The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) is the national strategic body for mentoring and befriending, offering support to practitioners and organisations throughout the sector. As the national body, the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation is represented in all nine Government regions by Regional Co-ordinators. 

The MBF provides additional support through a range of resources, our interactive website with information on current research and publications, and through networking and training events. It works in partnership with other voluntary sector infrastructure bodies and has a particular evolving relationship with Volunteering England.

One of the key areas of work is the oversight and further development of standards for mentoring schemes. The Approved Provider Standard (APS) is a Government-backed benchmark for good practice. The standard can be applied to the work of any organisation in the one-to-one mentoring or befriending field and aims to improve the quality and guarantee the consistency of operation in areas such as health and safety, preparation and training, monitoring and evaluation. Achieving the APS will have numerous benefits for an organisation including:

• Providing a quality benchmark guaranteeing minimum standards.
• Support the mentor and befriender recruitment process.
• Increasing the confidence of the public and participants in the quality of the programme.

Organisations working in the mentoring and befriending field are able to apply for membership to the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation. Membership offers a range of benefits including:

• A free magazine showcasing best practice and development in mentoring and befriending.
• Discounts on products and services.
• Being part of a body that will lobby and influence Government policy.
• Members' website forum.
• Access to information E-Bulletins and sign-posting service.
• Networking opportunities, access to up to date research.
• Reduced fees for our members attending national and regional events and conferences.

If you'd like to find out more about MBF please click on www.mandbf.org.uk