My mentee really wanted to read better. He is dyslexic and hates not being able to understand billboard adverts and street signs. Initially I tried to get him to read novels or short stories, which made things difficult for both of us. Then I introduced him to comic books and just like that his interest peaked. First, Atom Man and Captain Marvel, then Archie and Jughead, Asterix and Obelix and by the end of the year he was reading the Sunday Times and any piece of writing he could find with absolute fluency.

Would you like to spend one hour a week making a difference in the life of a young person? Request an application form for the SAYes Youth mentoring programme on our home page. This year we will be trialling a remote mentoring programme until it’s safe to meet in person again.