National Conference 2008 - A force for social cohesion and inclusion
Watch highlights of this year's annual mentoring and befriending event
On Thursday 22nd May 2008 the Mentoring and Befriending Annual Conference took place at Manchester’s Hilton Hotel. Parts of the day are available to view online - see below for details
Over 300 delegates networked and attended a wide range of open-forum workshops exploring a range of issues including safe practice, mentoring Looked After Children, volunteers and the law and peer mentoring in educational settings.
A major new report illustrating how mentoring and befriending relationships are playing a major role in bringing about social cohesion and reducing tension among communities was also launched.
MBF would like to take this opportunity to thank all mentees, befriendees, speakers and project co-ordinators who took part in this event, without your support it would not be possible to produce this annual event.
Learn more about different parts of the day:
- Keynote speaker - Phil Hope
- Panel discussion - Turning policy into practice
- Participants' view - mentees and befriendees take to the stage
- Celebrating success - David Robinson, OBE
- Read the full conference report
- View workshop PowerPoint presentations and synopses
“Today has provided an excellent forum in which to consolidate ideas… just by sharing your own ideas with others always leads to fresh ideas … so I’d say this is an invaluable experience for everyone”
Jess Skelton (Friends United)
Over 300 delegates networked and attended a wide range of open-forum workshops exploring a range of issues including safe practice, mentoring Looked After Children, volunteers and the law and peer mentoring in educational settings.
A major new report illustrating how mentoring and befriending relationships are playing a major role in bringing about social cohesion and reducing tension among communities was also launched.
MBF would like to take this opportunity to thank all mentees, befriendees, speakers and project co-ordinators who took part in this event, without your support it would not be possible to produce this annual event.
Learn more about different parts of the day:
- Keynote speaker - Phil Hope
- Panel discussion - Turning policy into practice
- Participants' view - mentees and befriendees take to the stage
- Celebrating success - David Robinson, OBE
- Read the full conference report
- View workshop PowerPoint presentations and synopses
“Today has provided an excellent forum in which to consolidate ideas… just by sharing your own ideas with others always leads to fresh ideas … so I’d say this is an invaluable experience for everyone”
Jess Skelton (Friends United)
Keynote address - Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector
Watch the keynote address- Please note this link takes you to an external site. MBF does not endorse any of the additional content or links.
Phil Hope started his presentation by stressing to delegates the profound and integral role they play within the Third Sector and in what the government is ultimately trying to achieve in terms of social inclusion, community cohesion, breaking down barriers, enhancing education and re-connecting individuals back to the community. Significantly he also reinforced the fact that:
‘Every single government department is using mentoring in some way to achieve their objectives”
Why?
“The professional one-to-one support is extraordinarily effective … the relationship between a mentor and a mentee is quite unique and the voluntary aspect is a very important part of the process. Voluntary mentors impact on people in a special way …creating a unique bond of trust that’s often harder for paid professionals to achieve”
Phil Hope continued:
“Mentoring plays a larger role in society, providing community cohesion on the streets and in estates"
Phil Hope started his presentation by stressing to delegates the profound and integral role they play within the Third Sector and in what the government is ultimately trying to achieve in terms of social inclusion, community cohesion, breaking down barriers, enhancing education and re-connecting individuals back to the community. Significantly he also reinforced the fact that:
‘Every single government department is using mentoring in some way to achieve their objectives”
Why?
“The professional one-to-one support is extraordinarily effective … the relationship between a mentor and a mentee is quite unique and the voluntary aspect is a very important part of the process. Voluntary mentors impact on people in a special way …creating a unique bond of trust that’s often harder for paid professionals to achieve”
Phil Hope continued:
“Mentoring plays a larger role in society, providing community cohesion on the streets and in estates"
Panel discussion - Turning policy into practice
Panel members:
- Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector; Peter Collins, Mentoring and Befriending Foundation; Jane Todorovic, Department of Communities and Local Government; Richard Turner, Friends United Network
Peter Collins reflected the general mood of the conference in applauding the government’s proposals of providing sustainable, 3-year funding for projects in the future. He stressed that commissioners should all be made aware of the mentoring and befriending programmes available to them locally and the impact they are already having within communities. He also highlighted the need for MBF to support sharing of good practice and being proactive in educating commissioners via training.
Phil Hope then discussed the idea of "best value" commissioning stating that the needs of the user and the changes sought are the key to success. He ended by highlighting the value of effective evidencing of impact.
Richard Turner picked up on this final point and agreed that evidencing impact is important, however expressed concern regarding the trend of evaluation data to benchmark projects against each other particularly when other factors are not taken into consideration.
- Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector; Peter Collins, Mentoring and Befriending Foundation; Jane Todorovic, Department of Communities and Local Government; Richard Turner, Friends United Network
Peter Collins reflected the general mood of the conference in applauding the government’s proposals of providing sustainable, 3-year funding for projects in the future. He stressed that commissioners should all be made aware of the mentoring and befriending programmes available to them locally and the impact they are already having within communities. He also highlighted the need for MBF to support sharing of good practice and being proactive in educating commissioners via training.
Phil Hope then discussed the idea of "best value" commissioning stating that the needs of the user and the changes sought are the key to success. He ended by highlighting the value of effective evidencing of impact.
Richard Turner picked up on this final point and agreed that evidencing impact is important, however expressed concern regarding the trend of evaluation data to benchmark projects against each other particularly when other factors are not taken into consideration.
Mentees and befriendees tell their stories
Watch the full participants view- Please note this link takes you to an external site. MBF does not endorse any of the additional content or links.
Ndella Saho a refugee from the RAMP programme in London said:
“My mentor was of tremendous help. Without her, things would have been very, very bad,” she said. “Mentoring is very helpful not just to asylum seekers but to the wider community.”
Tez Leach from Changing Directions programme in Salford said:
“Mentoring has really turned my life around - without it I would still be drinking and taking drugs.“
Dinneka Smillie from Stepping Stones Programme in Leeds said:
“I know I can do well now … thanks to my mentor, I got 9 GCSEs and I’m now studying for 4 A’Levels … Sociology, Psychology, English and Media Studies. Once my exams are over I even plan to become a mentor myself from September!”
14-year old Niall McFadden from Bolton Lads and Girls Club said:
“Before the mentoring, I travelled a long way to school and didn't have many friends there. Now days out with my mentor are a great way to get away from things and have fun. I've met new people and now I have the confidence to make friends at school.”
Ndella Saho a refugee from the RAMP programme in London said:
“My mentor was of tremendous help. Without her, things would have been very, very bad,” she said. “Mentoring is very helpful not just to asylum seekers but to the wider community.”
Tez Leach from Changing Directions programme in Salford said:
“Mentoring has really turned my life around - without it I would still be drinking and taking drugs.“
Dinneka Smillie from Stepping Stones Programme in Leeds said:
“I know I can do well now … thanks to my mentor, I got 9 GCSEs and I’m now studying for 4 A’Levels … Sociology, Psychology, English and Media Studies. Once my exams are over I even plan to become a mentor myself from September!”
14-year old Niall McFadden from Bolton Lads and Girls Club said:
“Before the mentoring, I travelled a long way to school and didn't have many friends there. Now days out with my mentor are a great way to get away from things and have fun. I've met new people and now I have the confidence to make friends at school.”
Celebrating success - David Robinson, OBE
Watch David Robinson's speech - Please note this link takes you to an external site. MBF does not endorse any of the additional content or links.
As a fitting conclusion to the day, David Robinson, (OBE, Senior Advisor Community Links and Lead, Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action) focused everyone’s thoughts on celebrating success and recognising achievement pointing out that the real world creates real problems – that we can overcome.
“We are driven by dreams and judged by delivery.”
David stressed how, even with the most basic resources, individuals really can make a difference if they stand up for an ideal and then – very practically – put it into action. All major acts start as one ideal; the vision of one individual.
Take a small idea. Pilot it. Put it into action. Then spread it out and spread it out. Individuals can make a difference in the first instance – it’s the only thing that ever does!
“If you don’t like the headline, go out and make your own!"
Get your views heard and advise the Prime Minister's Council on Social Action on mentoring and befriending as a support service
Read the full conference report
View workshop PowerPoint presentations and synopses
As a fitting conclusion to the day, David Robinson, (OBE, Senior Advisor Community Links and Lead, Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action) focused everyone’s thoughts on celebrating success and recognising achievement pointing out that the real world creates real problems – that we can overcome.
“We are driven by dreams and judged by delivery.”
David stressed how, even with the most basic resources, individuals really can make a difference if they stand up for an ideal and then – very practically – put it into action. All major acts start as one ideal; the vision of one individual.
Take a small idea. Pilot it. Put it into action. Then spread it out and spread it out. Individuals can make a difference in the first instance – it’s the only thing that ever does!
“If you don’t like the headline, go out and make your own!"
Get your views heard and advise the Prime Minister's Council on Social Action on mentoring and befriending as a support service
Read the full conference report
View workshop PowerPoint presentations and synopses
