On Monday, November 17th, MCR Pathways hosted a highly successful parliamentary drop-in event in the prestigious Thatcher Room at Portcullis House. Titled “Championing the Power of a Trusted Adult Mentor,” the event was generously sponsored by Joani Reid, MP.
The purpose of the day was to share powerful, real-life stories about the transformational impact of mentoring, and to champion our vision that every young person deserves someone in their corner. This required connecting policymakers with the heart of our mission: the young people, dedicated volunteer mentors, and MCR Pathways staff.
MCR Pathways’ Vision: Every Young Person Deserves Someone in Their Corner
We are deeply passionate about supporting more than 5,700 volunteer mentors who help over 7,000 young people build confidence, see their potential, and re-imagine what their future can look like through the power of personal, relationship-based mentoring.
Every young person deserves someone in their corner. Because when someone shows up, believes in you, and never gives up, everything can change.
Our vision is simple: every young person should have someone to help them find their way to a brighter future, whenever and wherever they need us.
We will achieve this by connecting each young person with a trusted adult mentor – someone who sparks confidence, fuels ambition, and walks beside them on their journey to a brighter future.
A Trusted Adult Mentor Transforms Outcomes
Our mission is underpinned by clear evidence: a trusted adult mentor transforms outcomes for young people.
In Scotland:
- Positive destinations: 93.8% of mentored care-experienced young people moved on to a positive destination (college, university, or employment) in 2023/24. This represents a 30% improvement compared to the national figure.
- Attainment: mentored care-experienced young people were twice as likely to achieve a National 5 qualification in at least one subject than their non-mentored peers in the same schools.
In England:
- Initial destinations: 100% of mentored young people who left school in 2024/25 went on to a positive initial destination (higher/further education or employment/apprenticeship).
- Wellbeing: In England, young people who maintained mentoring for 3+ years had an average of 4 times better Wellbeing improvement rates than those in their first year of mentoring.
- Attendance: Mentored young people had on average +18% better attendance in 2024/25 than young people not participating in the programme.
A Room Booming with Champions
The room was buzzing with energy, bringing together MCR Pathways mentors, young people, MCR Pathways staff members, MPs and key partners. MPs included Joani Reid, (East Kilbridge and Strathaven), Euan Stainbank (Falkirk), Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife), Martin Rhodes (Glasgow North), and Kevin Bonavia (Stevenage).
We were also delighted to be joined by some of our supporters and partners including Bea Theakston, Investment Director – School Attainment Lead from one of our funders, Impetus, and the Headteacher, Andrew Marin and Alison O’Conner, Deputy Headteacher from the Head of Virtual Schools Ealing.
The Transformational Impact: A Young Person’s Story
The highlight of the session was hearing directly from one of our young people on the programme, Chanelle:
“I wanted to start off this speech by saying thank you to everyone who has given me the opportunity to be a part of this programme.
“Mentoring for me wasn’t just about having a role model to look up to, it was about having a person from the adult world who I could talk to on a level I could relate to but still aspire to. Mentoring gave me something to look forward to in a difficult and chaotic world, sometimes our weekly meetings were the only positive I had to look forward to – how do you put value on that?
“So, the relationship I built over a period of time was invaluable to me and gave me good insights and hope for a positive career after leaving school – the path wasn’t always clear. Even though I knew what I wanted to do, meeting someone in real life who was already pursuing the career I aspired to, gave me genuine hope and the belief that it could become a reality for me. It hasn’t happened yet, and I may even head in a different direction – but my admiration and gratitude for my mentor remain just as strong.”
Chanelle has now left school but attended with her mentor, demonstrating the power of the long-lasting relationships that are built during those crucial years of mentoring.
Mentoring Works Both Ways
Following Chanelle’s powerful speech, Kevin Bonovia MP for Stevenage offered his thanks. He noted that what he learned from meeting mentors and mentees from his constituency was that mentoring works both ways. He highlighted the essential idea of having someone you can rely on and stressed that “when it works, it really works.” Speaking directly to the young people, he affirmed, “you’ll have this for the rest of your lives and it’s inspired me to let others know about it.”
Our Call to Action for Policy Makers
Policymakers must take action to remove barriers that prevent young people from accessing trusted adult mentors who can help them pursue brighter futures.
We urge you to join us and commit to these three vital actions:
Consult directly with young people: commit to meaningful consultations with young people. Take their experiences seriously to help break down barriers to accessing a trusted adult mentor.
Understand what support is needed: this isn’t a quick fix. Work with us to fully understand the challenges that can hold young people back from accessing help to pursue brighter futures.
Champion the power of mentoring: support and promise our mentoring work in your area. Help us connect with others sharing our passion to ensure every young person has a trusted adult mentor who needs one.
Email our policy team today at policy@mcrpathways.org to discuss how we can work together.
