part time as a swimming teacher and I really enjoy volunteering. From my degree modules I realised that I was particularly interested in supporting children that have had a difficult childhood more than going into mainstream teaching.
A friend had fundraised for Kids Inspire and she was able to provide me with lots of information about the charity and how I could help a child.
What type of mentoring do you do at Kids Inspire?
I am currently mentoring a child with face-to-face meetings, we have mutually agreed to meet once a week. We had an initial meeting to discuss what they would like to do when we meet, and they are particularly keen to learn how to swim which is a bonus as it is my speciality.
We have also had trips to the park & we have made plans to do some other activities during the school holidays.
What’s your favourite part of being a mentor at Kids Inspire?
Each week as we drive to the swimming pool, they tell me about what they have done since we last saw each other. As the meetings have progressed, they have shared more information and it is lovely to hear about what they have done. It is wonderful that they feel comfortable enough to share this with me.
How would you explain the role of a mentor to someone who was new to the charity and our work?
Kids Inspire help children that have experienced some form of trauma or negative life experience. They provide therapy for the child before introducing them to a mentor for extra support. As a mentor I have become a ‘professional friend’ to a child, during our time together along with having fun, I want to be their personal champion and help them to understand how they can build positive relationships which they can use in the future.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about becoming a mentor at Kids Inspire?
There are children that have come to Kids Inspire because they need some extra support in their lives, you can be that person who provides it. This can make such a positive impact for them and volunteering can be so rewarding. Full training is provided by Kids Inspire and they continue to support you in your role.
Can you tell us a personal highlight or story since you became a mentor at Kids Inspire?
My mentee really wanted to be able to swim, they work so hard to learn new water skills each week and being told afterwards that they had fun during our time together is great to hear. The progression they have made in their swimming is great even in a short period of time and with it so is their confidence, which is fantastic to witness.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
My guilty pleasure is watching Neighbours and Home and Away, I call it my Australian Happy Hour. It is even better with a cocktail as I dream of being there.
So we know a little more about you, when you’re not at work what are you most likely to be doing?
I like to walk, with or without my dog. It is an obsession that grew over lockdown, and I have recently completed a Walking Half Marathon. I am lucky to have a few amazing friends that enjoy ‘marching’ with me and we get to have a good natter as we go along. I also like to travel and explore new places with my husband.
Thank you for your time and all your mentoring work for Kids Inspire Faye, we really couldn’t do this without you!
Mentoring is a fulfilling role and you will have a direct, positive influence on a child or young person’s life. If you feel inspired to discover more about becoming a mentor, please visit our dedicated mentor volunteering page.
Do you know a young person who may benefit from 1:1 mentoring with a peer or adult? Make a referral here.