Mentors are absolutely vital to the success of our programme. By sharing just one hour a week, they play a crucial role in dedicating their time to listening, encouraging, and empowering young people, which is how they spark potential and awaken ambition.

Every year, we ask our mentors to fill out an end-of-year survey so we can report on the impact our mentoring programme has had on mentors personally, encompassing their mentoring relationships with young people, job satisfaction, connection to their community, and overall well-being.

This year’s survey also trialled new questions aligned with our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), providing deeper insights into the diverse avenues of impact the MCR Pathways programme has on our mentoring community.

We are excited to announce the results of the 24/25 end-of-year survey. There was a significant increase in engagement this year, with a total of 1,186 mentors responding. This represents 31.6% of mentors across the three specified statuses, marking an increase of 270 responses compared to last winter’s survey, which saw 916 completions.

Commenting on the survey results, Jamie Clarke, Mentor & Young Person Engagement Officer, said: “We are delighted by the significant increase in responses to the end-of-year mentor survey, which is a testament to the vital role mentors play. We continue to listen and respond to our mentors, and are dedicated to acting on the feedback to ensure they have the resources needed to spark potential and awaken ambition in young people.”

Sparking potential in Young People

Mentors were asked to reflect on the last academic year and the changes observed in young people. The results showed strong progress in areas of development:

• 74% saw an improvement in their young person’s confidence and self-belief since they started meeting (a 9% increase since the Christmas survey)
• 73% noted that mentoring helped their mentee understand their individual talents & strengths (a 4% increase since the Christmas survey)

This growth is reflected in the powerful quote from one of our mentors: “I think his self-esteem has risen considerably, which in turn has given him more confidence for his future. He is going to college after summer and he said he wouldn’t have thought he would ever do that a few years ago.”

The Mentor and Young Person Relationship

Mentors were also asked to reflect on the nature of their relationships with their young people, highlighting the connection and trust achieved: 

• 78% selected the phrase: ‘We can talk about a variety of topics and hold a conversation’.
• 62% selected the phrase: ‘Over time, we have built up a lot of trust’.

“My mentee was quite withdrawn at first and didn’t engage that well, she wasn’t able to look me in the eye very much. She now seems much more at ease during our meetings and we can talk about anything. We also laugh quite a lot which is a massive sign of progress.”

The Impact of Mentoring on Mentors

We introduced new questions to gauge the personal impact of mentoring on our mentors, specifically concerning their wellbeing, personal fulfilment, sense of community, and professional lives. These questions were informed by research suggesting that volunteering can positively influence these areas.

The results underscore that mentoring significantly enhances a mentor’s sense of community and personal fulfilment:

• 92% found personal fulfilment in helping others through mentoring.
• 65% feel more connected and involved in their community since they started mentoring.

Mentoring also offers significant professional development, with the most frequently cited skills being:

• Active listening (78%)
• Greater understanding of the challenges young people face today (75%)

“Mentoring has positively impacted my communication skills with younger clients; I feel much more comfortable with conversations with young people and am actively encouraged to manage and oversee younger clients as I can build strong professional relationships with them.”

Thank You

We would like to thank all mentors who participated in the survey. The depth of insight into the mentor journey is crucial as we continue to enhance and refine the support we offer. We’d also like to thank all staff involved in the focus group and development of the survey. 

Next month, we will be publishing our latest Impact Report, which will go into more detail on the mutual impact MCR Pathways has on both mentors and young people. We hope you take the time to read it.

As you can see, mentoring has a great impact on mentors, so why not get involved? Mentoring requires just one hour of your week, and not only positively impacts the mentor, it sparks potential, enhances confidence, awakens ambition and much more for the young person.

Sign up today at mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor.