In a world where the opportunities available to young people are often determined by whether they are care-experienced or have faced disadvantages such as socioeconomic status, MCR Pathways stands out as a beacon of hope.

Since establishing in 2007, this award-winning, volunteering-mentoring national charity has dedicated itself to the trajectories of young people’s lives through its school-based mentoring programme. Its vision is for all young people to have equality of educational outcomes, career opportunities and life chances.

At the heart of MCR Pathways is a simple yet important concept: the power of mentorship. Volunteers from diverse backgrounds and professions commit to just one hour a week during term time to mentor a young person in their local school for at least one academic year. While some may initially question their ability to make a difference, what they find is that willingness to care and engage consistently can spark transformative change.

Scott McCabe, an employee at EIS, shares his journey as a mentor at Lochgelly High in Fife. For Scott, the decision to become a volunteer mentor was inspired by a Facebook post calling for individuals willing to contribute an hour of their time to change a young person’s life. Despite his robust confidence in other aspects of his life, Scott admits to feeling nervous before his meeting – a testament to the importance he placed on making a positive impact.

According to Scott, “I remember seeing a Facebook post which said: ‘Could you contribute an hour of your time and make a difference in a young person’s life?’ and I just kind of thought I could see an advantage and a benefit in that.”

Prior to his first meeting, Scott reflects, “I’m a fairly confident individual. Part of my role in EIS is to engage with members across primary and secondary education, meeting with senior officers in the council and with politicians. So, I’m pretty comfortable in terms of doing things like that. However, I was a little bit nervous and apprehensive because you want to do a good job and I didn’t want to muck it up – I was mindful that what I’m doing could make a difference and I wanted it to be successful.”

Overcoming the initial nerves is something that many mentors go through on their mentoring journey, but what comes after is a fulfilling and rewarding experience for those who take the plunge. Scott says, “I think it’s rewarding for both of us. Mentors make a difference and that is confirmed by a lot of the stories that you see online and when you sit and talk to MCR Pathways team members, they say the young people genuinely appreciate having somebody to talk to regularly.

“I think it’s the continuity of just being there for them to talk about anything, or to simply listen and obviously we have the support of MCR Pathways Coordinators if we need it. You feel like you can make a tangible difference by giving something back and I think the young people feel like it makes a difference as well because they wouldn’t engage in it on a weekly basis if they didn’t like it.”

Reflecting on personal growth through mentoring, Scott shares, “I think it’s made me a better listener. I’ve got a 13-year-old daughter myself so I’m already engaged in and working with a young person on a regular basis, but I think it’s improved my listening skills and my understanding of how other young people live, how they engage in school and what kind of family circumstances are like. I think it makes you quite reflective on where you are in your life and what you have and what you’re doing, and you get that kind of insight into other people who, on the face of it, I just wouldn’t have come into contact with without MCR.”

Offering advice to potential mentors, Scott advises, “If you’re even thinking about it, then you’re interested in doing it. I think the support that you get from MCR in terms of the training and the support from your MCR Coordinators make the whole thing much easier to engage in. If you’re thinking about doing it, I would definitely encourage people to reach out through the website and at least have a conversation with somebody from MCR to learn more. It’s not as hard as you think it’s going to be and if you’ve got any kind of life experience, and everybody has life experience, you probably bring a lot to the table that you don’t realise until you sit down and start having these conversations.”

In summary, Scott expresses the essence of mentoring with MCR Pathways, “On a weekly basis, it gives like a little window of time where we can just forget about everything that’s going on and just be in the moment and enjoy each other’s company and talk about things that we think are relevant and interesting to each other.”

MCR Pathways has expanded its reach since 2007, currently operating in 111 schools across 16 local authorities in Scotland, supporting over 5000 young people, and has witnessed significant success over the years. The impact of mentors on attainment, achievement, and post-school destinations for young people has been transformational.

The statistics speak volumes: 83% of MCR Pathways mentored young people progressed to college, university, or employment, a significant increase from the 62% seen among those without mentorship. 72% choose to stay in school, compared to 50% of their non-mentored peers. This remarkable progress highlights the effective- ness of MCR Pathways’ approach in empowering young individuals to realise their full potential.

Are you interested in joining the volunteering programme? Attend an information session to discover how mentoring is transforming young people’s lives and how you can play a part in this transformative journey. During the information session, you’ll have the opportunity to find out more about MCR Pathways and ask any questions you may have. To find a date for you, head to the MCR Pathways website to find a session that suits.

For any enquiries, don’t hesitate to contact our partnerships team at partnerships@mcrpathways.org