Mosaic Mentoring matches volunteer mentors with young Muslims and others aged between 12 – 25 years old at schools and via community groups based in some of our more deprived areas within our towns and cities. Although Mosaic mentors are Muslim and operate in areas of high Muslim population, all young people can participate in benefiting from the programme regardless of their faith background. Mosaic mentoring aims to raise the aspirations of all young people who are growing up in our deprived areas.
Mentoring sessions can take a variety of forms ranging from 1:1 work, group (one mentor to a small group of pupils) or clusters (a group of mentors with a group of pupils). The young people being mentored benefit greatly, gaining insights into work and life from mentors from a wide range of professions and a wealth of life experiences.
Mentoring sessions cover an array of topics such as advice on entering a particular industry, CV preparation, interview techniques and general social skills.
Mosaic is currently active in Bradford, Burnley, Leicester and London. It is planned that mentoring will be operating in West Midlands (Birmingham) from January 2009 and will be extended to further new areas in due course.
Mosaic’s key mentoring aims are to raise aspirations and provide access to new opportunities for young people who might not otherwise receive such support. We aim to motivate young people in their school work and exams, inspire them to consider in more detail what their options are, show them that these options are far greater than they might realise, and give practical insights into how others have made a success of their lives.
The benefits that mentors and business at large will see are a more educated and experienced future generation entering the work force, greater presence within workplaces from an often under-represented part of society, and greater integration and social cohesion. Individually, mentors not only enjoy working with young people but also tell us how much they gain by understanding better the communities and young people they come into contact with.
Over time it is intended that these activities will be extended to community group leaders, young Muslim ex-offenders and other disadvantaged groups.
To get involved in mentoring please Join Mosaic by registering as a member. From there we will contact you to discuss in more detail your availability and any preferences.