Our mentoring service

We match volunteer mentors to young people to achieve a goal together.

The young person chooses their own goal and goals are as varied as young people themselves! The goal could be learning to play guitar, taking an art class, or going to the gym.

Mentors and young people meet once a week for around one hour to take part in their chosen activity.

A consistent and trusted adult in a young person’s life can support them to take part in new experiences, develop skills, and increase their confidence.

Our young people

We support young people aged 14-25 in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The young people we support are displaying “at risk” signs. These signs may include low attendance at school, welfare issues at home, lack of positive social networks, poor mental health, or being bullied.

Many of our young people are referred to Move On by schools, social care, or NHS Scotland Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

"I would recommend mentoring to other young people... I've met new people and tried new things that I never thought I would be capable of."

Ann, a young person with a Move On mentor

Our mentors

We welcome mentors from all walks of life. Volunteers don’t need to have any previous experience or qualifications.

Our only requirements are that mentors are 18 years old+ and can commit approximately an hour a week for at least six months.

We provide all mentors with thorough training before they start their new role.

Our training covers:

  • An introduction to mentoring
  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Trauma awareness
  • Child protection
  • Boundaries and personal safety

A dedicated member of our team will support both the mentor and the young person during their match.

Our mentors have a genuine passion for helping young people, accept others for who they are, and can listen and offer encouragement without judgement.

Accreditation

Our mentoring service is accredited by the Scottish Mentoring Network and won their Social Care Project of the Year award in 2018.

We received the 10 Years Continuously Holding the Quality Award from the Scottish Mentoring Network in 2023. As part of holding the award for 10 years, different elements of our mentoring service have been assessed to guarantee they continue to meet a high standard. These include putting our young people first, providing committed mentors, employing skilled staff, and active safeguarding.

Refer a young person

If you’re interested in referring a young person to our mentoring service, please submit a referral form through our secure upload portal.

Please note we’re not currently accepting new referrals for young people in Edinburgh. We will update our website as soon as referrals reopen.

If you have any questions about our mentoring service, please contact Rebecca on 0141 221 2272 or rebecca@moveon.org.uk.

If you’re interested in volunteering as a mentor, please click here.