A Tamworth mentoring project has been awarded £3,000 from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s People Power Fund.The XL-Mentoring (XLM) project provides help to young people to improve their behaviours, succeed in education, build relationships with family and peers, and set goals for the future.
XLM Tamworth targets young people in difficult circumstances who are aged between ten and 18 and at risk of getting involved in gangs, crime and anti-social behaviour.
The project wants to provide mentors that are a role model to young people to help change their lives for the better. They work for a minimum of 12 months to support a young person and their family where they meet for one to two hours per week, for a minimum of 30 one-to-one sessions.
Since the launch of XLM Tamworth in January the project has gone from mentoring nine youngsters to now mentoring 24 young people.
As part of his commitment to local communities, the Commissioner is providing £500,000 in 2014/15 through the People Power Fund in the form of grants of between £100 and £3,000.
The fund is supporting locally-driven community safety activities in communities throughout Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Mr Ellis said: “I am extremely happy to have offered my support to the XL-mentoring project after seeing all of the great work that they do.
“It not only helps to change young people’s lives but also their families and the community where they live by helping youngsters gain confidence and contribute to society.”
Gary Coleman, XLM Tamworth Coordinator said: “XLM Tamworth is very grateful for the support from the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s People Power Fund. These funds will allow us to expand the project and train more mentors that will enable us to work with more agencies, families and mentor young people and help to provide them with a positive future, to restore their lives, restore their relationships and restore the community in which they live and work.”
Tamworth’s MP Chris Pincher, who was also at the event, said: “I was really pleased to join Gary and his mentors to congratulate them on winning funding for their programme from our PCC, Matthew Ellis. In just nine months since coming to see me at my surgery, the programme has gone from an idea to a working reality, mentoring 24 young people. The work of Gary and his team has seen a major change in these young people’s chances – one has gone from a school absence rate of over one day a week to almost full attendance. Well done to all the team and I hope it goes from strength to strength.”
For further details about XLM Tamworth visit www.cotongreenchurch.com/xl-mentoring or call Gary Coleman on 01827 60789.
For more details on funding opportunities visit www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/fund
*While in Tamworth Mr Ellis also visited the launch of The Heart of Tamworth Community Project at the Sacred Heart Community Centre. The new charity helps to meet the needs of disadvantaged members of the Tamworth community.
Mr Pincher added: “Heart of Tamworth is a great name for Tamworth has a really big heart – there are more volunteers per head of population in our town than anywhere else in Staffordshire. HOT will provide tremendous help to people, young and old alike, who need support from the community. Already they are backing 20 different groups around the town. I wish them every success.”
