Filling the Gap: Supporting youth mentoring organisations in England

The closure of the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) in 2016 left a significant void in the support available to youth mentoring organisations across England. The MBF played a crucial role in providing resources, training, and best practice guidance to these niche organisations, as well as offering a quality standard accreditation, the Approved Provider Standard (APS), which recognised those meeting best practices in mentoring and befriending.

In addition to these tangible benefits, the MBF also served as a powerful advocate for the importance of mentoring and befriending, raising awareness about the positive impact of these programs on youth and communities. The foundation facilitated networking and knowledge-sharing among mentoring and befriending organisations, fostering a sense of collaboration and support within the sector.

With the MBF no longer in operation, youth mentoring organisations have been left without a centralized resource hub, a nationally recognised quality standard accreditation, and a strong advocate for their cause. The absence of the MBF has also led to fewer opportunities for networking, collaboration and raising standards among these organisations, potentially hindering their growth, effectiveness and ability to make tangible impact on young people's lives, especially those most in need of mentoring to increase their quality and outcome of life.

At The Mentoring Lab, we are well-positioned to fill the gaps left by the closure of the MBF. With a comprehensive resource library at hand, engaging in advocacy efforts, providing frameworks and networking opportunities, we are also on the way to create a new quality standard accreditation program; all much-needed support and guidance that youth mentoring organisations need to thrive.

One of the key initiatives The Mentoring Lab is to share our robust resource library that includes best practices, training materials, and guides tailored specifically to youth mentoring projects and organisations. This library would serve as a go-to destination for youth organisations seeking to improve their programs and align with sector standards.

Furthermore, The Mentoring Lab seeks to create a new quality standard accreditation, in alignment with Umbrella Youth Organisations, to enable youth mentoring organisations stakeholders, especially funders to recognises organisations demonstrating excellence in youth mentoring practices. This accreditation would provide a benchmark for quality and help organisations to stand out in a competitive funding landscape.

Advocacy is another area where The Mentoring Lab can make a significant impact. By raising awareness about the importance of youth mentoring and the positive outcomes these programs have on youth and communities, The Mentoring Lab can help to secure greater support and funding for grassroots and equity led youth mentoring organisations across England.

Networking and collaboration are essential for the growth and success of mentoring organisations. The Mentoring Lab will facilitate this by organising regular networking events, webinars, and conferences, bringing together volunteers, youth practitioners and mentees from across the sector to share knowledge, best practices, and innovative ideas.

Finally, The Mentoring Lab can offer research opportunities to help organisations improve their mentoring projects and services, ensuring they align with sound data, best practices and meet the needs of their target audiences. By sharing and conducting research that supports mentoring project evaluations, contributing to the evidence base value of mentoring initiatives.

In conclusion, the closure of the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation has left a significant gap in the support available to youth mentoring organisations in England.

However, The Mentoring Lab has the potential to fill this void by providing resources, accreditation, advocacy, networking opportunities, and consultancy services.

By stepping up to support these organisations, The Mentoring Lab can help ensure that youth mentoring continues to make a positive difference in the lives of young people across the country.​

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