Chance UK

Chance UK aims to reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour across the UK. They do this by providing one-to-one mentoring for children aged 5-11 with behavioural difficulties. Volunteer mentors raise children’s self esteem via activities such as sports, visiting museums, making scrapbooks…anything the child may be interested in. Chance UK work in a solution-focused way, so the mentors and staff focus on the child’s strengths and what they do well, rather than their negative behaviour.

Many of the children they work with are on the verge of being permanently excluded from school. This is frequently the start point for anti-social and later criminal behaviour in a young person’s life, and Chance UK’s early intervention work prevents this. They work closely with local schools to improve life for the child, their family and their classmates.

The solution focused way Chance UK’s mentors work helps children manage their behaviour in situations that would previously have ended in conflict. Referrers and parents report improvements in children’s self control, and in relationships with other children and adults.

In 2008, the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths University completed an independent evaluation of Chance UK’s London work. They found that:

• 98% of children showed reductions in levels of behavioural difficulty
• 51% showed no behavioural difficulty at all by the end of the mentoring year

The research followed the progress of 100 children who had had mentors over the past five years, and evaluated the short term and long term impact of having a Chance UK mentor. The findings were extremely positive, showing a decrease in hyperactivity-inattention, emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer problems for all children, with an increase in pro-social behaviour. Children also retained many of their improvements three to five years after the mentoring ended.

“My relationship with my mentee really amazed me, because it was so important to me. I really, really wanted him to do well.” Nick, a Chance UK mentor

“I was fighting a lot at school – but now I’ve stopped it.” Chance UK mentee.

To find out more about Chance UK, please visit the website: www.chanceuk.com.

Or contact Chance UK on 020 7281 5858 or email admin@chanceuk.com.