Rochelle stars in new film about mentoring
29 Nov 2012
A Centrepoint mentor has gone above and beyond her role by making a film about the mentoring programme, starring her mentee Rochelle.
Esther Raphael has just come to the end of her 12 months mentoring Rochelle. Rochelle was living with Centrepoint at the start of the partnership, but has now moved into her own home, where she’s living successfully and independently.
To mark their year together, Esther, who works in the creative industry, gathered a team of talented and willing volunteers to make the film above.
Esther said: ‘I decided to make it because I wanted to give something back and I Wanted to raise awareness around the importance of mentoring.
‘We wanted to avoid charity video clichés and create a film that would inspire and motivate people. We wanted something beautiful and powerful in one.
‘Roch and I were both very moved by it. I love it because it really hints at Roch’s personality. It was hopeful and optimistic yet very real. It highlighted she is still a young girl in some ways, with all her pink, girly stuff and yet she's gone through so much which makes her wise and mature.
Esther added that Rochelle was impressed by the film, but also found seeing it hard.
‘She achieved something and had given something back too, but she also felt sad that that had been her life,’ Esther said.
Centrepoint now has more than 100 mentors working with young people. Find out more about mentoring at www.centrepoint.org.uk/mentoring