Two years ago Javed Bashir, the co-ordinator of Bradford Achievement Forum, decided to set up the Inspirers project aimed at raising the aspirations of young people who were falling behind in their school work and needed a role model to look up to.

"I realised that there were no role models for children to look up to," he said.

"So we had a campaign in the community to look for the positive role models who have done well in education and try to match them up with students who were identified as being borderline cases, students who were falling behind and just needed some help to put the effort in."

In the two years that the scheme has been in operation it has had mentors working with GCSE students in Nab Wood School, Cottingley, Greenhead School, Keighley, as well as Grange Technology College and Carlton-Bolling College in Bradford.

Mr Bashir said the mentors had been successful in each school they had been in because young people sometimes just need someone to speak to outside of school and their family.

He said: "A lot of time kids get bombarded with information from schools which they don't take on board, sometimes a solid push from someone who is not related to you can change your life. And for the mentors it's a good thing to be able to put something back into the community."

He also managed to convince the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Choudhary Rangzeb, to agree to be a mentor to Shuaib Yasin.

Coun Rangzeb said that for him it was a good way of giving something back to the community.

For Sarah Wilson-Fleming, 41, who runs her own health and beauty business, the Inspirers project was an excellent opportunity to help a young person at a critical time in their life.

She said: "I thought it would be really good to go in and meet a young person who is perhaps able but disaffected and unmotivated."

At the first training session held at the University of Bradford, she said she was surprised at how many people and in particular men, had come forward wanting to be mentors and wanting to make a difference.

"I thought this is fantastic. It is our boys who are not reaching their potential and it will be fantastic to send these successful, professional men into the school to help the young men."

She became a mentor to Charlotte Wagstaff, who at the time was in year 11 at Nab Wood School.

She said: "The first time I met her she was like my God, get out of my face'. She was in year 11 and she hadn't done any of the coursework and I think the amount of work facing her was just overwhelming."

Over the coming weeks and months Sarah helped Charlotte to plan every last bit of coursework that she needed to do.

Charlotte, 16, admitted that in year ten she had missed a lot of work and that, combined with poor attendance, meant that she had a mountain to climb in year 11. But thanks to Sarah's help and her own dedication to completing her coursework she was able to sit her GCSEs confidently prepared for them.

Instead of the Cs and Ds that Charlotte was predicted to achieve, in August she gained two As, two Bs and four Cs.

Charlotte, who is now studying her A-levels at Nab Wood and hoping to become a teacher, said: "I was really pleased to get Sarah, she has definitely helped me to turn things around."

A similar scheme was set up in the summer by Education Bradford, the private company responsible for running the district's schools, to get staff who work for the company to be mentors for students who are classed as C/D borderline in years 10 and 11.

Sonya Midgley, who is co-ordinating the Volunteer Mentor Scheme, said it was the idea of Linda Disney, support for school development co-ordinator, to actively engage with young people to give them a voice.

She said: "It gives the people who sit in the office a chance to be actively involved with the schools."

Katy Dunn, 23, who is an administrator for the baby support service at Education Bradford, is mentoring 14-year-old Kirsty Brawer at Holy Family Catholic School in Keighley.

Although the pair have only been meeting since September teachers have already noticed a change in Kirsty's attendance and organisation.

Katy said: "It's only half an hour out of my week but I come back to work with a bounce in my step. When you come to work day in day out you can forget that it's about young people and making a difference in their lives."

Education Bradford is mentoring 28 students at 12 secondary schools across the district: Bradford Cathedral Community College, Beckfoot, Belle Vue Girls, Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, Carlton-Bolling College, Dixon's City Academy, Immanuel CE Community College, Nab Wood, Oakbank, the Holy Family Catholic, Tong and Wyke Manor Community College.

Jamie Hainsworth, 14, of Beckfoot School, Bingley, is being mentored by Janet Penrose, 34, who is a project manager for the University of the First Age at Education Bradford.

Jamie said he had been enjoying his meetings with Janet and she had been helping him to pursue his interest in art. He added: "Some of my friends are even jealous that I have a mentor."

Although mentoring is only one of the initiatives employed by schools to raise attainment it has proved to have positive results for the students in terms of raising GCSE grades - and it gives personal satisfaction to the mentors from helping a young person develop and grow.

Philip Charles, 28, who was a mentor with the Inspirers initiative, was so pleased with his involvement that he has now become a personal adviser with Education Bradford.

He said: "I can see that people have gone out of their way to help me and I like to think that I could be that person in another young person's life."