We are so excited to have you join us!
You can download your Volunteer Journey Checklist here – please bookmark it so that you can follow along the journey and keep track of where you are up to.
Please click on the steps below to find out what you need to do next.
Good news – if you are on this page, this means that you have successfully signed up on the website, so you can cross this task off your to-do list!
We recommend downloading the Volunteero app for the best experience. You can find a full user guide here.
Welcome and Safeguarding E-Module
Opening the e-learning on another browser or different device can sometimes overcome this issue. If this does not resolve it, please get in touch with us at volunteer@reachoutuk.org .
Choosing your mentoring project
We will only be able to progress applications once we have been able to match you to a suitable or upcoming project. If you have completed all of the Stage 1 admin and you can’t see any available projects you can do on Volunteero, don’t worry! A member of the team will be in touch to discuss your availability once we have something that works for you. Please still go ahead and submit your Stage 1 report once you have completed this admin so a member of the team knows to be in touch.
Yes, please do still assign yourself a project that best suits your schedule by requesting to join a mission on Volunteero if possible. If there are no available projects that work for you, please fill out the availability form to the best of your ability (you can explain your circumstances on this form using the final preferences question). If anything changes after you begin mentoring, we can try to swap you onto another project if needed (subject to availability).
Yes! Please make sure that you assign yourself to all of the projects you wish to mentor on by requesting to join the relevant missions on Volunteero. Aim to do this before your 1-1 meeting.
Once you have completed all of your volunteer admin – this should be done once you have reached Stage 4 – and your DBS has come back clear we can confirm your space on a project by accepting your request to join the project mission on Volunteero. In most cases you should know 3-4 weeks ahead of your project start date. Please do note that our projects are filled on a first come first served basis. The quicker you complete your admin, the better your chances of getting a firm space on your project. If you do not complete your admin in time, or there are no spaces available, you will be added to the waiting list.
References
Yes – we are happy to accept references from people who are not based in the UK as long as they provide the reference in English.
A character reference must be provided by someone who has known you for more than 2 years and who knows you really well. We can’t accept references from family members or your partner.
Examples of professional references include; manager, colleague, university tutor, teacher, volunteer manager etc.
Attending Your Mentor Training
We will be opening up more mentor training dates on a rolling basis and as needed. It is best to try to book onto a mentor training as soon as possible as there is no guarantee that more dates will open up. Additionally, the quicker you make it through the Volunteer Journey, the quicker you’ll be able to choose where you want to mentor as we allocate projects on a first come first served basis.
You can re-schedule your mentor training session through Volunteero by leaving the shift and joining another that better suits your schedule. Please aim to reschedule at least 48 hours in advance of the time of the training. Please do keep in mind that the sooner you attend a training and make it through the Volunteer Journey, the more likely it is that you will gain a space on the project that you’ve selected. We allocate projects on a first come first served basis.
You can have a look at our pre-training pack by following this link. It will tell you what you can expect from the training session and how you can best prepare.
‘Tell us about you’ form
Don’t worry. During your 1.1 meeting you can let a member of the ReachOut team know that you would like to add/ change information on the form, and they can make those changes for you there and then.
DBS application
Please visit our DBS page for everything you need to know plus DBS FAQs.
1-1 Meetings
Yes – you can find out more about your 1.1 meeting by clicking here
Your 1.1 meeting may have been cancelled because you did not arrive to your meeting within the first 5 minutes OR because you had not completed the necessary preparation ahead of the meeting. There may also be other times where staff illness or unforeseen circumstances mean that we have to cancel your meeting but we will do everything we can to avoid this.
Please re-book your 1.1 meeting as soon as possible on Volunteero.
Yes! You may have filled out your DBS application online, but it won’t be submitted for processing until after your 1.1 meeting, once your ID documents have been verified by the ReachOut team. You therefore won’t receive your DBS certificate until after you have attended your 1.1 meeting.
Please do, however, make sure you bring your 3 ID documents with you to the 1.1 meeting. More information here.
Preparing 3 forms of ID
No we need to see physical copies of your documents online and then in person if you are using Route 2. Please read the guidance here and take the steps to get together your physical documents.
Yes – these are the documents you need.
You can view a full DBS guidance here.
Receiving your DBS in the post
If you have not received your DBS in the post after two weeks of your application being submitted, please get in touch with us at volunteer@reachoutuk.org. We can then have a look into the status of your application for you.
On average a DBS takes 1-2 weeks to be processed and received in the post, however it can take longer depending on the backlog at your local police station.
Please note: If you did not have all of the correct documents at your 1.1 meeting, the ReachOut team will not have been able to submit your application. If this is the case, please remember to either A) re-book your 1.1 meeting or B) E-mail the relevant ID document over to us.
Confirming your space on a Project
If you can no longer commit to the project that you have been assigned, whether you have been made active, are provisionally enrolled or are on the waiting list, please let us know as soon as possible at volunteer@reachoutuk.org. We can then try to move you to another project or withdraw you from programme for this year.
