Le Chéile Mentoring uses volunteer mentors to change outcomes
By Josephine Gibney, Le Chéile Mentoring
Le Chéile Mentoring was founded in Coolock in 2005 to support young people involved in, or at risk of, offending.
What began as Ireland’s first pilot mentoring programme, developed in partnership with the Probation Service, has grown into a national community-based organisation. Today, Le Chéile also provides parent mentoring, restorative justice initiatives, and a range of supports for families.
Over the past 25 years, youth justice across Europe has moved away from punitive systems towards a more rehabilitative, evidence-based, and child-centred approach.
The catalyst for Le Chéile’s creation was the Children Act 2001; a landmark piece of legislation that prioritised rehabilitation over punishment. It introduced community-based sanctions and diversionary measures aimed at keeping young people out of prison, while also recognising the crucial role of trusted adult relationships in helping young people make positive life choices.
Le Chéile’s first project worked with a small group of young people under probation supervision, matching them with trained volunteer mentors who offered:
• Regular one-to-one meetings
• Practical and emotional support
• Positive adult role models
• Help with setting and achieving personal goals
Over time, Le Chéile Mentoring’s growth beyond youth mentoring has been a response to the wider needs of families and our communities. We now offer parent mentoring, restorative justice programmes, and other supports that recognise the broader social and systemic challenges young people face.
Our work is grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens not only through individual support, but also through strengthening families, building community connections, and promoting fairness and inclusion across the justice system.
Making a Difference: The Role of Our Volunteers
Le Chéile Mentoring simply would not exist without our volunteers. They are the heart of our work; ordinary people who make an extraordinary commitment to walk alongside young people and families during some of the most challenging times in their lives.
Many of our mentors give their time week after week, often for years, building consistent, trusting relationships that have a lasting impact. Their dedication speaks volumes about the power of community and the belief that change is always possible.
All our mentors undergo robust, induction training before they begin working with a young person or parent. This training equips them not only with practical tools, but with the values that underpin our work: empathy, consistency, clear boundaries, and a non-judgemental approach.
Volunteer mentors are not there to fix or lecture; they’re there to listen, support, and believe in the potential of each person they meet. It is this caring connection that often makes the difference. Whether it’s helping someone navigate day-to-day challenges or simply showing up reliably, our volunteers are a powerful reminder that support, when freely given, can transform lives.
Expanding the Circle: Family Support
While mentoring remains at the heart of Le Chéile Mentoring’s work, we have evolved in response to the complex realities many young people face. In recent years, we’ve expanded our services to include parent mentoring recognising that supporting one young person in isolation is rarely enough. Lasting change often depends on the environment around them—family, school, community, and wider systems of support.
Our Parent Mentoring Programme offers one-to-one mentoring for parents or guardians of young people who are involved in, or at risk of entering, the justice system. These parents often feel overwhelmed, isolated, or unsure of how best to support their child. By matching them with trained volunteer mentors, we provide a safe, non-judgemental space to talk, reflect, and rebuild confidence. The goal is not to “fix” parenting, but to strengthen it; helping families regain stability and agency at a time when they may feel powerless.
A standout element of our service remains our ongoing collaboration with Oberstown Children Detention Campus, where we support parents while their child is in detention and during the post-release period. This support provides a critical bridge in helping families stay connected, heal, and move forward together.
Parent mentoring reaffirms the belief that positive, lasting change begins with one relationship at a time — and that when parents feel supported, families thrive.
Restorative Justice: Repairing Community Through Dialogue
In parallel, our restorative justice initiatives aim to repair harm and rebuild relationships between young people, their families, and their communities. Restorative approaches give everyone affected by an offence the opportunity to be heard and to work toward a resolution. This process can be deeply impactful, not just in holding young people accountable in a constructive way, but in allowing them to understand the real effects of their actions and take meaningful steps toward making amends.
Our dedicated Restorative Justice Project operates across Limerick, Clare, Kerry and Cork, working in close partnership with the Probation Service, An Garda Síochána and a range of statutory and community agencies. This collaborative model continues to address youth offending and anti-social behaviour, while supporting victims and strengthening community resilience.
Restorative Justice is about more than addressing wrongdoing—it’s about understanding harm, repairing relationships, and empowering young people to take responsibility in a meaningful way. In 2024, our team delivered tailored restorative interventions, including:
Victim Empathy Programmes, helping young people understand the impact of their actions and develop greater compassion.
Restorative Justice Meetings, where young people, victims (or proxies), families, and professionals come together in a structured space to discuss the offence and agree on steps forward.
Victim/Offender Mediation, facilitated in a safe, supportive environment—often through indirect communication—to ensure that all parties feel heard.
Reparative Actions, such as written apologies, community activities, or personal reflection projects aimed at making amends and restoring trust.
Restorative justice at Le Chéile is about creating real opportunities for healing and growth. By placing dialogue and accountability at the heart of the process, we help young people move forward—while ensuring that the voices of victims and communities are central to that journey.
