Dave McNicholl is chief executive of Warrington Youth Club.

In his latest column he talks about the benefits of a lottery backed scheme

IN November 2014 OnSide Warrington Youth Club received notification from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund that we had been successful with an application to launch the core mentoring programme.

We had invested two years into researching the current mentoring provision for children and young people in Warrington and consulted extensively with partner agencies, children, young people and families on the need for such a service.

We developed the programme using the structure of the award winning nationally recognised programme delivered by Bolton Lads and Girls Club over the past 18 years.

The programme identifies more than 75 children and young people each year who are facing a range of challenges in their lives from across Warrington and aged between seven and 15.

This age range includes the transition from primary to secondary school and the journey through secondary education, both can present a range of challenges to children and young people.

To support children and young people we pair them with a volunteer mentor recruited from across Warrington.

Our mentors are a consistent support over a 12-month period on a weekly basis who can offer support, advice, guidance and a friendly face for the children and young people.

The mentors are all positive role models in the lives of the children and young people and undertake an extensive interactive training programme and receive ongoing support from our full time mentor coordinators.

As well as having an extremely positive impact in the lives of children and young people and often supporting them to make decisions which can dramatically improve their lives, in some cases saving their lives.

Mentors regularly feedback that they have also developed a wide range of skills and confidence during their time as a mentor and the experience in many cases has a profound impact on their own lives.

Each of the mentors are very carefully paired with a child or young person who shares similar interests or are deemed to be well suited in personality to develop a supportive relationship.

One of the young people recently commented on the impact their mentor has had.

They said: “I was having a really bad time in school since I started at high school and my mentor has really helped me, he is there each week so I can tell him what is going on in my head and he has helped me calm down and think before I do something that gets me into trouble.”

n If you could be a mentor and help improve the life of a young person call our mentoring team on 581226 or email lindsayg@warringtonyouthclub.co.uk.