Police officers are stepping beyond their traditional role to mentor young Londoners as part of a new pilot with The King’s Trust designed to help broaden aspirations and build stronger, safer communities.
The pilot – an expansion of The Trust’s Mosaic mentoring programme – will initially see around 15 Metropolitan Police officers who have received training or professional development through Police Now take up mentoring roles with pupils at five London schools. Students at a Hounslow school will be the first to take part.
The number of participating officers is expected to grow as further places are allocated, with the overall aim of the pilot being to offer mentoring opportunities to around 30 Met officers. The longer-term ambition is to expand the programme to police forces nationwide.
Over seven consecutive weeks, the initiative aims to build confidence, raise aspirations, develop resilience and strengthen employability skills in young people aged 12 to 17 who have been identified as likely to benefit from the support of positive role models.
Kurtis Christoforides, Chief Executive of Police Now, which offers the only national graduate entry route into policing, said: “We’re proud that our programme participants will help young people build confidence, develop practical skills and feel better equipped for the future. Mentoring young people is an activity that draws on and complements their day-to-day role policing London.
“Police officers have the opportunity to make a difference in their communities in many ways, and being a positive role model is one of them. We hope this pilot will show the difference that police officers can make as mentors and pave the way for more to get involved across the country.”
The pilot got underway at Chiswick School on 15 September and will move on to four more schools, including Addey and Stanhope School in Lewisham and City of London Academy Shoreditch Park and Stormont House School in Hackney, over the next seven months.
Matt Jukes, Deputy Commissioner at the Met Police, said: “The relationship between policing and the communities we serve is one of the most important factors in keeping London safe. Trust is built through everyday interactions, by listening, understanding concerns and working alongside communities to create opportunities for young people to succeed.
“Young people in London today are growing up in an increasingly complex world, facing pressures and influences that previous generations could never have imagined. This programme creates valuable opportunities for young people and police officers to build positive relationships through mentorship, support and shared experiences. It will provide positive role models, broaden aspirations and help young people develop the confidence and resilience they need to thrive.
“When young people feel supported, connected to their communities and able to trust those around them, everyone benefits. Programmes like this help strengthen relationships between policing and the communities we serve, build confidence for the future and contribute to a safer London for all.”
Detective Constable Stevi Fisher-Norton completed Police Now’s two-year graduate programme in 2020 and now works in the Met’s cold case homicide department.
She is mentoring students at Chiswick School and said she chose to get involved because she is ‘passionate about enabling young people to recognise their worth and fulfil their potential’.
She added: “Not everyone is lucky enough to receive emotional support and practical guidance during those important secondary school years, so I want to be part of an organisation providing that.
“I am most looking forward to meeting the young people, learning more about their challenges and aspirations, and, hopefully, helping them to set goals and chase these with confidence and positivity.”
Over the last 50 years, The King’s Trust has supported more than 1.3 million young people across the UK to change their lives for the better. It helps young people aged 11-30, including those facing adversity, by supporting them to develop essential life skills, get ready for work and access job opportunities.
Three in four of the young people supported over the last five years have moved into work, education or training.
