Step-Out Mentoring is an early intervention mentoring organisation that provides support for children and young people in the heart of Southwark through outdoor based 1:1 mentoring and group workshops. We work with children and young people aged 8-18 who are disengaged with education and/or life. Supporting children and young people who have been struggling with mental health issues in the shadow of Covid-19. These young people will have been struggling with complex issues exacerbated by the pandemic, and so a safe outdoor based program opens up opportunity to re-build resilience and confidence, as well as helping them to re-engage with their families, schools and wider communities.

Over the last decade we have seen numerous youth clubs and community centres closed down in Southwark leaving young people with very few safe, fun spaces to call their own.

Our new community space

This is where we want to change that. We will be moving into our new premises in September 23 with the aim to create a new community hub to support the most vulnerable young people and families in the community. We want to create a space where young people can drop by and know there is a relaxing space they can call their own. A space they can play games, eat and cook together, share stories and know there are professional staff there to support them as well.

We have been blessed to have been provided a space by Theatre Peckham in the heart of Camberwell. This space will essentially become a Community Living Room for the young people on our programme and their families. We hope to run more training sessions, workshops and celebration events from this new space. In order to do this we need your help to equip the space with items like, kitchen equipment, sofas, art worktops, bookshelves, table tennis table, projectors and sensory equipment.

What will your donation do?

£50 will pay for lots of board games and art materials to help with our mentoring sessions.

£100 will pay for 2 bean bags to help create a warm and inviting space for young people.

£250 will pay for a projector to help us run training sessions for local volunteers to become youth mentors.

£500 will pay for a table tennis table.

£1000 will contribute to some specialist sensory equipment like sling chairs, pod chairs and specialist equipment.

£5000 will help us buy kitchen equipment to be able to run cooking workshops as well as create a dance studio space.

What we do

Step Out Mentoring provides mentors from within the local community to young people aged 8-18. We train and recruit local volunteers and then match them to young people who are referred to our service through GP's, Social services, Schools and health centres. The volunteer mentors meet the young people once a week for outdoor based sessions. The sessions last for 12 months and provide an opportunity to walk alongside young people and create spaces where they can talk about their challenges and process what they are going through. Whilst enjoying fun engaging sessions such as cycling, boxing, swimming, art or just going for a walk.

Thank you so much for supporting these young people. If you would like to find out more please visit our website at https://www.step-out.org.uk/

Phil White

Founder and Director, Step Out Mentoring