Volunteer Spotlight: Jane Sidebottom

Jane is a senior Civil Servant in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She volunteers as a mentor on a ReachOut Academy project in east London.

“I’ve loved being involved with Reachout over the last ten years. It’s grown from a new organisation to an established part of the community, with more and more participants each year. I’ve been a regular mentor with them for three years and what keeps me coming back are three things.

First and foremost, it’s a lot of fun. It is so energising at the end of a busy day to arrive in a classroom full of people who have all had a very different day from you and to spend an hour with them. You never know what that is going to involve – with those I mentor I’ve discussed everything from the Maths and English tasks set by the session leader, to choosing GCSEs, A levels and career paths, the causes of World War One, irregular French verbs and the latest school gossip. I’m certainly not an expert in all those things, but as a mentor I don’t necessarily need to be – my job is to listen and ask questions to help others stretch themselves and reach their potential, in and outside school.

Second, I think it’s important for all of us to have as much contact with as diverse a group of people as possible. In the hour a week I spend with a group of teenagers and their mentors I usually get a different perspective than from my other friends or colleagues. That shapes my view of the world and has had an impact on the way I think about a lot of things – from politics to who should go out with who on Made In Chelsea. And I hope that works the other way around too. I hope that through their contact with me, the kids I mentor can see that the path I’ve taken and career I’ve chosen are also open to them.

Third, it’s easy. Finding an hour a week is something most people can manage, and that’s all Reachout asks of you. You can easily see what a difference that makes, whether in the space of the hour you spend with the person you mentor, or over the months as the stories come through of improved performance and behaviour at school or other achievements. That contributes to a strong feeling of community and I’m really proud to be part of that.”