Grandmentors

Image courtesy of Alicia Canter/ The Guardian

Key Facts

Grandmentors: building better futures for young care leavers across 8 areas in the UK.

Every year, approximately 10,000 sixteen to eighteen year olds leave foster or residential care in England. Far too many do not go on to higher education or employment. All too often, they are deprived of support and opportunity.

This is why we created our award-winning Grandmentors programme, to help transform the lives of vulnerable young people through the emotional and practical support of our older, world-wise volunteers. Thanks to the support of Grandmentors, 82% of the care leavers are in education, employment or training after six months, compared to just 51% nationally.

“It’s simply amazing to know that there is a local, truly supportive person who will always want to help me” Cole, a young Care Leaver from Ipswich

Grandmentors provide a vital link for young people as they navigate life after care. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, enabling them to understand and meet the range of needs of their mentees. As trained volunteers – aged 50 and over – Grandmentors forge trusting and positive relationships with young people. They support, challenge and empower mentees to unlock their own skills and shape their own futures.

Our Grandmentors projects are running across eight local authorities. We’ve had 500 successful matches since the programme’s launch.

“Grandmentors play an active role in helping young people get back on track. Befriending, nurturing and encouraging young people, utilising the experiences they have gained during their life time” Children and Families Service, Islington Council

Work in a local authority?

Find out more about Grandmentors, its impact and how we partner with local authorities to support young care leavers. Contact Tony Rich, Business Development Manager:

TONY.RICH@VOLUNTEERINGMATTERS.ORG.UK

Want to be a Grandmentor?

We provide training, on-going support and expenses for volunteers. No special skills or qualifications are needed for this voluntary role, just life experiences as well as a willingness to support someone who is need of a bit of help. See below for the latest volunteer opportunities.

Support Grandmentors

We think all young care leavers deserve the support of a Grandmentor. Help us make this happen. Donate today.

DONATE NOW

Image courtesy of Alicia Canter/The Guardian.

COVID-19 Response Programme

Our COVID-19 Response programme includes projects operating on a local and national level, with new roles to support the community during the pandemic.
filmon grandmentors intergenerational mentoring

Grandmentors

Grandmentors: building better futures for young people leaving care in 11 areas of the UK. Volunteer Grandmentors share their skills and experience with young people leaving care to help them get on in life.

Grandmentors – Volunteer (Suffolk)

Volunteers will be matched to a young person who is out of employment, education or training to provide mentoring, guidance and skills development.

Grandmentors – Volunteer (Surrey)

Volunteers will be matched to a young person who is out of employment, education or training to provide mentoring, guidance and skills development.

GRANDMENTORS – VOLUNTEER (Wandsworth)

Grandmentors is an innovative volunteering project where older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support and mentor young people leaving the care system. These young people who are out of employment, education or training (NEET) often need a guiding hand and role model to support them to find work, continue their education or … Continued

GRANDMENTORS – VOLUNTEER (BRENT)

Grandmentors is an innovative volunteering project where older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support and mentor young people leaving the care system. These young people who are out of employment, education or training (NEET) often need a guiding hand and role model to support them to find work, continue their education or … Continued

RESPECT – Call for volunteers

If you want to be involved in helping your community through the COVID-19 crisis, but are unsure how to get involved, this is your opportunity.  If you are 16-years and older and interested in making a difference, then contact us for more info using the form below.

GRANDMENTORS – VOLUNTEER (WARWICKSHIRE)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Warwickshire.

GRANDMENTORS – VOLUNTEER (WOLVERHAMPTON)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Wolverhampton.

GRANDMENTORS – VOLUNTEER (Milton Keynes)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Milton Keynes.

GRANDMENTORS – VOLUNTEER (Wiltshire)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Wiltshire.

Grandmentors – Volunteer (Ipswich)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Ipswich.

Grandmentors – Volunteer (Islington)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Islington.

Grandmentors – Volunteer (Hounslow)

Grandmentors is an innovative project that sees older volunteers use their lifetime of skills and experience to support young people leaving the care system. This opportunity is for Grandmentors Hounslow.

Grandmentors and Hounslow Allies

All local authorities have a statutory duty to provide independent visitors to all children in care (aged 8 – 16+) who would benefit. In Hounslow, London, we’ve been providing an Independent Visitor Service – Hounslow Allies – for over 12 years. We also run Grandmentors in Hounslow. Grandmentors is an intergenerational mentoring programme that matches … Continued

What it’s like to be a Grandmentor

Karen heard about Grandmentors through the local business community, and is already seeing a great difference in her mentee, only a few weeks into supporting her as a volunteer.

Grandmentors Programme Review

An external review of the Grandmentors programme, conducted between June and September 2017. The review looks at what Grandmentors offers in the current policy and commissioning environment, and how the model could be evolved for the future.

Grandmentors Golf day raises £5,000 for care leavers

Seventy supporters raised £5,000 for Grandmentors, an inter-generational award-winning project of Volunteering Matters. The money will help to provide weekly support for young care leavers over a 6-12 month period, ensuring greater well-being, autonomy and career prospects.

Volunteering Matters chosen as Charity of the Week by players of People’s Postcode Lottery

  Volunteering Matters is this week’s players of People’s Postcode Lottery Charity of the Week. We feature on their website here. Every year thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, tens of thousands of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in communities across England, Scotland and Wales benefit from the support of Volunteering Matters. Our partnership … Continued

Grandmentors programme wins National Mentoring Award

Volunteering Matter’s Grandmentors programme won a prestigious national award recognising its transformational work in mentoring young care leavers. The Grandmentors programme received the honour in the Third Sector category at the recent National Mentoring Awards, in recognition of the 1:1 support that Grandmentors provide young people leaving care. One of the key areas that impressed … Continued
RSVP

International Day of Older Persons

The 1st of October marks the International Day of Older Persons and we’d like to take the opportunity to celebrate the 8,700 older and retired people who share their time and talents each year by volunteering with us.
Karen and Sarah

Taking Grandmentors to new places!

Both Stockton Council and Wiltshire Council will be teaming up with Volunteering Matters to launch Grandmentors in their area, providing new inter-generational mentoring to young people leaving care. 

Launching Great Grandmentors

Our Grandmentors volunteer their time, skills, compassion and expertise to help young people coming out of the care system so that they can become independent adults. To mark Care Leavers Week 2020 we’re launching the next phase of this award-winning programme – Great Grandmentors. Over the past 3 years we’ve seen our Grandmentors going above … Continued

Grandmentors: Does it work?

A comprehensive two-year evaluation by Manchester Metropolitan University on Grandmentors explores whether the programme works for young people leaving care.