At Project Rewild CIC
YOUNG MENTORSHIP
Youth Mentorship programme AT PROJECT REWILD
NEW FUNDING
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NEW DATES
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starting november 2025
〰️
NEW FUNDING 〰️ NEW DATES 〰️ starting november 2025 〰️
Our Young Mentor programme gives local young people the chance to gain training, build confidence, and support younger children in nature. It offers meaningful experience, new skills, and the opportunity to grow while making a positive difference in the community.
Volunteer and train.
Learn advanced outdoor skills: Fire lighting, shelter building, foraging, fire cooking etc.
Learn mentoring practices in order to work with groups of children.
Learn more about natural history, conservation and environmental sustainability.
Young mentors will also receive bi-monthly group training and be part of creating a local environmental youth hub.
The training and work experience will last 1 year. After this they will receive a certificate showing they have gained necessary knowledge and skills, improving the chance of employability.
There will also be an opportunity to receive an Outdoor First Aid qualification and Forest School qualification (Forest school – Level 1).
What you will do.
Volunteer as a Youth Mentor on School Holiday and or afterschool groups
Mentor, play, engage and inspire children.
Help leaders with activities, setting up and packing away.
Create new ideas to engage people with nature
Lead activities (under supervision)
Applicants will need to be aged 14-20. You will fill in an application form and be available to volunteer with Project Rewild. All volunteer work is available outside of school / college hours
The next course begins in November 2025.
This mentorship scheme will work alongside your school or college commitments. This is not a full time accredited course.
6 Training days will be held on Saturday mornings over the year
To find out more or to apply contact Polly here
bLAGRAVE TRUST
Thankyou to the Blagrave Trust for funding our Young Mentor programme for the next 3 years. Find out more about the Trust here
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE DETAILS
What You Will Learn
This programme is designed to help you develop new skills, work confidently with others, and discover your voice. You’ll gain experience in leadership, teamwork, and initiative through regular training and group volunteering. Along the way, you’ll build strong connections with other young people and spend meaningful time in nature, helping you feel grounded and supported throughout your journey.
Training will include:
The Role of a Young Mentor
Understand what it means to be a Young Mentor, role modelling, leading activities, caring for the environment, supporting staff, and nurturing younger group members. You’ll also develop essential transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership, which will support your future education and employment.
Nature Connection Games
Learn why nature connection games matter, how to lead them, and when to use them in sessions. You’ll be supported to practise and then lead games during a school holiday programme.
Safeguarding
Gain an understanding of how to keep children safe in group settings. Training includes identifying risks before they arise, creating an inclusive environment, recognising signs of distress or harm, and responding appropriately. You’ll leave equipped with the knowledge and confidence to protect children’s wellbeing while supporting their freedom to explore.
Comfort and Risk
Explore the balance between physical comfort, emotional edges, and healthy risk-taking. You’ll reflect on where you feel confident and where you feel challenged, then be supported to gently stretch beyond your comfort zone. This self-awareness will help you grow, and in time, guide you to support younger children in doing the same
Advance Outdoor Skills
Develop practical skills such as fire lighting, tool use, and primitive crafts. You’ll then have opportunities to share these skills with younger children during holiday sessions.
Ethical and Safe Foraging
Explore seasonal, sustainable foraging practices. Learn how to safely identify edible, medicinal, and toxic plants, and understand the deep human relationship with the plant world.
Outdoor First Aid
Accredited 8-hour training covering how to respond to injuries and emergencies in outdoor settings with ELST -Emergency Life Support Team
Nature Connection
Deepen your personal relationship with the natural world. You’ll have space to reflect on how time in nature makes you feel and how your own connection can inspire and support others. At Project Rewild, nature connection is at the heart of everything we do.
Self-Reflection
Discover the value of honest self-reflection as a tool for growth. Learn to sit with discomfort, recognise challenges, and celebrate strengths, all with the support of experienced mentors.
Forest School Training (Level 1) (optional)
For those who show commitment and wish to take their learning further, we offer access to the Forest School Association’s accredited Level 1 online course. This one-day introduction provides a foundation in Forest School principles and can act as a stepping stone to higher levels of training.
“My son has completed his Young Mentor Programme with Project Rewild and he has loved every minute of it. Luke, Polly and the rest of the team have been super welcoming, encouraging and helpful. They have created an amazing space for young people to grow new skills, show responsibility and leadership, and be committed... from foraging, cooking, making dens and hammocks to making cordial, building tree houses, playing wild games and basically appreciating being free in nature”
— Vanessa (Parent) September 2025
Volunteering
Volunteering allows you to put your skills into practice, gain real-world experience, and make a positive impact in your community. It is also an important step in developing responsibility, leadership, and teamwork skills that will benefit your future education and career opportunities.
As a Young Mentor, volunteering is a key part of your learning and development. You will have opportunities to:
Assist with school holiday sessions and group activities
Lead games, crafts, and outdoor skills with younger children
Support staff in creating a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment
Contribute to the care and maintenance of outdoor spaces used by Project Rewild
Commitment to Volunteering
Young Mentors are expected to contribute regularly to volunteering sessions
Attendance and reliability are essential to support the groups and your own learning
All volunteering is supervised and supported by experienced staff
Expectations
Working Outdoors
Young Mentors need to be comfortable working outdoors all year round, in all weather conditions.Leadership and Role Modelling
Positive role modelling is essential. This means no phone use during sessions, appropriate language at all times, and a responsible work ethic.Safety First
Keeping children safe is our top priority. Throughout the training, mentors will be monitored. If behaviour is found to be unsafe or inappropriate for working with young children, Project Rewild CIC reserves the right to withdraw participants from the programme.Commitment
To complete the programme successfully, Young Mentors are expected to attend at least 80% of the training and complete a minimum of 6 volunteer sessions. Commitment and reliability are key qualities we look for.Our training is built around non-judgment, a space where you can feel safe to explore, make mistakes, and grow. We believe failure is an important part of learning, and we celebrate it as a step towards success.
Youth Council
As part of the programme, you’ll have the opportunity to join our Youth Council. You can take part in Fire Circle Meetings, regular gatherings held around a fire in the woods. These sessions are a space for open discussion, reflection, and shared decision-making.
You’ll be invited to share your ideas on how the project could grow and improve, what you’d like to see more of, and what you feel would benefit the group, the wider community, and your own personal development.
Your opinions and ideas will be shared at Project Rewild Director meetings and help to shape the Projects future. You will also help to create a vision a greener more connected future in our town.
Together, we’ll reflect on what’s working, what could be improved, and how we want to move forward, always rooted in mutual respect, listening, and collaboration.
Fire Circles are also a chance to deepen your connection with nature and with others. By learning how to communicate clearly, listen deeply, and express your ideas, you’ll grow vital skills for community-building, leadership, and personal growth.
“When I started, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but being a Young Mentor has been one of the best things I’ve done. I’ve learned loads, had proper training, and I feel way more confident about WHAT I CAN DO now.”
— Young Mentor, September 2025
key details:
Where: Hastings outdoor sites - Local woodlands, beach, Hastings Country Park
When: Training start on 1st November 2025. Then Bi monthly training days. Volunteering will be in school holidays or afterschool
Price: This programme is all free and funded by The Blagrave Trust
What will I get: 6 training sessions, Outdoor First Aid qualification, Opportunity for Forest school level 1 training, a minimum od6 volunteer days, opportunity to join the Youth Council, Project Rewild T shirt.
How: Contact Polly to apply or find out of this is right for you.
