A group of young people took part in a cultural tour and enjoyed sweet treats as part of a new mentorship scheme.

Future Leaders Bermuda launched the programme last Saturday to help school pupils develop life skills.

A spokesman explained that the charity’s Monthly Mentorship Club will combine educational sessions with fun activities so that students can meet different mentors, take part in experiences and support small businesses.

He said: “For the first event, Future Leaders were taken on an African Bermudian dispersion ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ cultural tour with Titan Express.

“The tour was followed by a chat and chew reflection at Victoria Park, where students were treated to Leslie’s Desserts.”

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the programme’s launch, but a document on the Future Leaders Bermuda website showed that other activities this year are expected to include workshops about financial planning and job readiness.

Sessions will also cover coping with stress and time management as well as navigating adolescence.

The spokesman said: “The year-round programme is designed to foster collaboration, promote skills development and self-improvement, while building a sense of community among tomorrow’s leaders.”

Ryan Robinson Perinchief, the founder and director of Future Leaders Bermuda, explained: “We initially planned to launch a year ago but decided to try and wait out the pandemic to guarantee in-person interaction.

“Eventually, as a team, we considered that the antisocial behaviour hasn’t let up throughout the pandemic, so as long as we could deliver the programme safely and in line with government regulations, we were determined to make it happen.”

The programme was boosted by a $15,000 grant awarded to Future Leaders in November 2020 after the idea won the community vote in a campaign by insurance firm Argus.

Mr Robinson Perinchief said: “We are truly grateful to Argus for their contribution.

“Students are going through a lot and many have felt neglected throughout all this.

“They were cut off from school and university, and not being able to rely on their support groups is a challenge particularly during these crucial formative years.

“Our operations manager, Alicia Lister, and the rest of the team worked really hard on getting the logistics right and making extra provisions for Covid safety, so it was a blessing for us to start the year off knowing that amidst all the uncertainty we are able to deliver something good.”

Future Leaders Bermuda is also looking at ways to open up activities for more members of the public to get involved “pending initial success and feasibility of larger group sizes”.

Anyone interested in working with the organisation can visit www.futureleaders.bm/mentorshipclub for more information.