Unfold

Unfold, previously known as Westminster Befriend a Family, supports families and young people in Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and the surrounding boroughs, helping them get where they want to be through mentoring powered by volunteers. We enable people to identify and achieve goals that matter to them, so they can independently manage the challenges they face. Our volunteers provide regular, sustained, one to one social, emotional, and practical support. Our programmes are open to everyone, but we aim to support those who face the most challenges through partnerships and targeted outreach. Around 93% of the people we work with describe themselves as coming from a racialised group, 85% of families we support are single-headed households led by a woman, and around 69% of the children we support are eligible for free school meals. We also run specialised programmes of support for asylum seekers and refugees. Our mentoring programmes last for 12 – 24 weekly sessions over three to six months. At the end of mentoring, we see demonstrable improvements in confidence and wellbeing, increased connectedness and enhanced self-efficacy.