Saturday school scheme in need of more mentors

6:27am Thursday 19th July 2007

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A Croydon project which provides extra educational support to the borough's black and ethnic minority communities is looking for more people to help cope with its rocketing numbers.

The Croydon Supplementary Education Project (CSEP) is primarily a Saturday school for students aged between four and 18-years-old.

Since its launch 25 years ago the number of people on its books has risen from six to 150.

The project aims to bolster mainstream education and improve the achievements of its students in maths and English - an important and growing issue for Croydon youngsters and a key reason why enrolment figures have shot up.

Now, with a growing waiting list of young people wanting to join, mentors are appealing for more volunteers to tackle the issue.

"There is a waiting list of kids, partly because there are not enough volunteers to accommodate them," mentor Roger Millar said.

The project provides teaching and other activities, including talks about black history and slavery as well as showing positive examples of what young people are doing.

The project in Sydenham Road was established in 1982. It is led by the community and offers a wide ranges of services and activities during the week - targeting London's diverse population but focusing primarily on residents in Croydon.

It also provides support to families to raise their self-esteem and maximise opportunities.

As well as offering students close interaction with mentors and support towards exams, there is also a focus on extra curricular activities.

Youth exchanges to Guyana and Barbados, as well as workshops for parents on issues such as exclusion, also take place.

If you would like to provide assistance to the project, or would like more information call 020 8686 7865.