Ellis
Ellis is 12 years old and a talented footballer. Ellis meets with his mentor Ali Russell, Deputy Managing Director of Queens Park Rangers Football Club three times a year. Mentoring sessions take place at the club, in one of the Director’s boxes.
Ellis and Ali discuss progress at school and life in general. Ali often shares with Ellis how positive attitudes and behaviour have helped him to achieve his dreams. Together, they set SMART targets, to help Ellis focus on working towards a career when he leaves school. While Ellis dreams of becoming a professional footballer, Ali encourages him to have another career option as well as this, just in case his first choice doesn’t work out. Ellis is currently working on a set of targets that will improve his fitness levels, skills and his school work. Ellis’s second choice of career is the legal profession, and Ali together with the Mega Mentors Community Mentor is creating opportunities for Ellis to get a taste of both professions.
As an incentive for hitting his targets, Ali has promised Ellis 4 tickets to a QPR game for him and his family for each target he achieves. Ellis has also had a behind the scenes tour of the Loftus Road Stadium, has access to Ali via emails through Mega Mentors if he ever needs advice, and has the offer of a session with the QPR fitness trainer. Ellis also has a signed copy of a photo that was taken of him and Ali and receives ‘Mega Tips Cards’ full of advice from Ali that is recorded while on mentoring visits.
At community level, Ellis’s appointed Mega Mentors Community Mentor meets with Ellis and his family at his home between sessions with Ali, to help him work towards his targets and to create opportunities at grass roots level for activities and training that help Ellis on the road to fulfilling his dreams. This is to ensure that the inspiration and encouragement that Ellis receives from Ali is worked out into his everyday within his own community.