Making a great Mentor- Disability Rights UK
Did you know that for disabled people, the biggest barrier to getting active is low confidence?
We’re getting more disabled people active by providing one to one support from a mentor. This is part of the Get Out Get Active (GOGA) Peer Support project which is all about disabled and non-disabled people taking part in fun, inclusive activities together in their local area.
Working with a mentor can be life-changing- it boosts confidence, helps people to find new solutions to problems and reduces isolation.
Here is a new group of our fantastic mentors meeting for the first time. This was at a ‘Making a Great Mentor’ training session where they explored what skills they need to be good mentors, how to set goals and motivate someone to achieve their potential. The six were from different backgrounds, some with no experience working with disabled people but all were really open, enthusiastic and wanted to make a difference in their communities.
“ The training was fantastically inspiring and very encouraging. It helped me see the way I can encourage someone to achieve their potential. I loved the group work”
A current mentor and mentee already being active together popped in to share their experiences on the programme so far: “Hearing straight from the mentor and mentee was great. They were honest about their experiences and shared great tips”
Why is this important? Lots of work has been done looking at why getting active can help disabled people improve their health and wellbeing but this new project gives disabled people an extra boost by providing a mentor who can work with them one to one providing motivation and support. They can share experiences, skills and find ways to remove some of the barriers that stop them being active- things like low confidence, not knowing what activity is right for them or where to go to find accessible activities or leisure centres. This project can help remove these barriers to being active. What are you waiting for?
Get support to get active or become a mentor!
or http://www.getoutgetactive.co.uk/get-involved/peer-mentor