Youth Mentors - Young People’s Skills & Mentoring Programme

Who are we?

London Gypsies and Travellers (LGT) is an organisation which challenges social exclusion and discrimination, working for change in partnership with Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller people.

Our Bright Futures programme provides mentoring, employability, and wellbeing support for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young people aged 15 – 25 years. We work directly with the young people through tailored mentoring and consistent support to build motivation, confidence, and resilience.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking Youth Mentors with a passion and willingness to empower young people to achieve their full potential.

As a Youth Mentor on our Bright Futures team, you will play a pivotal role in guiding and supporting young people through their personal and employment journeys. You will be a consistent positive presence in their lives, offering advice, encouragement, and a listening ear to enable young people to navigate challenges and transform their future.

Being a Bright Futures Youth Mentor involves:

·       Building trust-based relationships with young mentees

·       Providing 1:1 mentoring and support to our young mentees on navigating challenges and achieving aspirations

·       Guiding young mentees in exploring their interests and accessing training and employment opportunities   

·       Monitoring, recording and reporting on mentee/s journey and progress

·       Collaborating with the programme team for group workshops and community outreach

We are looking to expand our mentoring to GRT communities across London and are offering flexibility around weekly hours and a combination of onsite and offsite mentoring and outreach based on mentee and mentor availability and needs. Do apply and/orget in touch with us to discuss your availability and interest and finding a mutually suitable working arrangement.

What difference will a Bright Futures Youth Mentor make?

Young people from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities often face significant barriers to education, employment, and social inclusion. Starting from a young age, many of them experience open discrimination and stereotyping leading to isolation from mainstream society, loss of opportunities in training and employment, and poorer mental and physical health outcomes among other things.

As a Youth Mentor, you can be the catalyst for change, opening doors to new possibilities and enabling a more inclusive and empowered future for these young people and their communities.

- Through your mentoring and support, you can facilitate:

- Individual Empowerment: Enabling young people to develop a self and purpose, overcome barriers, and realize their potential to engage with confidence in wider society

- Enhancing Employability: Equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to secure meaningful employment and a sense of purpose

- Promoting Wellbeing: Encouraging healthy lifestyle choices and emotional resilience

- Community Upliftment: Creating a ripple effect of positive change within the GRT community through the next generation

- Tackling Discrimination: Providing young people with the awareness, confidence and support to stand up to the constant and pervasive prejudice and bias present in their lives

Why become a Bright Futures Youth Mentor?

Along with the satisfaction of making a lasting difference in young people’s lives, our Youth Mentors also receive:

-        Induction and training suited to the role of mentoring young Gypsy, Roma & Traveller people

-        Regular meetings with, and support from, the mentoring programme team

-        Opportunity to share experiences through interactions with other mentors and team, wider organisation, and community members

-        Valuable experience in developing your support and mentoring skills with vulnerable young people

-        Professional growth via outreach, training and development opportunities

-        All reasonable expenses reimbursement (e.g. travel and refreshments during meetings)

Application

We are recruiting for Youth Mentors on a rolling basis to expand our capacity and meet growing need for mentors. Contact us to express an interest and/or for an informal no-obligation chat about the role.

We are keen to hear from people with different backgrounds and experiences, including the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) community, as long as you are open and committed to learning and working sensitively with marginalised young people.