Once you have completed all of the steps in stage 1-3 of the Volunteer Journey and have received your DBS certificate we will be able to confirm your space on your project. This confirmation should occur 3-4 weeks ahead of your start date.
Please note that spaces are confirmed on a first come first served basis, so the quicker it takes you to complete all of your admin, the more likely it is that you will have your space confirmed. You might have to stay on the waiting list, if the project you have chosen is already full. There is still a good chance that you will gain a space on your project at some point during the year as other mentors drop out or new mentees are added to the group!
We strongly encourage you to attend the first mentoring session as this is where you will get introduced to all of the young people and get to know them. If you can’t attend though, don’t worry – as long as you are committed to attending the other sessions you will still be able to mentor on that project.
Starting Mentoring
You should hear from your Youth Development Lead at some point in the week leading up to the start date of the project. They will introduce themselves and give you all the information that you will need before you begin mentoring. If you still have not been contacted the day before your session, please e-mail at volunteer@reachoutuk.org.
Your Youth Development Lead will provide all of the information that you will need about your specific project. They will also send across a session plan each week, which you will need to read carefully before you attend.
Your Youth Development Lead will get in touch with you in the week leading up to your first session. They will introduce themselves and give you all the information that you will need before you begin mentoring.
The best person to get in contact with once you have started mentoring is your Youth Development Lead. They will be able to answer any questions or queries that you have about the project.
For more general questions such as about changing projects, withdrawing from mentoring, volunteer expenses, volunteer socials, Thank You events etc. you can contact the Volunteer team at volunteer@reachoutuk.org.
Sometimes mentoring sessions can be cancelled. This can occur for a range of reasons and in some rare cases can happen on the day of the session. You will typically be contacted via e-mail to let you know – so please do remember to check your e-mails on the day of your session!
If a session is cancelled, we will add another session to the end of your project where possible, extending the date of your final session. This means that you will still be able to attend the same number of total sessions.
We don’t have an official dress code, we just ask that you wear clothes that would be appropriate to wear in a school environment. Please don’t wear any crop tops, ripped jeans or clothing that features inappropriate language, as you may be asked to leave the session.
Yes! Click here to read more about how you can claim travel reimbursement.
We aim for 100% attendance from all of our mentors – this is due to the long-term nature of our mentoring projects, and frequent absences from mentors can have negative effects on our young people and their progress.
That being said, we understand that things happen! If you are unable to attend a session, please alert your Youth Development Lead as soon as possible so that they can factor that into their planning for the session. However, please do try to minimise absences wherever possible – where attendance drops below 80% you risk losing your space.
If you’re having any trouble with your Volunteer Journey, or if you have any other questions, please contact the Volunteer Team:
Email: volunteer@reachoutuk.org
Phone: 07379096225
megan Brown
Hello, I’m Megan! My role at ReachOut is to support you throughout your time as a volunteer mentor. Volunteering is a fantastic way to make a difference and give back to your community, and you’ll be part of our brilliant community of volunteers. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
“My mentor helped me a lot because when I tried to say something I couldn’t express it, but he told me that I could try and keep trying, even if I get it wrong, so that I can express myself better.”
Rawan, ReachOut Mentee
“At first, I was really hesitant to take on the Project Leader role, despite having mentored with ReachOut. However, with the support of the team I’ve really developed my skills. For example, at the Mentee Graduation, I stood up in front of 200 people and presented an award which is something I would never ever have been able to have done before, and isn’t an opportunity I could gain in my other situations.”
Amy McCutcheon, Project Leader at ReachOut Academy, Dean Trust Ardwick, Manchester.
“Being able to spend the summer working at Rede Partners, was an amazing experience. Whether it was working in HR or Finance, I learned so much about the world of private equity, made great connections with fantastic people and I got to learn first-hand what it would be like to work there! I really believe that I can go onto build the career I want now I’ve been a part for a workplace for real”
Victor Adekunle, 18 years old, ReachOut Ambassador, London
“When I first my mentee, she was very reluctant to participate in the sessions. Now, I see a completely different person! Her confidence has grown and she is happy to join in! She still has some self-doubt when it comes to academic work, but that’s what I hope to help her overcome, because she is a very bright person!
Through mentoring, I’ve learnt I’m a lot more patient than I realised. There will be days where she refuses to participate and those are the days that I really see the importance of the character strengths, for both the mentees and the mentors. It also makes it easier for the mentee to understand the character strengths, when I use them myself”
Myrtle, ReachOut Club mentor at Tufnell Primary School, London
“There are more distractions than ever outside of school, and the commitment of our students to attend ReachOut sessions is testament to the value they place on the relationships they foster there, and the challenge and enjoyment they provide.
ReachOut’s focus on communication skills and character development has become an important aspect of our provision of support for these students. The opportunity to relate to a positive role- model other than their usual teachers is key to the programme’s impact, and the evidence of this has been seen in the students’ attendance, resilience and to their overall progress across all the subjects in the school.”
Thomas Janvrin, Assistant Vice Principal at the Petchey Academy London
