FAQ’s for Routes2Success role-models and mentors

1. What is the difference between a role model and mentor? 

Role models work as a team to deliver three sessions to the same cohort of young people (up to 15 young people in a cohort) over three weeks. Role models will: 

• inspire through life experiences and motivate young people to improve their life chances 
• provide an understanding of what opportunities and pathways are available to them 
• share best practice, offer tips, and access opportunities for success 

In comparison, Mentors work one-to-one with a young person to deliver fortnightly sessions of 1-2 hours for a total of 10 sessions. Mentors will: 

• be a confidante for the young person they work with 
• help the young person to challenge their own behaviour and decisions 
• help the young person to discuss challenges and personal issues 
• support the young person to develop the skills and tools to manage their social and emotional difficulties 
• use their own experiences for the benefit of the young person by sharing their own journey 
  

2. How do I juggle volunteering for R2S with my day job? 

It is completely up to you to take on as many or as few sessions as you wish! 

The minimum requirement is that you are available to volunteer between 6 to 12 days of the year based on a 4-hour day. This includes the compulsory induction and safeguarding training that all volunteers must undertake before they begin.  

Each role model session lasts 1.5 hours and we aim to work with the same cohort over 3 consecutive weeks.  

Remember to factor in your travel time to the school. We do consider role models who will only travel to schools in their borough and those surrounding.

3. I have limited/no experience working with young people, will this present a barrier? 

We have role models and mentors from all walks of life – some who work with young people regularly and others who do not. Rest assured that this will not present a barrier to engaging with a group! 

Whilst your first session may feel a little daunting, it is important to remember that the young people will be happy to see a new face and will be interested by your story and experiences. 

We aim to ensure that all sessions are delivered jointly by at least two role models and supported by either Programme Manager Brianna Cyrus or Project Support Officer Phoebe Georgestone. 

The visible presence of Black role models fuels ambition and presents a vision of what can be possible for young people”

We Are The City

4. Will I be reimbursed for travel expenses? 

Yes. We reimburse volunteers for all sessions they have delivered and we do this by asking you to complete an expenses form. If you used public transport to travel to the session, we ask that you send us a photo/scan of your receipt. If you travelled by car, please note that we reimburse 45p per mile.  

 5. What boroughs does R2S work in? 

We are currently funded by the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) to work across the following boroughs: 

6. What are the types of workshops that you deliver? 

We deliver a wide range of workshop topics in the four broad areas of: education, employment, entrepreneurship, and personal development. We tailor each session to meet the specific needs of the group as identified by the school.

Below are some examples of specific areas we may cover: 

Once a request comes in from a school, we provide role models with a brief of the group and the workshop they would like us to deliver and ask role models to get in touch if they would like to deliver the session.

This means that you only need to take on a session that you feel comfortable delivering. 

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