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Volunteer ETE Mentor Bicester
Trailblazers’ mission is to reduce re-offending and inspire new futures for young men leaving prison. As a volunteer mentor, you’ll help someone reconnect with their community, rebuild relationships, and access education, training, or employment—offering hope and a fresh start.
We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and skill sets. All we ask is that you bring a genuine passion for social change and can commit to supporting at least one young man for up to 12 months—providing the consistency and encouragement that many of our mentees have never had.
Remote, Onsite, Hybrid
Volunteer Role
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Opportunity Snapshot
Commitment
Flexible
Format
Remote, Onsite, Hybrid
Eligibility
Age -
Your Role in Creating Change
Support brighter futures through education, training, and employment.
Trailblazers has been providing mentoring services to people in prison since 1998, with the ultimate aim of reducing re-offending. We support men aged 18–35 who are within six months of release from custody and continue mentoring them through the gate into their communities for up to 12 months.
Our Education, Training & Employment (ETE) team works with mentees in custody to break down barriers to employability. Post-release, we support mentees to access meaningful, career-changing roles in industries such as Construction, Engineering, Catering & Hospitality, or through self-employment.
What does the role involve?
We’re building a team of volunteer mentors to support our ETE service in the Thames Valley area, specifically for our project at HMP Bullingdon.
As a volunteer ETE mentor, you’ll commit to supporting a mentee for up to 12 months, giving a few hours each week to help them set goals, explore opportunities, and move towards meaningful employment. Mentoring sessions are 1:1, take place weekly, and can be delivered remotely via phone or online platforms (Zoom/MS Teams). Each session lasts around one hour, with additional time for liaising with Trailblazers staff and researching opportunities.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for mentors who are:
- Empathetic, with a positive outlook and manner
- Able to help others without judgement or discrimination
- Excellent communicators with a sense of humour
- Well-organised and able to prioritise tasks
- Reliable and committed to weekly sessions for up to 12 months
- Experienced in supporting disadvantaged individuals into education, training, or employment
- Independent and flexible in managing their own workload
- Sensitive to cultural differences and committed to equal opportunities
- Comfortable working with Trustees and Management Teams to support organisational goals
- Familiar with CRM databases and basic computer packages
- Knowledgeable about relevant legislation and policies (e.g. Data Protection, Safeguarding, Health & Safety)
Eligibility criteria
To become a Trailblazers ETE mentor, you must:
- Be aged 21 or over
- Live within a 30-mile radius of HMP Bullingdon
- Be a British citizen (due to prison security requirements)
- Not be barred from working with vulnerable adults or children
- Be physically fit enough to move around the prison at a fast pace, including stairs
- Not have been a resident in the same prison where you wish to volunteer
- If you have lived experience of the criminal justice system, you must be off licence for at least 12 months and not currently in crisis
What support will you receive?
- Full induction training
- Out-of-pocket expenses covered
- A mobile phone to protect your identity
- Trailblazers T-shirt and lanyard
- DBS check costs covered
- Regular reflective practice sessions
What difference will you make?
Trailblazers’ mission is to reduce re-offending and inspire new futures. Your support will help a young man reconnect with his community, rebuild relationships, and access education, training, and employment—offering hope and a fresh start.
As a charity, we rely on volunteers. With your help, we can continue supporting people in prison to make meaningful changes in their lives, their families, and wider society. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and skill sets. All we ask is that you bring a genuine passion for social change and commit to supporting at least one young man for up to 12 months—providing the consistency and encouragement that many of our mentees have never had.
The national re-offending rate for people leaving prison without a Trailblazers mentor is up to 55%. For those supported by a Trailblazers mentor, that rate drops to just 7%. Gaining meaningful employment is one of the most powerful ways to reduce re-offending and unlock a future full of opportunity.
To apply for this role, please complete the application form on Trailblazers website: www.trailblazersmentoring.org.uk/become-a-mentor/
To apply for this role, please complete the application form on Trailblazers website: www.trailblazersmentoring.org.uk/become-a-mentor/
Where You'll Be
HMP Bullingdon
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Hybrid
You will be helping hybrid.
What to Expect After Applying
To apply for this role, please complete the application form on Trailblazers website: www.trailblazersmentoring.org.uk/become-a-mentor/
About Trailblazers Mentoring
Inspire New Futures
Trailblazers is a UK charity which provides 1:1 mentorship and practical support to people in prison and post release. Our goals are to prevent reoffending and improve outcomes for those leaving prison. This is achieved through intensive weekly, one-to-one mentoring sessions conducted by a large cohort of volunteer mentors. Each individual is matched with a skilled volunteer mentor, who they meet with weekly for up to 6 months in prison, and then 12 months post release. This is augmented with practical support to ensure the basics for re-settlement are in place at the time of release, and in the early months post-release – a critical period for many. Our work inspires and encourages people to change their future, rebuild their lives and make a positive impact on their community.
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