Over the last 25 years, we’ve seen how powerful mentoring can be for our volunteers. Our Mentoring Scheme works because everyone is different, and through one-to-one support, every individual’s needs can be addressed. 

For those volunteers who wish to have further support throughout their time with us, we can offer a personal service in addition to the standard volunteering experience. Those volunteers who are away from home for the first time, need extra help in understanding the work we are doing, or simply want to get the very best out of their experience with us have found our mentoring service incredibly useful:

One-to-one Mentoring of Volunteers:

• Actively engaging in a mentoring relationship with a volunteer for an agreed period
• As well as regular contact, your AWDF mentor will instigate and formally meet with the volunteer on a regular basis normally 1 hour per week for duration of stay - remotely or in person
• Maintaining focus on agreed goals throughout the mentoring period - ensuring most is made from volunteer experience
• Keeping basic records of time spent and activities conducted with the volunteer - official record of participation

Our Mentored Volunteers benefit from:

• Personal and professional development through training, support and ongoing evaluation
• References provided after volunteering
• Detailed record of achievement
• Peace of mind that you are getting the most out of your volunteering experience

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We offer the mentoring for £25 per week, and these funds go towards our overall programme costs. So not only will you be receiving further support, you will be benefiting the important work we are doing.

If you wish to find out more about our mentoring service, please email us now.

Meet Your Mentor

Luke McMillan - Head of Programmes and Research

Luke qualified with a PGCE in Secondary Geography from Swansea University and a MSc in Marine Biodiversity Conservation from Bournemouth University. He first came to the AWDF in 2010 as Research Intern, where he remained with us for nearly two years, working across a number of our conservation programmes.

Having been inspired by the work he was doing, he started his own NGO which focused on assisting grassroots organisations to enable them to reach their own conservation and humanitarian goals.

Having built up a raft of contacts through the NGO, he was approached by Save the Children, travelling to the charity’s programmes, assessing what could be done to benefit the greatest amount of people, and then coming up with and implementing strategies. He spent time in Gaza, in refugee camps across Africa and joined the emergency response in Haiti.

Following time with the United Nations, managing the Peace Day Campaign, Luke has returned to the AWDF to head up our Programmes and Research.

With his vast experience as a qualified teacher and working in the field, he knows how to get the best out of individuals, no matter their interests and abilities, and ensure that they leave the AWDF having achieved all they wanted to.

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