Jill and Clare

The Mentor (Jill)

Jill’s account during Lockdown…

I have just come off my regular check-in call with Clare to see how she has been. Before lockdown, she and I had been working towards an ending because after nearly three years she has made me redundant.

She has grown so much from the shy timid girl I first met into a confident young person.  During lockdown, we checked in fortnightly, but as her mentor, I am available more if she needs it. It is so important that Clare has someone else to reach out to for support if needed.

Having a mentor means ongoing support, regular check-in’s.  When I asked Clare what she would say to other mentees who might be experiencing anxiety. She said:

“To reassure them that it’s going to be alright, that we are stronger together and if they are needing to talk about how they feel and cannot talk to their parents, then their mentor is there to provide that support to them.”

The Mentee (Clare

My experience being mentored…

A couple of years ago, I went to Kids Inspire to meet my mentor.  I did not know what to expect with this experience, and now I can say how lucky I am to have had this opportunity. When I first met Jill I was very shy, but over the years, she has helped me grow and become the confident person I am now.

I met with Jill every other week and during lockdown, she has been phoning me to check how I’m doing. During our sessions we would talk about any worries or concerns that I had at the time. This has positively impacted me - talking about my emotions and how I felt. I knew I could talk to Jill about anything and that she would always be there for me to support me through everything.

Because of the mentoring I’ve received, I feel like I have changed as a person.  This has brought out a new side to me, someone who is confident, optimistic and positive.  It’s changed my mindset, so now I can always see the brighter side of things and I know not to think so negatively.  It has made me realise how lucky I am to be able to receive the help I needed.

My mentoring is coming to an end soon and I am very grateful for how Jill has helped me.  She’s taught me so many things and I cannot thank her enough.