STOURPORT-based children’s charity Mentor Link has received a £1,500 donation from David Wilson Homes to support the delivery of vital therapeutic services for young people across the West Midlands.
The charity, in Anchor Drive, was founded in 2002 by Andrea Maddocks MBE with the aim to provide long-term one-to-one mentoring for children and young people facing difficult life challenges.
It enables adult mentors to visit schools to listen to and support each child through difficult times and improve their mental health, relationships, and engagement in learning.
The donation from David Wilson Homes will fund specialised training for volunteer mentors working on the charity’s new Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) project.
This initiative, developed in partnership with an educational psychologist, supports children with low school attendance by helping them understand the barriers to learning and reintegrate into education.
“We are extremely grateful to David Wilson Homes for its generous support,” said Andrea, now chief executive of the charity.
“Demand for our services has grown significantly in recent years, and donations like this are vital in enabling us to continue reaching children in need.
“With statutory services facing long waiting lists, we play a crucial role in filling the gap by offering prompt, consistent, and professional support.
“Each week, we support around 190 children from Lichfield to Stroud, with the help of more than 130 trained volunteer mentors.
“The funding will help train our volunteers to deliver specialist support to children who are struggling emotionally and educationally. It will make a real and lasting difference.”
The team are pictured with ‘Worry Monsters’ where young people can post their worries through the monster’s mouth to pass on their troubles.
