Anton first joined The Mentoring Lab to take part in our Launch Your Career workshop, designed to support young people in preparing for sustainable employment. After exploring his past work and employment experience,  at only 24 years old he had already worked in a number of temporary roles, across a range of industries; when what he really wanted to do was get into the fashion industry.

During the workshop, the expert career mentor identified excellent qualities such as loyalty, commitment, openness, and resourcefulness. However, his confidence was low due to his experience of living with dyslexia.

To give Anton the opportunity to evidence these skills to potential employers, he accepted our offer to volunteer on the four weeks Greenwich Summer Youth Programme we were programme managing. 

Anton excelled and completed the Launch Your Career workshop having a greater understanding of how his skills and qualities are invaluable to the functioning of a team and how to demonstrate this to future employers.

Anton is now working full time as a sales executive for a larger retail chain on Oxford Street, London.

Lilyana's first joined The Mentoring Lab to take part in our Easter Game Time Programme on a Hackney Council housing estate, designed to give young people a chance to develop a sense of achievement, develop qualities, learn about Mental Health Education and have lots of fun. Due to the Covid - 19 lockdown, we were unable to deliver face to face and Lilyana joined our online Game Time Sessions. With two days, we saw that Lilyana was a natural leader and invited her to join our Youth Advisory Panel to develop her confidence and improve her chances of entering a career within the health and social care sector.

We meet Lilyana when delivering GAME TIME on an housing estate in Stoke Newington, Hackney. Lilyana was keen to help promote the activities amongst her young neighbours. 

To give Lilyana the opportunity to evidence core skills to potential employers, we invited her to join our Youth Advisory Panel. She has since  become an integral part of our team.

Lilyana confidence was growing. Due to her committed engagement in our COVID Response online Game Time session, we invited her to volunteer on our delivery of The Online Greenwich Summer Youth Programme. Having more than three months of experience on engaging with young people and tutors online, she was able to demonstrate best practice to the new Greenwich Volunteers.

In 2020 Lilyana received passes in her GCSE's and is now studying full time Art and Design at college. 

She took part in our weekly Creative Money Making project, with Oliver Bonas; and recently completed L3 in Youth Mentoring training.

Lilyana hopes to be an Art Therapist when she is older, merging her love for art and passion for helping others.

Corde's, age 14, first joined The Mentoring Lab during the pandemic.  His mother was highly concerned because he was at risk of permanent exclusion from school. With issues occurring mainly in his English lesson, school support was limited due to delays in Corde being assessed for learning needs. 

Within his community, whilst riding his bike, whilst on a school exclusion, Corde was vulnerable to street gangs, and his life was threatened by a group of local teenage boys.

During his exclusions and once back at school we were able to provide Corde with 48 weeks of one to one mentoring with a black male mentor, after school tuition in English maths and 1:1 creative career mentoring sessions.

Corde made exceptional progress in his approach and attitude to life. Our team saw great improvements in his focus and optimism about his future in school.

Corde states that 'being a part of The Mentoring Lab has made him have more purpose, motivation and dedication.

Stating that he has 'improved his mannerism and communication skills'.

Corde states that he is 'much happier', and 'closer to his mum'.