Donncha’s Story
Donncha has been a volunteer with Le Chéile Mentoring since 2013. In this time, he’s seen profound changes in the lives of some young people he has mentored and himself.
“I was on a train in 2013, reading the newspaper and saw an advertisement for Le Chéile. I just thought it was a good way to give something back to society and thought it might be a fun challenge. I applied through their ad, was interviewed, trained, and I’ve been mentoring ever since.”
Every day is different for mentors. They’re matched with a young person aged between 12-24 years old and meet on a weekly basis.
“The young people are linked into Le Chéile, then we are matched up. We begin with a basis of respect and meet every week. It’s all up to the young person, they lead on this, I’m here to help them as best I can.
“I always ask what their goals are. There’s no judgement, I’m just there to assist them and offer advice. Whether it’s educational, work related, or personal development, we talk about it, build a plan to take small steps and go from there. We don’t start off with the big picture, but bit by bit we get there.”
Reducing offending behaviour
Le Chéile’s volunteer mentors are there to offer young people support, stability, and general guidance and through this see positive results like improved self-confidence, hopefulness, communications skills, engagement in activities and, crucially, a reduction in offending behaviour.
“Sometimes we have young people who start out looking at their phone more than you. They don’t have the confidence. But to see that young person in six months sitting up looking you straight in the eye and actually talking, the transformation is amazing.
“It’s not always easy, sometimes it doesn’t always work out, but if anyone asked me should they volunteer I’d tell them ‘Any challenges are so worth it. I have this philosophy, ‘if you give, you get’.
“And that’s exactly the kind of thing you find in mentoring. You can leave a positive legacy in your community, just by being there for someone.”
Liams’s Story
Liam was 19 when he was referred by the Probation Service to Le Chéile Mentoring. His Probation Officer was concerned as his offending behaviour was connected to addiction and mental health struggles.
He had spent some time living on the streets and had a history of going missing which caused great concern to his mother.
In the beginning, Liam presented as extremely nervous, but he was always very open and honest about his struggles. He was matched to a male mentor based on this mentor’s warmth and ability to put young people at ease.
Liam’s attendance in the first few months was sporadic and was very much based on how his mental health was on a week-to-week basis. Their early sessions were slow to show any tangible progress, but Liam always showed respect and made efforts to let his mentor know if he wouldn’t be able to make a session.
Early in the mentoring relationship, Liam’s relationship with his mother deteriorated and he became angry at her attempts to protect him from his own risky behaviour. Around that time, Liam ended up being hospitalised and received treatment for his addiction and mental health issues. His mentor stayed linked in with him during his hospital stay and offered support where he could.
His mentor’s support over the course of those difficult weeks strengthened their relationship and over the next few months, Liam and his mentor built up a great bond. Even in lockdown, they stayed in regular phone contact and met face to face when restrictions allowed.
During a face-to-face mentoring session, Liam mentioned he would like to try and complete his Leaving Certificate. Liam and his Mentor had such an honest and open relationship that he felt comfortable to talk about his options without being judged and knew that his Mentor would support and encourage him.
As a result, Liam and his Mentor started working together to research education options and he applied to a local college to start studying for his Leaving Cert.
Liam made fantastic progress over the year he was matched with his mentor. He came from a place of being at risk and vulnerable to returning to education, having his addiction and mental health issues under control, enjoying a healthy relationship with his mother and having a more positive and hopeful outlook for his future.
He spoke to his mentor every week without fail. His mentor supported his return to education with advice and resources. He coped remarkably well during lockdown and his dedication to connecting with his mentor says a lot about the strength of their relationship and the value he placed on it.
We need people with an open mind and belief in the power of positive relationships
By Le Chéile Mentoring CEO Anne Conroy
Youth involvement in offending behaviour is very much linked to disadvantaged communities, child poverty, early school leaving, substance abuse, and families under pressure. That is not to say that all young people who grow up in disadvantaged communities get involved in offending or anti-social behaviour. Absolutely not.
However, a correlation exists between child poverty, socio-economic disadvantage and young people’s involvement in offending. Youth crime and offending behaviour is complex and young people, their families and communities need support and interventions.
We believe that working alongside young people and families, involving them in the process of change, can and does lead to positive outcomes, not just for young people, but for families, and their communities. It also leads to reduced offending and safer communities.
Many of the young people we work with are not involved in education or training. Sometimes mentoring can help young people return to school or Youthreach. Or it may be in the future, when their lives are more stable, that are able to engage in some type of education or training. A big part of mentoring is about giving hope, fostering self-belief and expectations for the future.
We have about 250 volunteer mentors in Le Chéile Mentoring and we are lucky to have many from the teaching profession. We recruit new volunteers every year and welcome people with an open mind and belief in the power of positive relationships and in the potential of every child and young person to flourish, with the right supports.
