Time4Me Mentees were given a boost recently when special packs were delivered to them to keep their Christmas spirits up during the pandemic.
The packs, which included a student cookbook, a food voucher, gloves, sweets, a mindfulness guide, along with a small gift, were delivered to 28 Forth Valley College students based across the Forth Valley area, who are aged between 15-26 year old and who may be care experienced, young carers or reside in regeneration areas.
In a true ‘whole college ‘approach, FVC’s Hospitality team also provided several Mentees with three course Christmas dinners as part of the Giving Back initiative with Business Development staff from the College giving up their time to help assemble and deliver the packs. Business Development also raised around £130 to help provide items for the packs.
The gesture was initiated by Sarah Tervit FVC’s Mentor Coordinator, and was an extension of the Care Packs supplied to mentees during Christmas 2019, Easter 2020, and during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Sarah, said: “The purpose of the packs is to promote the health and wellbeing of our mentees over the Christmas period. This time of year is not always the best of times for them and an extended holiday period from College can present its own challenges too. We want our Mentees to feel valued and cared for by their Time4Me and wider College community, supporting the overall wellbeing of our Mentees is just a small part of our Corporate Parenting responsibilities.
“We are also delighted to have teamed up with the College’s Hospitality Team who will be providing three course Christmas meals for some of our Mentees who have requested one, as part of their Giving Back initiative.
“For members of the Business Development Team to have offered their time – again as part of FVC staff’s Giving Back Initiative - to help make up the packs and deliver them to the Mentee’s homes thereafter was incredible, so a big thanks goes to all of them.
Craig Anderson, FVC’s Hospitality Business Development Manager, said: “In conjunction with the ‘Food Poverty Pilot’ we are running for charities this year as part of our Giving Back effort, it was important that we offered support to our own student population identified in the Time4me programme. Sarah and I are planning other initiatives in 2021 that will continue to support those that need access to nutritional food whilst in College.”
Time4Me recently secured further £149,000 of funding from The Robertson Trust to continue its good work and they are now looking for 20 more staff volunteers to get involved as Mentors, so that it may expand
The project originally received a £143,000 donation from The Robertson Trust and has been running for the last two and a half years as part of the Equalities, Inclusion and Learning Services Department.
Training existing staff members to become volunteer mentors, reflects the College’s commitment to supporting young people who face challenging circumstances, helping them make a successful and sustained transition into college life.
Mentors help the mentees with goal setting, problem solving and communication and the young people taking part will gain confidence and develop skills which will help them with their studies, career and life goals.