Member News
25th October 2010
Last week saw the launch of early-intervention charity, Chance UK's Big Influence campaign. It's a high-profile campaign which aims to highlight the importance of having a 'big influence' or role model in your life.
A number of celebrities have already got in on the act, including pop star Nick Jonas, the youngest of the three Jonas Brothers, in the band aptly named, 'The Jonas Brothers'.
Citing his father as his big influence, Jonas says he was raised in "a musical home", to have "good values".
Celebrity chef and television personality, Jamie Oliver names a number of people he is thankful to for acting as a mentor to him, including his mum, his dad and the clothes designer Paul Smith.
"Mentors are so important for us all to become well-rounded human beings. It is important, especially for young people, to have somebody they can go to when life throws up different curve balls, problems and opportunities," he says.
Oliver's comments get to the heart of why Chance UK is running such a campaign – to highlight the positive and life-changing impact having a big influence in your life has, especially when you are a child.
Chance UK works with children in London and across the UK aged 5-11 with behavioural difficulties who need someone to be that big influence for them.
They rely on volunteers to mentor a child for a year, and see success rates as high as a 98 per cent improvement in behaviour from children enrolled in the scheme.
Speaking at an anti-social behaviour forum, Matt Collins, training and communications manager at Chance UK, emphasised the need for early-intervention methods to prevent children and young adults becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.
"Mentoring costs £4,000 a year per child, but the costs of doing nothing are much greater. The cost of keeping a child in a pupil-referral unit is £15,000 a year," he said.
Chance UK is calling on everyone to visit www.biginfluence.co.uk and add your own big influence, the person who inspired you as a child.
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