Hampshire Cricket are supporting the GOAT Boys mentoring programme, an initiative aimed at providing positive male role models for young people in the community.

The programme addresses challenges highlighted in the Centre for Social Justice's "Lost Boys" report, which found that young men across the UK are increasingly isolated and lacking in positive mentorship.

The GOAT Boys programme – which stands for Growth, Ownership, Attitude and Tenacity – aims to fill this gap. Led by a board including Chris Edwards (headteacher at Brighton Hill Community School), Pete Beeching (deputy headteacher at Brighton Hill Community School), detective superintendent Kevin Brown (head of major crime, Thames Valley Police), Sky News home editor Jason Farrell, and other community leaders, the initiative officially launches on Thursday, January 29.

Mentors will be paired with students to begin a six-month collaboration, working on projects designed to raise money for charity or improve their local communities.

Hampshire are the first county to roll out the programme, launching at Brighton Hill Community School in Basingstoke. Two other Hampshire schools have already signed up for Wave Two in March when the initiative goes national. Several Hampshire Cricket coaches have already committed to becoming mentors through the club's regional performance centre coaching force.

Brighton Hill School have been a partner of Hampshire Cricket for several years, serving as a venue for the Hawks Academy in Basingstoke and supporting various cricket development projects across the region.

Members of the Hampshire Cricket community who would like to become mentors are encouraged to sign up through the GOAT Boys programme.

For more information about the programme and to register an interest in becoming a mentor, visit www.goatboys.co.uk