“I tried some of the things by myself before. I Googled, did this and that, but I didn’t know how to do it. When I told Emma about the UCAS thing… She made it look like ‘You can do it’. That is something I will never forget.”

A poem by Routes’ Mentoring Programme Producer, Wieke, for our fifth cohort.

An online exhibition by 2021-21 mentee, Mutiat. “Things I find beautiful is about seeing the beauty that surrounds us in our everyday life, being more aware of our surroundings, and finding the beautiful things in our community as we go about our daily lives.”

In this beautiful blog, 2020 mentee Martha describes how mentoring can sometimes feel like a “wake up call to remember that I have a purpose to live and achieve.”

2020 mentee, Zhaneta, shares her experience of the Routes mentoring programme, and how it is helping her to overcome her fear of speaking in public, whilst supporting her in her goal to help other expectant mothers.

2020 mentor Catrin shares her experience on the Routes mentoring programme, and how mentoring can have a truly mutual impact.

2019/20 mentee Suzane shares some thoughts and reflections on how mentoring gave her the confidence to grow and develop in her new life in the UK, from train rides, to ice skating and using a computer for the first time!

“I think mentoring is important especially for women seeking safety because it provides a sense of direction, healing and comfort. It is like a drawing board you always go back to re-trace, re-evaluate, rebuild, re-design and restore your steps so as to achieve your goals…”

“Meetings with my mentee are a weekly highlight and it’s a connection I value all the more given the distancing and uncertainty of recent times.”

“Mentorship is important because it empowers you to become more confident to make the right decisions and to identify goals and establish a sense of direction.”

Sabrina joined the Routes Mentoring Programme for two reasons. ‘I wanted to practise my mentoring and coaching skills and gain another perspective. The Programme provides a chance of learning about other people’s experiences firsthand and of challenging your own assumptions…’

‘At the graduation ceremony, you could really see: every mentor and mentee seemed like sisters or that they relate. It is great that this exists for people who have been through a lot. It is something I will carry with me in my life.’

In this blog post, civil servant Sally and her mentee Sausan reflect on the joy, laughter and lessons they shared and on keeping a positive attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's like this programme is refreshing me. My mentor has put me on track, so at least now I know where I have to start from in order to restart my career again, after all that happened to me, which forced me to seek asylum in the UK.

Current Routes mentor Antonella Mandato shares her experience of the programme so far.

A selection of our favourite lockdown activities, from free audiobooks to online exercise classes, community choirs and much more.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Each for Equal’. We asked Eszter, a 2019/20 Routes mentor, to share her reflections, opinions, hopes and visions for a world where each of us takes responsibility for fighting for equality.

We asked Suzanne, a 2019-20 Routes Mentee, to share her reflections, opinions, hopes and visions for a world where each of us takes responsibility for fighting for equality..

December is always a nostalgic time of year for Routes... 

In 2017 we were launching Routes at Year Here’s Crowdbacker event and, a year later, in December 2018 we were celebrating the end of our first mentoring and theatre programmes at the Young Vic, accompanied by the delicious smells of fresh cooking and the occasional burst of song. Now, in December 2019 we are celebrating another extraordinary year at Routes: our community has grown and we’ve nurtured even more joyful, welcoming and compassionate connections across London. Here’s what we’ve been up to...

A poem written by E.E., a participant in our theatre workshops, about immigration detention.