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Evaluating community-based interventions for young people: measuring the impact of informal mentoring

This article discussed the findings of a two year evaluation of an intervention scheme, which provided deprived communities with weekly football training sessions run by professional football coaches, in order to raise self-esteem, school attendance and attainment and reduce anti-social behaviour amongst young people. The article looks specifically at the importance of the informal mentoring role the football coaches provided to the young people and the overall social benefits of the scheme. It argues that the benefits of providing this level of support and establishing relationships built on trust are highly significant and discusses the importance of effective mentoring, informal relationships and friendships, referencing previous research exploring the importance of mentoring for developing resilience and self-efficacy.