Mentor Programme
Veteran Mentoring
"I've made plans and positive changes and I can't thank you all enough for giving me hope"
Veteran, 2023
Mentoring
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Transitioning from military to civilian life can be a complex time for Veterans. Trained Mentors can provide help with professional and business matters, along with personal challenges too. They can assist in identifying goals, and tackling professional or personal barriers, leading to a more fulfilled life.
Our Mentor programme was launched in 2014, and was originally offered to Veterans completing our Sports Habilitation Ski Week with nearly all of them taking up this offer. It has now expanded and is now offered to all Veterans across all of the SWV pathways.
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“My mentor has helped me to sew the weeks together.”
It is a structured programme with each Veteran allocated a dedicated Mentor to support their return to meaningful civilian life and employment. The process may continue long after a Veteran gains employment, and the vast majority of mentoring relationships last beyond a year.
Mentors are someone a Veteran can confide in and work through the many areas of their life with .The difference they make is often considerable. 82% of Veterans who attended the mentoring said it had been beneficial to them.
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"The support of my mentor makes all the difference. She has been absolutely life changing. Her guidance is empowering, I have lost 5 stone, am swimming and feel that my mental health is improving all of the time.
It has saved my life, I couldn't even walk to the kitchen without sitting down. You lot are the best! I have learnt to take ownership of my life and my health"
Veteran 2022
Mentor Training
After selection, Mentors go through a comprehensive training process - they then attend four training sessions each year, meet with their Veteran quarterly and speaks with their allocated Veteran weekly.
The cost of mentoring each Veteran is £800 per annum which represents the cost of the Mentors’ training days, travel costs, administration and materials.
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"From where I was to where I am now is worlds apart, you guys are great. You have definitely saved my world"
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'SWV is an incredible charity. The work you do is above and beyond what I have come across.
Sebastian has been such a fantastic mentor, and I am sure we will stay in touch.
Head Up is growing and our dream of opening the doors to a retreat for Veterans is becoming more real by each week.
I look forward to updating you all with our progress in the near future.'
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Learn more about becoming a Mentor by clicking here!
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“I’ve been involved with the SWV Charity for about eight years now, and it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I applied for the corporate challenge via work and was selected on my third application – one of my grand-fathers was a double amputee, the other had PTSD and I was keen to see what the charity was doing, the support it was giving to veterans and whether I could get involved. I think it took a single conversation with one of the veterans for me to sign-up as a mentor.
Over the last eight years, I’ve worked with a number of veterans, had conversations I never envisaged having, been involved in situations that I didn’t see coming and hope that in some small way, I’ve been helpful and supportive – I’ve got nothing but respect and admiration for all the vets I’ve met and worked with over the last few years. Their resilience, attitude and optimism are extraordinary”.
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