The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service hope to provide as many role models as possible in support of the BREAKTHROUGH Dundee mentoring scheme.
Vincent O’Donnell from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service explained that his employer had a corporate parenting responsibility to look after young children.
As part of their partnership, they are tied in with the Dundee, Perth and Angus local authorities.
He said: “We received an invite through the Dundee partners to come along to the launch and find out a bit more about it.
“Even listening to some of the information, in my head I was already picking off people I thought would make good mentors.
“We already have quite a lot of positive male and female role models with a broad range of experience.
“Hopefully with a bit of ability to help people almost an aim of the job they’ll look to provide that down the line.
“My next step is to go and compose an email to staff in the Dundee area and try to get as many of them involved as we possibly can to hopefully make a difference to looked after young children.”
The new £1 million Dundee mentoring scheme is being developed to boost the life chances of secondary-aged young people who are vulnerable or have experienced care.
BREAKTHROUGH Dundee will provide a 1:1 programme designed to improve pupils’ academic performance and to support them in achieving a positive destination after they leave school.
The programme will begin in Morgan Academy this month and will be followed by a second school, St Paul’s RC Academy, in October.
It is intended that all eight of Dundee’s secondary schools would be involved in the programme by 2019, supporting up to 500 young people.
A pool of fully trained mentors will be recruited from local companies and Dundee’s wider community to be matched appropriately to the young people and to support those who sign up to take part.
*For more information go to www.breakthroughdundee.co.uk
