Mentor news

You will need: Pine cones, lard or a vegetarian alternative, bird seed, prepared in a small tray, string, scissors, knife, kitchen roll, newspaper, a large tray or something to stop everything getting covered in lard. 

Step 1: Cut one piece of string per pinecone, about 30 cm long, for hanging your finished bird feeder up in a tree.
Step 2: Cover the pinecone in lard (you will find it easier to cut the lard into small chunks and slightly warm it up in your hands before trying to spread it).
Step 3: Roll the pinecone in the bird seed and press the seed into the lard so it sticks. If you can still see the lard, make sure you cover that by sprinkling the seed over it and pressing it in.
Step 4: Tie the piece of string, wool or twine to the top of your pinecone with a double or triple knot

Boom Battle Bar have kindly agreed to let mentoring pairs play pool for free. It is a child friendly zone until 9pm on weekdays.  Mentors will need to show their Mentoring Plus ID card to access this kind offer. They have 3 pool tables available so have advised for mentoring pairs to call before coming along to check availability

Weston ex services club in Weston Village also have a pool table available. They open weekdays at 3pm. Mentoring pairs will need to pay £1 each for guest entry and then pool is 50p per game. As they have 1 table available, they have suggested mentoring pairs call to check the table is free rather than just turning up 01225 425147.

Play pool for free at the The New Inn at Farmborough on Monday and Tuesday from 3pm. They also have a kitchen so you can grab a snack with your drinks. 

Fosseway Golf Club in Midsomer Norton have generously agreed for mentoring pairs to play golf with no green fees (just show your ID card). They will also lend you golf clubs for your use. This is a wonderful opportunity to stay connected with the sport and further build relationships with fellow golfers.

We are pleased to have been offered free access to the American Museum in Bath for Mentor and Mentee pairs from Mentoring Plus. Just show your ID upon arrival to take advantage of this generous offer.

Why not get active this January and hire a tennis court for free at either Keynsham Park, Alice Park or Sydney Gardens? Contact lou.welch@mentoringplus.net who can book this for you.

Bath City Farm’s café is open with snacks and drinks available at reasonable prices. There are some great walks around the site with views across Bath and also opportunities to feed the animals. Make sure you wear suitable footwear when it’s wet as it can get muddy, open Tuesday - Friday.

Congo Falls adventure golf in Stockwood have an exotic themed crazy golf course where you can also enjoy the driving range, book online.

Bump Rollerdisco in Bristol are offering regular skating sessions from 4-7pm on various week days. Book online.

If checking out the latest film is more your thing, then head to the VUE Cinema at Longwell Green. Ticket prices start from £4.99.

Walk around the Bath Christmas light trail with plenty of opportunities along the way for some festive treats. 

Visit the Holburne Museum where young people under the age of 18 get in for free.

The American museum have kindly agreed for mentors to get in for free as a carer and so you would just have to pay for a mentee at £8.25 or £5.50 if your mentee wishes to see the gardens and cafe only. If your mentee has something with their address on, they can also get 25% off as a discovery card offer. The American Museum are hosting a festive New York Dog Trail from 12^th November to 31st December.

Bath on Ice continues at Victoria Park. Please ensure both you and your mentee wear the wrist guards available to avoid injury. Book your tickets in advance before they sell out.
 
Glow Golf is situated next to the ice rink and allows you to enjoy a game of mini golf at night with glow in the dark golf balls. Book tickets to avoid disappointment.
 
Avon Valley are open for both daytime and evening Christmas Events and ice skating, including late night sessions. 

Europe’s first next-gen mini golf will be coming to Bath Sport and Leisure Centre in January 2025. With amazing themes, interactive games and the latest tech, Puttify sounds perfect for a mentoring session.

Every school holiday we run a group activity for some of the Primary aged mentees. These group activities really enhance the overall mentoring experience for our mentees, giving them the chance to try something new and connect with their peers in a positive and safe space.

One of the favourites is always our trip to the woods. During the October half term we linked up with the wonderful Eco Wild project to welcome a group of 10 children for some fun in the woods near Bath. Children and staff got the opportunity to become immersed in the woodland experience.

A range of activities included following forest trails, fire lighting, cooking over a fire, whittling, swinging in hammocks and, of course, getting muddy. So many positive outcomes and everyone felt refreshed, calm and happy. A great way to spend a few hours.

Things to do with your mentee
If you are stuck for ideas then why not check out our mentor map for ideas of new things to try. Let us know if you have somewhere to add.

Step back in time and ride on a steam train. Book a child ticket online at Avon Valley Railway and mentors get in for free with a carers ticket – show your ID badge on arrival. Trains are next running on 30^th October.

Frome Boulder Rooms are happy to offer a discount for Mentoring Pairs; give them a call before you attend and don’t forget to take your Mentoring Plus ID.

Don’t forget that B&NES residents and Discovery Card holders can take advantage of free entry to heritage sites in Bath. Remember to take some ID with you and book in advance.

There is a fabulous café at Mulberry Hub, Combe Down, Bath.  The café space is open until 4pm weekdays and offers a friendly environment and plenty of room to play board games or to engage in some art work as well as free parking!

