IMAGINE struggling to make friends, falling behind at school, seeing parents distracted by money worries and feeling anxious that you have no control over your life.

These are some of the challenges facing many children and young people in our town, in a time of austerity, as the world grows more complicated, social media broadcasts endless images of unattainable lifestyles and extended families live further apart.

If you were a child finding it hard to cope, going off the rails at school and losing a sense your path into a positive future, a regular meeting with a concerned adult who has your best interests a heart could be a lifeline; a mentor who gives you time, attention and support. This is how SMASH works - changing lives, one child at a time. Now the Swindon charity is hoping to reach more youngsters than ever, extending its mentoring scheme and starting group activities and sessions, so they want to find more volunteers keen to help the town’s young people. CEO Helen Fisher, who took over the running of the charity a year ago, said:

“We help children to take control of their lives. Many are from backgrounds that do not enable them to be the authors of their own lives.

“They may have social issues, such as parents who are unemployed and struggling economically, or they may have low grade mental health issues such as low self esteem and low confidence or resilience. They may have issues such as ADHD or be on the autism spectrum.We take referrals from schools, GPs, paediatricians, mental health services and social workers.”

One in five youngsters helped by Smash is referred by their parents too and the results of the project speak for themselves – as a result of a Smash mentorship, 94 per cent of the children have an increased sense of optimism and 83 per cent demonstrate a confident and positive relationship with others, creating the prospect of a more positive transition into adulthood.

It has proved an extra-ordinary year for Smash, based at the Pinetrees Community Centre. In June the charity received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest accolade given to local volunteer groups and effectively the equivalent of an MBE. Smash was also recognised in the Kids Count Inspiration Awards, held annually at the House of Parliament to celebrate people who have inspired youngsters. In December they were highly commended in the Most Inspirational Community Group award, for the work they do tackling challenges in their own community. Now Smash is planning to extend its activities, and recruit more volunteers and mentors so they can make a difference in more young lives and change the future for children facing personal challenges in an ever more complex world.

Smash began in 1999, as a Government-funded organisation working with youth offenders aged 13 to 19. But central government funding was pulled in 2002 and Smash became an independent charity, with a new mission of earlier intervention and prevention, helping children earlier in their lives, from age nine up to 19. Now they are helping 70 youngsters, with 70 mentors, and have supported a total of 2000 children.

“The world is getting more complicated, so we need to think how we can change,” Helen said. “Technology plays a massive part in life, in a way that makes children more isolated. The relationships they are forming are not natural but through a computer screen. They need to learn how to make relationships.

“It’s no secret that there’s less money to help children in Swindon, and there are more of them that need our help.

“And the way we live as a society used to be more integrated in a community, and now we are not living as close to our families as we used to, and children are not receiving that mentoring and care from other members of the family that they used to have.”

Once a child has been referred, their situation and needs are assessed and assuming they meet the criteria, they will be matched with a suitable mentor. The first meeting takes place with a case manager, and the mentor and mentee will talk about what they will do together, what goals and interests the young person has and how they will spend the time together.

They meet for two hours every two weeks, and the session is child-led – whether that means spending time in Lydiard Park, kicking a football, playing games, going to the cinema or bowling, or visiting Coate Water. Every six to eight weeks, the mentor checks in with the case manager to review what is happening. The mentorship lasts for a year.

Adam, who has two grown up children and works in London, is one Smash mentor who wanted to give back. He was matched with 14-year-old Harry, who through no fault of his own has no relationship with his dad and whose little sister has special needs.

“Harry and Adam were matched based on a shared interest,” Helen said. “Harry said the best time he spent was playing scrabble in a cafe, because the focus was on him.”

Mentors are adults of all ages and from all sorts of backgrounds but need to have three particular qualities – the confidence to be themselves, to be non-judgmental and to be reliable. After an application process, mentors have two day’s training and there are, of course, background checks, safety procedures and a rigorous code of conduct. Smash is looking for volunteers beside mentors, however.

“As a charity we are looking to diversify our provision,” Helen said. “We are looking at offering group work for children, being run by Smash and helped by volunteers – perhaps people who can bring their hobbies to the children.”

Smash is also looking for charity Friends and Supporters, people who can fundraise, donate raffle prizes or sponsor a young person. The charity currently has six members of staff and costs just £210,000 a year to run – with funding coming from the National Big Lottery Fund, Children in Need and local fund-raising.

“We have not changed the young people’s environment, but we have helped them change themselves,” Helen said. For more information on the charity and how you might help, call 01793 729728 or visit smashyouthproject.co.uk.