MADMAM, This month, PRIME Cymru (Prince's Initiative for Mature Enterprise in Wales), the specialist Welsh charity that helps people aged 50 or over get into work, is urging people to 'mentor now' in Monmouthshire by volunteering a little time as a mentor to help improve Welsh lives. There are nearly 6,000 jobless people in Monmouthshire aged between fifty and state pension age. PRIME Cymru runs one of the largest and most successful mentoring programmes in Wales, matching over 360 volunteer mentors to mature individuals who want to work – through volunteering, finding a job or starting up a business. Mentors are recruited as volunteers from all types of career backgrounds. Their knowledge, experience or specific expertise in employment, business or the voluntary sector is of great help in offering direct support to work-seekers, but they also need an interest in helping other people to grow and flourish. John Atherton from Monmouth, pictured left, is a modern languages graduate and a senior bank manager. He has an MBA, experience in insurance and management consultancy. He offers support to mentors throughout Gwent. Talking about the importance of mentoring people over 50, John said: "I'm lucky to have worked all my life. My interests and general hobbies are also quite diverse, so I have a lot of experience and hopefully wisdom to pass on. I'm inspired to volunteer as a mentor for PRIME Cymru, because I feel life and work skills should be shared, and not left behind. Especially if it can be put to good use in motivating and guiding people to future employment or business set up. Age shouldn't be a barrier to success, and people over 50 have such a lot of life experience and skills to offer. "The mentor/ client relationship is a two way process that, when well developed through trust and mutual understanding, can benefit both. The confidence, respect and well-being people create for themselves when moving forward cannot be measured, whether it's moving towards volunteering, finding a job, or maybe turning a hobby into a viable business proposition. It's so inspiring to witness the change as people flourish. Of course, working is about earning a living, or creating wealth, but there's more to it than that. Mentoring is about enabling people to take control of their own destiny, at a time when they may feel their future work opportunities are limited. "I achieve a great deal of personal satisfaction in supporting and promoting the building of self-esteem and confidence in mature people who are seeking new purpose and direction in their lives. I urge people who think they could help in the same way, to mentor now". David Pugh, CEO, PRIME Cymru said: "The Wales-wide recruitment campaign, which we are launching as 'mentor now' aims to increase the number of PRIME Cymru mentors from 360 to 500 by the end of 2015, enabling our charity to help even more people become active in work. With a figure not far short of a quarter of a million jobless people between the age of 50 and state pension age in Wales, the work that PRIME Cymru undertakes through its volunteer mentor scheme is vital." Click on http://www.primecymru/mentoring">www.primecymru/mentoring to download a mentor application pack, or call us now on 0800 587 4085, or email [email protected]">[email protected].

Mentoring team, (PRIME Cymru)