New charity Journeyman UK is inviting boys and young males aged 13-17 in the Bristol area to get involved with a life-changing mentoring initiative, combining regular ‘rite of passage’ adventure weekends with an ongoing network of male support and guidance.

On the weekend of 15/16/17 April 2011, fifteen boys and young males from across the region will take part in a transformative adventure weekend. The experience will not only teach them new skills, but also allow them to grow in confidence, make new friends and benefit from the support of a group of skilled and experienced male mentors.

However the journey will not end after the weekend – on the contrary, it’s just the beginning. Those who attend will continue to be supported by Journeyman UK’s mentors and their peers via regular group meet ups and on other rite of passage weekends.

Beyond that, graduates of the Journeyman UK experience will be invited to become the staff and mentors of future weekends – and join a nationwide community of Journeymen UK mentors. This community aims to provide the opportunity, every step of the way, for boys and young males to develop and display the qualities they see modelled by their mentors - qualities that include emotional intelligence and resilience, self-belief, empathy, responsibility and accountability.

Paul Howell, Executive Director of Journeyman UK, says: ‘Evidence shows that boys from all backgrounds readily engage with communities of positive male role models. They respond to the structure and acceptance they find, and to the challenge of embracing healthy male behaviours. Our vision is to create safe and powerful spaces where boys and young males can discover who they are as individuals and acknowledge their place within a community that needs and values them.’

Journeyman UK is following in the footsteps of the acclaimed US charity Boys to Men, which supports boys and young males as they navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood, especially those who do not have positive male role models in their lives to help guide them. The founder of Boys to Men, Joe Sigurdson, will be travelling from San Diego to the UK especially to attend the April event.

There are a limited number of places remaining on the weekend in April, so please get in touch as soon as possible for further information. The cost for the whole weekend and the ongoing mentoring is £350 but subsidised places are available to families on a low income.

Contact Paul Howell on 07746 946996, email connect@journeymanuk.org or visit our website, www.journeymanuk.org

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Notes to Editors

For further information, please contact Paul Howell, Executive Director of Journeyman UK on 07746 946996 / paul.howell@journeymanuk.org or Fen Bagias on 07976 252002 / fen.bagias@journeymanuk.org

Journeyman UK is a new registered charity that is deeply rooted in the community and exists to support and mentor boys aged 13 to 17 as they make the transition from adolescence to manhood.

The Journeyman UK rite of passage weekends incorporate physical and emotional tests, to enable the boys and young males to discover inner resources that they didn’t know existed, gain new self-respect and confidence. The tests are challenging, but do not involve winning and losing, which can create shame.

The ongoing mentoring will enable the boys and young males to find their own answers to the challenges they face in their lives, in a creative and authentic manner. Group mentoring will take place every two weeks, for between six - twelve months. Topics relevant to the particular group will be discussed, for example issues related to peer pressure, self-esteem and self respect, drugs, family situations, gender topics and communication.

All Journeyman UK mentors have been trained and vetted and hold an enhanced level Criminal Record Bureau check issued no less than 18 months prior.