The Music Workshop (in Green Park Station, Bath) would love to welcome young people and their mentors. They are open Monday to Friday from 3pm and have a great café area. Pairs can either pop in and grab a drink or book a rehearsal space.

Riverside Inn in Saltford are opening up a festive ice rink from 21^st November until 5^th January. You can make a booking from October 11^th.

Why not come to Riverside and learn how to play pool, air hockey or table tennis? You could also try some cooking or book our music studio and try out a new instrument. Get in touch with your practitioner to book out the space.

Circus Vegas are currently based at Durdham Downs in Bristol and are open until 20^th October. They are offering shows Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays each week. Tickets start at £10.

There are lots of sites around the county that are now open where you can pick your own pumpkins, some places open from the end of September. Some places are even offering the chance to visit their Halloween Maze. 

If staying active is your thing then take advantage of Bath Leisure Centre who offer sessions of ten- pin bowling, trampoline park, roller skating and swimming.

UBX gym (London Road) are offering free gym sessions for mentoring pairs. Please contact your practitioner if you are interested in this opportunity. 

Things to do with your mentee
 It is nearly pumpkin picking season! There are lots of sites around the county where you can pick your own pumpkins, some places open from the end of September. Some places are even offering the chance to visit their Halloween Maze. Check out Farrington's pumpkin festival, Saltford or Avon Valley.

Magnify it - take a closer look on your walk with a magnifying glass! How do the veins look on leaves and/or the swirling colours in pebbles? You could recreate these patterns with colouring pencils or paints when you get home.
 
Play word games as you walk. Try the ‘I Spy Alphabet Game’ – go through the alphabet saying things you can see on your walk for example A= acorn, B= berries some of the letters will be tricky! Describe something you can see while your mentee tries to guess what it is you are describing.

Mentoring is a great opportunity to learn new skills. Why not come to Riverside and learn how to play pool or table tennis or use our kitchen to learn how to cook? Contact your practitioner who can book out a slot for you.
 
Learning life skills is really beneficial for young people. You could manage your monthly budget together or work out how to get the bus including buying a ticket.

Farrington Park have a great driving range which is open from 9.30am to 8pm with no need to book – just turn up and take advantage of member rates when you say you’re from Mentoring Plus (take your ID).

If checking out the latest film is more your thing, why not head to the VUE Cinema at Longwell Green. Ticket prices start from £4.99. 

Get your camera out and take photos of your session for our competition (read on for more details!)

During August we ran an activity day here at Riverside for our primary aged mentees. Riverside was in full effect as children enjoyed lots of games – table tennis, pool, air hockey, football, frisbee and more!

We also did a bit of t-shirt printing and children enjoyed making dough and building their own pizza to cook in our wood fired pizza oven – the feedback was really positive with some saying that the pizza was even better than the big D!

Our group holiday activities are always really popular. As well as trying some new activities and having fun, the children tell us they really enjoy meeting up with new friends and reconnecting with old ones.

On Tuesday 9th July we enjoyed a night of fun for our summer mentor social with many volunteer mentors in attendance.

Mentor socials are a way of informally getting mentors together to have fun and to chat about their experiences of being a mentor. We discussed successes and challenges of mentoring as well as new places to visit.

It was great to see to many of you in attendance. Huge thanks to Nick for hosting his TV theme tune quiz! 

We are open for tree sales on December 10^th and 11^th from 10am-4pm to help raise funds for our youth activities and mentoring programs.

Our trees are specially selected, UK sourced and from sustainable stock. Trees are available to pre-order now on our website for collection on 10th and 11th December or you can come down to Riverside to choose your tree and grab a hot chocolate or mulled wine.

It’s the countdown to Christmas and lots of activities are available for mentoring pairs to try, check out some of the ideas below for new things to try with your mentee.

October is pumpkin picking season! There are lots of sites around the county where you can pick your own pumpkin, some even offer a carving area to make a spooky lantern.

With the announcement last week about the death of Queen Elizabeth II we know that the news, media coverage and funeral will affect our young people and mentors in different ways.

These events have raised lots of questions with our young people regarding succession, changes, bereavement and traditions. Please remember to be kind to yourself and remain authentic with your mentee including using immediacy with your mentee as needed – this involves revealing how you feel in response to your mentee’s thoughts and feelings with empathy and understanding.

The Mentoring Plus team are here to help support you and your mentee so please contact your practitioner if you need any support or guidance at this time.

Mentoring is a great opportunity to learn new skills for both mentee and mentor. Why not come to Riverside and learn how to play pool, air hockey or table tennis? You could also try some cooking or gardening, take turns playing a new game or book our music studio and try out a new instrument.
 
Learning life skills is really rewarding for our young people. You could manage your monthly budget together, work out how to get the bus including buying a ticket or encourage your mentee to order their choice of food or drink in a café. These skills are empowering for young people and learning new things together is always fun.

Being active with your mentee is a great way to spend your mentoring session, but don’t worry this doesn’t mean you need to get sweaty!
 
Staying physically active has massive benefits to mental health and wellbeing and this can be as simple as taking a stroll round the park with your mentee or wandering to the playground together.

Other activities which mentoring pairs have enjoyed are bowling, crazy golf, swimming, bouldering, tennis, dog walks and cycling. Small steps towards moving and being a little more active can have big improvements – for our young people’s mental health and our own.