Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 22 January 2021.
How many young Londoners have received mentoring since September as a result of the £2.3million funding package introduced through the VRU?
Understanding and working with young people is part of the DNA of the London VRU. Young people are very clear that a consistent one-to-one relationship with a responsible, approachable adult is often the most positive transformation in their life. In September I launched the PRU Support Programme (£2.3m) to support some of London’s most vulnerable learners as they returned to school. Along with community-led grassroots afterschool provision (£1.38m) and a sport-based re-engagement programme during school holidays in key boroughs (£160K), £840k was allocated to the PRU Mentoring Programme.
All 32 London boroughs were offered funding for mentoring provision in their Pupils Referral Units or alternative provision settings through this funding. 30 broughs have applied for funding to deliver career mentoring, academic mentoring; family mentoring; outreach and engagement and behavioural or resilience focused mentoring to approximately 2,000 pupils. Delivery will commence in January 2021.