I first found out about CXK’s Get Connected through a medical team group that I’m a part of – all of us in the group have interests in Medicine and Health and Social Care. I am currently in sixth form studying Chemistry, Biology and Maths and I thought it was a great opportunity for me to get some experience in the sector and I also thought it would help me improve my confidence and meet other people.
I joined the programme as a mentor and I really enjoyed helping my mentee feel more confident in themselves. I did my placement virtually and really enjoyed the activities that we did. I especially enjoyed playing GeoGuesser with my mentee – a geography game which takes you on a journey around the world – as my mentee would get really into it and it was so great to see his enthusiasm! We also did quizzes and boardgames. Sometimes we would pick the activities for the next week or plan them ourselves which was great as it helped us both to be a bit more “out there”.
I feel like being a Get Connected mentor has helped me to be more confident in myself. At the start of the programme, I felt a bit nervous and was sometimes quiet in sessions but as the programme went on I felt more comfortable and it got to the point where we could all joke together.
I feel that my Get Connected training has helped me to get a better understanding of my mentee. I definitely learned the most from my mentee directly, as he was full of fun facts and by getting to know him, I learned that everyone communicates differently.
Through doing Get Connected, I was able to write about my volunteering experience on my UCAS personal statement. I feel like that really set me apart from other applicants. I am going to Uni to study Pharmacy later this year and I’ve had one offer so far!
Since Get Connected, I’ve gone on to join CXK’s Youth Action Group where I’ll be working with other young people to contribute to the planning and creation of CXK’s programmes for young people.
If I could give advice to anyone thinking of volunteering or mentoring, I would say to just go for it as you can gain so much experience from it. I feel that being a mentor has really helped to grow my confidence and the support I’ve received from CXK during my mentoring journey has been great.
CXK’s Get Connected is a peer mentoring project matching young people together for structured activities based in Maidstone, Dartford and Gravesham. There are currently vacancies available for both Mentors and Mentees. Find out more on our Get Connected page.
