This is one mentor's story:
"I love mentoring and I've been doing it for three years now. I mentor a young man who was really sceptical at first and didn't speak much. It took time but gradually the barriers came down. I took him bowling which he'd never done before. Now he's really focused and with my help he's got a job, is doing a college course and has his own place. He's even in training for the mini Olympics. We meet at least every fortnight and we might go for a coffee in between.
"I first found about mentoring a few years ago when I went along to an open day for people thinking about it. It was run by Rainer, the young people's charity, and it got me quite excited about what I could do for a young person. I've always worked with people in the community so I knew I had the right experience to make it as a mentor. There was an induction for all the new mentors and lots of training that really helped to prepare me. Still I wasn't sure what to expect. Getting to know the mentee takes time and there have been a few difficult patches but generally the whole experience is great. Mentoring gives me a real feeling of pride when I see the young person getting their life back on track. You need to be committed but what you give, you certainly get back."