After moving to Hastings I was looking to connect with men in the area and discovered that a few were starting A Band of Brothers Hastings. I was interested in mentoring a young man and so we started a group. Meeting every two weeks initially in one of our houses the group built over time as we got to know each other. With a diverse group of backgrounds and age ranges we built upto our first Quest. There was less friction in the group than I imagined and it seemed important to go step by step and not take on too much at once.

On our first Quest I mentored a young man, Robert which was a great experience. Who knew a coffee shop conversation could be so rewarding. I was continually surprised at how willing the young men were to try out new things and also the joy that mentoring brought to the mentors. There were challenges along the way, grief in particular and how we grapple with the topic as men and how tight a container we hold for the young men was also another one.

After a solid first year as a A Band of Brothers community it feels good to support others in developing the group and embedding what we do in the local culture.