Shadow To Shine mentees are young people who participate in and graduate from our employability programmes. We run these in partnership with local youth charities around London. During COVID, we opened up the mentoring programme to young people who were seeking to progress and connect with industry professionals at a time when networking opportunities were limited. From Spring 2021, we will only be taking on new mentees via our employability programmes, however, if any additional opportunities to join our network arise, we will share this on our website and socials. In some rare cases, we do accept self-referrals. You can complete this form to express your interest in joining and somebody will be in touch with you with an invite to sign up formally if you meet our criteria and we feel that we can support you.

In order to be a Shadow To Shine mentee you should be aged between 16-25, based in London and have completed one of our employability programmes or been directly referred to us from one of our partners. Shadow To Shine works with those who face barriers getting into employment. This may mean different things to different people, but some clear indicators can include: You are currently NEET You are from a lower socio-economic background You have been classed a ‘vulnerable’ or ‘high risk’ by your school, local authorities or a community organisation You are a young carer or a care leaver You have been involved with criminal or gang activity You attend or have attended a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) You do not have any access to professional role models

Shadow To Shine is currently not taking on any more mentees except those who complete our employability programmes. We are aiming to deliver one programme per quarter for 2021 and will take on a new cohort (between 7-15 young people) each time. If you are a member of a local youth organisation and think Shadow To Shine’s services would be beneficial, you can share our contact details with organisers.

Shadow To Shine is really proud of its professional network which includes some incredible names from industries such as music, entertainment, fashion and property. Our patrons are however all assigned a young person (or matching process for finding one) and therefore not available as mentors on an application basis. Any opportunities to hear from our patrons via events, talks or webinars will be shared on Shadow To Shine’s social channels and in our marketing materials.

You can find out about Shadow To Shine’s activities with for young people by signing up to our newsletter, following us on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

You can sign up to be a Shadow To Shine mentor by completing the sign up form here.

To mentor a young person through Shadow To Shine, all that we ask is that you have: An evident path of career progression behind you The commitment and availability to meet a young person on a regular basis A warm, friendly and encouraging attitude A passion for helping young people reach their full potential A recent DBS certificate

You can mentor up to three young people from Shadow To Shine’s network, providing your experience is aligned with their interests and you have the capacity to deliver the partnership in accordance with our expectations. Whilst Shadow To Shine is grateful for your willingness to volunteer to help as many young people as possible, we recommend providing a higher level of support and guidance to one person rather than attempting to stretch yourself over more.

Regular meetings with your assigned young person over a duration of twelve months. Meetings may be flexible dependent on the young person’s circumstances and needs - e.g. if your mentee requires additional preparation for an upcoming interview, you may decide more regularly, but we suggest once a month. Our aim is to facilitate long-term support for our young people, which helps them work on Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART) goals over an extended period of time.

We’re always keen to explore options for collaboration with potential partners. Some options can include: Mentoring a young person with Shadow To Shine Hosting industry related career events or talks for Shadow To Shine’s young people Providing Shadow To Shine’s youth network with an industry specific training day, workshop or work placement at your place of work Getting involved and attending one of Shadow To Shine’s employability courses Sponsoring Shadow To Shine’s activities by making a regular or one-off donation

There are two types of relationships an organisation can form with Shadow To Shine; an affiliate or a donor. Affiliate An affiliate of Shadow To Shine is a corporate organisation that directly contributes opportunities for professional development to Shadow To Shine’s youth network. Affiliate relationships may vary depending on the size and budget of an organisation, but range from specific industry insight days, work experience opportunities, joint workshops hosted in the affiliates place of work or giftings to our organisation and service users. Sponsor A sponsor of Shadow To Shine is an organisation that contributes to Shadow To Shine’s youth initiatives by providing financial support. Payments can be a one-off donation or a regular contribution. In return, sponsors receive recognition in Shadow To Shine’s marketing materials where appropriate, as well as impact reports about where their contribution is being used. Our sponsors are not required to take active involvement in our youth initiatives, although this is possible if desired. Enquire about getting involved with Shadow To Shine by emailing info@shadowtoshine.com, or sign up to mentor by filling out the form here.

You can make a one-off donation to Shadow To Shine through: PayPal Bank transfer (please email for details) To find out about sponsorship packages get in touch via email and we can share more information.

Shadow To Shine works closely with organisations to develop a tailored employability programme to inform and prepare a group of our young people, who are seeking industry experience, for that place of work. After identifying the specific knowledge, skills and characteristics required to successfully navigate your industry, we will create a bespoke programme building on our pre-existing framework and materials. The price of programmes is dependent on the length of the course and covers all costs related to materials, staff and young person’s expenses. We usually require that training is carried out at your place of work in order to familiarise the young people, but can provide a space if necessary at an additional cost. To find out more about crafting a course for your industry, get in touch by emailing info@shadowtoshine.com.

We are open to work with any industry however the breadth of our experience lies within: Property Entertainment Arts and Creative PR, Marketing and Media Not-for-profit Retail

Yes, Shadow To Shine has a widespread network of young people who are interested in a variety of different industries. Get in touch to find out if we have a young person who could benefit from working and learning as part of your organisation.

Shadow To Shine welcomes one-off or regular donations made by individuals who share our vision and mission. Donations can be made via: PayPal Bank transfer (please email for details)

The professional development and improving employability outcomes for young people in London who face barriers Empowering young people to succeed and turn their lives around for the better Steering them away from unemployment or becoming vulnerable to violent activity such as gangs and knife crime Diversifying workforces Educating employers Creating better and stronger communities

Shadow To Shine would be honoured if any individual would consider leaving our organisation a legacy payment. The following information should be all you need to set up this process, but please get in touch should you need any more: Name of organisation: Shadow To Shine CIO Company Number: 1200087 Registered address: 5 Dorset Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 6QJ Contact details: Email: info@shadowtoshine.com Phone: +44 (0)20 7580 2030

Shadow To Shine is happy to accept donations of material goods such as books, laptops, educational materials and office equipment. Any donated items will be awarded to members of our youth network most at need, or those referred by our partner organisations. To speak to a member of our team about a donation you would like to make, get in touch over email.