What are the goals for this project?

All of us were previously involved in the Citywise charity which was dissolved in August 2023. Our aim is to continue the legacy of this previous work under this new entity, WISE Mentoring. WISE stands for Wellbeing, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment.

Our first goal is all about the community that we support. We want to create safe spaces where children can develop their wellbeing, grow in their confidence and resilience, explore their personal identity and purpose, and learn to care for others and the world around them. We will do this by working with children, schools and families, offering group mentoring and 1:1 mentoring sessions and family days to inspire children through the power of character education, support them through personal relationships and empower them to live out character strengths in their daily life. 

Over 2022-23, we will run mentoring projects in partnership with two local primary schools. We will also run regular drop-ins for previous attendees and families. This will reach 70 children and their families.

Over 2023-24, we plan to run mentoring projects in partnership with five local primary schools. We also plan to run at least one holiday project and continue running regular drop-ins for previous attendees and families. This will reach 120 children and their families. 

Over 2024-25, we plan to run mentoring projects in partnership with seven local primary schools, holiday projects, and drop-ins for previous attendees and for families. This will reach 160 children and their families.

Our aim is for our mentoring programme to be made accessible to any other groups who wish to use it. Over the next 2 years, Hana and the team will develop a manual for how to run the programme, develop guides for mentors, and create supporting materials around the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the work. This will be supported by the research, development and evaluation that is being conducted as part of Hana’s PhD.

Our aim is to get the curriculum and programme to a point where it can be made available for any other youth organisation or community group, wherever they may be based, seeking to mentor and support children and young people.

We aim to make this programme accessible to those whose first language is not English. Multiculturalism and multilingualism is a key part of the fabric of Glasgow, which is an open and welcoming place for people from all over the world. Many of the families that we work alongside do not speak English and would benefit from having the materials translated into other languages.

This is also a key part of the fabric of us as a team of volunteers. Our team itself is incredibly diverse, coming from Slovakia, Poland, Hong Kong, Spain and other parts of the world. We would love to see the programme implemented in multilingual contexts and in our home countries, and will seek to partner with those who can help us adapt the programme to other cultures and contexts.

If you are interested in becoming a Translation Volunteer, please fill out the expression of interest form.