Volunteer Mentor

The Diana Award are thrilled to invite you to volunteer for our Mentoring Programme this Autumn 2025, which operate across London.

We collaborate with volunteer mentors to support young people aged 14-18 who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) through mentoring interventions, career skills development programmes, and support with their youth-led social action projects.

WHO CAN VOLUNTEER AS A MENTOR?

We welcome applicants of all industries and levels of experience. Through mentoring you will gain skills in communication and leadership, building empathy and understanding of issues and barriers facing young people in their communities.

OUR MENTORING PROGRAMMES

We will be running our exciting Twelve-week Mentoring Programme from October 2025 - February 2026, across London, in the boroughs of Enfield, Tower Hamlets and Sutton.

The programme will involve:

• Twelve weeks of in-person weekly mentoring sessions that last one hour (excluding travel) and are delivered on the same day and time each week.
• Group mentoring, where a group of volunteer mentors work together to support a group of mentees, with the help of a Diana Award Facilitator.
• Volunteer mentors will share advice and guidance with young people who are at risk of becoming NEET.

We will train you to mentor and provide ongoing support for the duration of your programme.

The Diana Award can provide you with a professional reference, paid for DBS check, and refund your travel expenses in exchange for your voluntary work.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Requirements

• A minimum of 18-years-old.
• Willing to complete a DBS Check (paid for by The Diana Award).
• Willing to provide contact details for two referees.
• Has the right to work and volunteer in the UK.
• Able to attend a three-hour in-person mentor training session.
• Able to commit to weekly face-to-face sessions.
• Lives or works in London.

Skills

• Passion for working with young people.
• Has developed or willing to develop active listening skills.
• Ability to see solutions and opportunities when working with people or in a group setting.
• Ability to show resilience when faced with challenging situations or behaviours.

Experience / Knowledge

• Has work experience, this can be professional, from previous volunteering, or social action initiatives.
• Has developed or willing to develop experience of picking, planning, and delivering a social action campaign.

Optional Experience / Knowledge

• Has prior experience working with young people.
• Has experience in organising grassroots activism.
• Has experience or knowledge in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
• Has experience or knowledge in Widening Participation.
• Has experience in project management.

Responsibilities

• Commit to weekly sessions for twelve weeks, demonstrating consistency and punctuality. Mentoring Programme sessions last 60 to 90 minutes (excluding travel time). Follow through is key when working with young people at risk of becoming NEET.
• Collaborate with a Diana Award Facilitator and other volunteer mentors to deliver and support group mentoring sessions within a school setting.
• Review session plans and prepare for weekly sessions. Communicate weekly and in a timely manner with other volunteer mentors and a Diana Award Facilitator.
• Create a safe and positive learning environment and provide young people with encouragement, guidance, and constructive feedback.
• Nurture positive relationships with young people. Listen, understand, and acknowledge their feelings and experiences.
• Support young people to plan a social action project.
• Foster a growth mindset and encourage young people to challenge themselves to work towards their goals.
• Support young people’s professional development by connecting them with further opportunities. For example, workplace visits, work experience, resources, relevant networks etc.
• Identify and report any safeguarding and child protection concerns or disclosures to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, as per The Diana Award Safeguarding Policy.