Charity works with businesses to help mentor young people

8 July 2020

PROMISEworks provides long-term inspirational, one-to-one mentoring to some of Somerset’s most vulnerable children and young people. Some of them are on the edge of care or have left the care system.

The charity’s volunteer mentors help them as they deal with struggles young people should not have to face. Many will have never experienced the benefits of security and trust that come with the friendship of a reliable, supportive adult.

PROMISEworks relies purely upon its own fundraising efforts and has a focused fundraising group. 

The charity has been:

• Awarded a grant from the Hinkley C Fund to recruit a full time Case Holder to be based in Bridgwater for a period of two and a half years
• Successfully held our first fund- raising and awareness dinner at the Yeo Valley Canteen.
• Started a programme to engage with businesses to encourage staff members to volunteer to be trained as mentors, and finance those staff who are matched to a mentee (this is a very long-term venture, the first success being with Thatchers Cider)
• Been selected as Irwin Mitchells Charity of the Year
• Chosen alongside St Mungo’s by Mill on the Brue in Bruton, as their Charity of the Year
• Recently won the Somerset Unsung Hero Award 2020 for team of the Year

Christell, pictured, is the PROMISEworks face of the Taunton area, complementing the work already being carried out in other areas of the county. Helping to develop a long-term, sustainable mentoring service that will support children and young people for a minimum of two years each.  

If anyone feels able to help a local young person, please get in touch with Christell at: mentoring@promiseworks.org.uk and find out how a little time every week or so could change the life of a local child.

More information is available at www.promiseworks.org.uk.