A family business changing lives 

Flashback to 2016. Colin Taylor has spent over 20 years working for Royal Mail and is ready for a change. Something’s missing: the ability to make a meaningful impact in people’s lives. 

Colin coaches under-16 football in his spare time. One of the young people he coaches is a hugely talented footballer who happens to have ADHD. 

While the other adults around him struggle to comprehend his needs as a young neurodivergent man, Colin has built a strong, deeply connected relationship based on trust and understanding.

Seeing the difference this support has made to the footballer, Colin leaves his career at Royal Mail to support more neurodivergent young people at Gloucestershire-based mentoring firm, Ability. 

In 2017, Colin decided to establish his own mentoring business to make a difference to the lives of young people in Gloucestershire.

And Taylored Mentoring Services (TMS) was born.

From small roots mentoring just five young people, demand for high quality, skilled mentoring and training in Gloucestershire have seen us grow to support more than 70 children and young adults each week.

Colin’s own children, Josh and Izzy, joined the business and, his wife, Helen, also became part of the team as well as many family friends since. Today, we may be more than just a family business, but the desire to change lives remains at our heart – and TMS is a happy place that celebrates creativity, positivity and progress. 

Our ever-growing team shares one commitment: to improve the lives of the people we work with. With an approach that’s underpinned by family values, our experienced mentors and educators are supportive, understanding and driven by a genuine desire to make a difference. 

Today we employ a team of around 60 staff, improving the lives of young people each day. Those eight to 18-year-olds may struggle with mainstream education – but they’ll always have the TMS family by their side.

Our values

At Taylored Mentoring Services, our values guide everything we do and shape the way we support young people and each other every day. Tenacity, Inspiration, Integrity and Inclusion are at the heart of our approach. We are tenacious in our efforts to give every young person the opportunity to grow and develop their confidence and resilience, embracing challenges with perseverance and a never-give-up attitude. We strive to inspire every young person to be the best they can be, helping them recognise their strengths, believe in themselves and realise their aspirations and potential.

We act with integrity in everything we do, building meaningful, authentic relationships through trust, honesty, professionalism and clear communication. We believe in treating everyone as an individual, providing personalised support and creating equal opportunities for growth and success. Through inclusion, we ensure every young person feels valued, respected and supported, while actively listening to their needs and taking meaningful action. Together, these values underpin our commitment to empowering young people, unlocking their confidence and potential, and helping them build a positive future.