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• Mentoring project to help vulnerable young people

A scheme to help children who need additional support in Knowsley will be launched later this year by NCH, the children’s charity in partnership with Knowsley Council.

The NCH Knowsley Junior Mentoring Project, funded by the council’s Prevention and Early Intervention Fund are currently recruiting two mentor co-ordinators who will manage a team of volunteers.

The targeted service will work with 5-11 years olds who are showing signs of early vulnerability which could develop into anti-social behaviour. The volunteers will give 1-1 support, offering the children a chance to improve their self confidence, the opportunity to talk to someone about their lives and engage them in activities away from their school and home environment.

Modelled on the NCH Volunteer Mentoring Project which has had great success working with children in Liverpool, NCH are hoping the new project will have the same success in Knowsley.

Lesley Stopforth, NCH Liverpool Family Support Manager, said: “In Liverpool, we’ve seen some great changes in our young people. The mentors have done some amazing work and literally turned children’s lives around, their school attendance has improved, their relationship with their families has changed and the number of incidents of anti social behaviour has significantly reduced. Just by being someone they can open up to and spend time with away from their peers, the mentors have made a big difference. We’re very excited to be setting up a similar scheme in Knowsley. “

Cllr Graham Wright, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services, said: “This is a fantastic scheme for the young people of Knowsley.

“This mentoring project will provide early intervention to our young people experiencing difficulties in any aspect of their lives, enabling them to work towards achieving positive changes for themselves. We know that we need to make a difference at an early point in some children’s lives and this is an exciting opportunity to do that.”


NCH currently provides a range of services in Merseyside and has a strong track record in working with children and young people who have challenging behaviour. For more information about the new scheme please call 0151 523 8719.

For more information about this news release, contact Claire Rogers on 07834 679 072, 01925 715 380 or claire.rogers@nch.org.uk  

End

Notes to Editor

1. In Merseyside NCH works with over 7,000 children, young people and families through a range of support services including the Liverpool Young Runaways Project, Youth Mentoring Scheme, Liverpool Family Intervention Project and Knowsley Family Intervention Project which work intensively with families to help them break free from anti-social behaviour and the Liverpool Family Centre, which works with children at risk.
2. NCH is one of the UK's leading children's charities, working in partnership to run nearly 500 services for more than 178,000 of the UK's most vulnerable children, young people and their families
3. For further information visit www.nch.org.uk