Wirral CVS Mentoring Project

Wirral CVS Mentoring Project, funded by the Drug and Alcohol Action Team is a project which offers mentoring and support to substance misusers who want to make a change in their lives.

The project is community based and is a support service to improve the number of drug and alcohol misusers who maintain their sobriety once their treatment is complete.

One of the project's biggest achievements to date is being awarded the Approved Provider Standard accreditation from the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, showing that the project has met and exceeded all the appropriate criteria.

Wirral CVS's Mentoring coordinator said of the project, "I am proud of the clients who are involved in the project and it is fantastic to see the positive changes they have made in their lives".

Mentors meet one to one with clients to offer non-judgemental guidance and encourage them to work towards their own goals. The CVS Mentoring Project is run entirely by volunteers from the local community, each of which are recruited and trained up in this specialist area.

One service user commented, "My mentor gave me a goal to better myself and we work together to achieve this. They have helped me to feel like a better person and I feel a lot more positive now".

The project has not only helped many clients but it has also developed the skills of the volunteers. Some volunteers have reported that their confidence has grown since working on the project and that their listening skills have improved. Since the project began in November 2006 all targets that were set by the funders have been reached and the project has been guaranteed funding for a further three years.