This summer is all about our Weegie Heroes! From LIAM’s transformative story, to our Young People’s amazing Duke of Edinburgh EXPERIENCE, we’re showcasing how inspiring everyone involved with Young Glasgow Talent really is. Our Weegie Heroes celebration continues with one of our amazing mentors, Linda Hunter. Linda is a mentor at St Rochs Secondary School. She embodies the Weegie Hero spirit down to a T! She goes the extra mile for Young Glasgow Talent, took part in our recent promotional photo shoot and does much more! She’s got it all!
We’re delighted to share her story. Linda shows that it’s not simply about supporting a young person. It’s about inspiring ambitions, ensuring young people aren’t isolated. Linda perfectly sums it up – our young people are then ‘enhancing society’ and creating a positive legacy for the next generation.
Find out about Linda’s everyday heroism, supporting YGT, here:
Linda…
What first inspired you to be a mentor?
My background is working in the voluntary sector with a whole range of different types of community organisations. I’ve seen a lot of the really good work that can be done on an informal basis within communities. But also, from a personal point of view, I have two children and sometimes they can experience situations which are quite stressful and difficult to manage and that’s with a very supportive family background. Not every young person has that. And so, I just wanted to put something back in. Particularly having that first-hand knowledge and knowing what some of my childrens’ friends are going through. And how they’re coping with it – some better than others – and all dependant on the support that they have. I wanted to bring a wee bit of that to someone who maybe doesn’t have as supportive a network as some others.
What unexpected heroic qualities has mentoring brought out in you?
I think it makes you feel, in a way, quite protective of the young person. And just wanting to relate well to them. And above all wanting it to be a really positive experience for them. The young man I’m mentoring is absolutely lovely. He’s very quiet and he’s very shy. And you know it can be quite a challenging thing for him to meet a mentor, so that’s been a really good part of it. You need to be really empathetic, you need to understand how they might be seeing the situation and feeling about it and just trying to behave in a way that matches that and makes it easier for the young person.
Have you found it rewarding?
Very much so. What I’ve seen week to week is a change in my young person – who is much more relaxed, more talkative. One of the reasons we were matched is because he likes to write, and I also like to write. He’s been coming out more and more and talking about his interests. He’s keen for me to see his work which is a really big thing. I’ve seen him relax and open up and enjoy the experience. I’ve also taught him how to play chess, which was a good way of breaking the ice.
Tell us about how mentoring has helped your young person help themselves.
It’s about helping someone to have belief in themselves. Sometimes when you have different interests to your peer group you can feel isolated. By being matched with someone like me, my young person has realised there are lots of people out there like him. By meeting like-minded people you create networks that you never thought you can be part of. We’re reducing isolation.
What would you say about the commitment and difference our heroes are making to the most disadvantaged?
I think it’s building relationships first and foremost with those individual young people. Then it becomes larger, because the individuals become more confident, more able to make things happen themselves. They then enhance society, create more positive experiences themselves. By mentoring young people and helping them take up opportunities, they bring new, fresh ideas.
What would you say to someone thinking about mentoring?
I would say that it gives you a huge amount of satisfaction. It can be a lot of fun, you can have a great laugh with your young person. You get a lot back from it and hopefully the young person does too.
We have many more young people signing up for Young Glasgow Talent’s help. Young people, such as those that took part in this expedition. They need mentors to make a huge difference to their confidence, educational outcomes and future life chances. They need support and motivation to pursue their ambitions and take on such new experiences. Can you help them? You’ll guide disadvantaged, but utterly deserving young people through their education. Find out more about BECOMING A MENTOR.
Can your organisation help? To become involved in our Talent Taster programme, alongside our partners such as Glasgow Life and The Herald, simply GET INVOLVED! We can’t wait to welcome you aboard as we change the life chances of our city’s most disadvantaged.
We’re always looking for new mentors to reach all the new young people who are coming on board with the programme. Help us spread the word by letting your friends and family know how worthwhile mentoring can be!
Can your organisation help? To become involved in mentoring, or our Talent Taster programme, alongside our partners such as Glasgow Life and The Herald, simply GET INVOLVED!! We can’t wait to work with you to offer our city’s most needy a gateway to an expanding menu of opportunities and tasters of university, college and employment.
We’re always looking for new mentors to reach all the new young people who are coming on board with the programme. Help us spread the word by letting your friends and family know how worthwhile mentoring can be!
