Dorset Mentoring Partnership Conference 2011 - EDP Drug & Alcohol Services

Dorset Mentoring Partnership Conference 2011

The first annual Dorset Mentoring Partnership conference took place in Bournemouth on 10th November with mentors and partners attending from across the county.  Workshops focusing on mentoring skills and mental health were held in the morning followed by a series of talks in the afternoon. 

Among the speakers were Bec Davison, Deputy Director of Crime Reduction Initiatives, who discussed the benefits of mentoring, and Steve Matthews, CEO of the Mentoring & Befriending Foundation, who looked at ways of ensuring mentoring continues to develop and move forward.  He emphasised the importance of three specific areas: finding methods for measuring and monitoring the impact and outcomes of mentoring; making the best use of resources by sharing and working in partnership with others; and responding to the new ways in which people are now able to mentor, particularly in relation to new technology and social media. 

The second part of the afternoon saw motivating speeches from three practicing mentors, all of whom have completed EDP’s Peer Mentor Training Programme.  Sandra began by discussing the positive effect mentoring has had on her and how this has affected her family as a whole.  She said that “the confidence I got from EDP has filtered down.  It’s almost like ripples in a pond".

Sandra was followed by Julie who spoke of how having lived with domestic violence for 35 years she was able to make big life changes with the help of her mentors.  In the past two years she has completed a variety of qualifications, including EDP’s Peer Mentor Training Programme when it was run externally for the first time in July 2011 in association with Knightstone Housing.  Julie now mentors online around the world and has recently got a job as a support worker with BCHA.  She said that “my goal is to give others the opportunities that were given to me”.

Last to speak was Adrian who told his moving story of how a very unhappy childhood due to an abusive step-father lead to a long struggle with drugs and alcohol that, along with being attacked, has left him with permanent sight loss.  Adrian was able to turn his life around and has now been with EDP for three years, having been one of the original participants in the Peer Mentor Training Programme when it was first introduced.  He believes that “no matter how tragic a person’s story, it is possible to make positive change, better their lives and give something back”. 

It was fitting that these inspiring stories were followed by the launch of the Dorset Mentoring Awards which will see a ceremony take place at next year’s conference with awards in two categories: Individual Mentoring Champion of the Year and Organisational Services to Mentoring.  For further details and nomination forms please email dorsetmentoringpartnership@hotmail.co.uk. 

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