VOLUNTEER mentors were thanked and presented with certificates at a Blackburn school by Cheryl Drinkwater, employer liaison officer at East Lancs Education Business Partnerships.

The mentoring scheme at Witton Park High School links adults with students in years 10 and 11 who need an extra boost to help them to achieve their full potential.

During the three years since the scheme started at the school, the number of students benefiting from the extra guidance and encouragement has more than doubled, with the excellent GCSE results of last year's group proving the value of the project. "Mentors can help students to sort out problems and to gain confidence in themselves," said Maureen Gosling, the school's single regeneration budget co-ordinator. "The scheme acts as a safety net to keep students on track and is often seen by them as the most important and useful part of their SRB programme.

"In fact the scheme has been so successful that students themselves are now being trained as mentors to help younger pupils in the school by checking homework diaries and advising on problems."

The school recruits its own adult mentors from businesses, the local community and non teaching staff in the school and would welcome inquiries from suitable volunteers who could spare an hour every month plus a short training session, Inquiries should be made to Maureen Gosling, telephone 01254 51445.

For information on general aspects of the mentoring project, or for inquiries about mentoring recruitment in other schools in East Lancashire, contact Cheryl Drinkwater, telephone 01254 389898.

Cheryl Drinkwater (front, left) is pictured presenting a certificate to Rita Shaw, with other members of the Industrial Mentoring Scheme looking on.