I am a mentor for Shannon Trust on the induction wing at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. I was recommended by an officer on the wing and shortly after met Ella the Shannon Trust lady at this prison. I was offered the role and happily took the position knowing that I wanted to help people but not fully understanding what I’d have to do in detail.
Shortly after accepting the role, I did my Shannon Trust training at the library with Ella, 2 volunteers, and some other inmates that were also training to be mentors. The training was a huge help which in detail told me what I had to do and some tips on how to do it. It made me feel more confident and gave me a basis to work from and to build from.
I then started being a mentor and found my first mentee. Although being a bit worried about it, my training and having Ella always around if I needed help gave me comfort to jump in and get to it. Now some 2 to 3 months on from that day, I feel we have really made an impact. The man I started teaching has progressed massively and has started to read for himself and working his way through the manuals. I also teach or mentee other inmates as well as some of our team do also.
Over time of being a mentor, I have helped people as well as developing my own teaching style to make sessions interesting and fun as well as bringing up the level of my mentees. The sense of achievement is amazing and hearing people’s reading becoming existent or improved really makes me proud and happy. Personally, I really enjoy working with the team on my wing and know our mentees really enjoy it too.
I feel Ella is a huge part of our success and with her help and guidance we can continue to make a huge difference and help others learn to a standard that actually helps them here and after their release. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity and really enjoy the challenge, whether it be spotting potential mentees as a team and making the introduction or sitting down with them and guiding them through the well thought out mini manuals and manuals.
Over months I have seen all aspects of what Shannon Trust does and I am proud to be a part of it. I can see how the manuals work progressively and the impact they have on the mentees knowledge as they work their way through with me. Again, a massive thank you to Ella, the volunteers that come to our meetings, and my team mates that have developed with me the system on Wormwood Scrubs induction wing for the Shannon Trust.
Glad and grateful for the role.
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