PRESS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday 01 April
Helping to ensure young people who have had the most unfair start in life have someone to help them find their path, through the power of mentorship.
The funds raised are supporting the charity, MCR Pathways, to expand mentoring services in Culloden, Golspie and Nairn High Schools to support pupils from care-experienced and further challenging backgrounds.
Requiring no prior experience of mentoring, the charity supports adult volunteers, from all walks of life, to dedicate an hour a week in supporting pupils to build confidence, instil belief, awaken ambition and expand their future horizons.
Research shows that care-experienced young people who do not receive MCR Pathways mentorship are 23% less likely to progress to college, university, or employment compared to those who do.
Caroline Purves, Head of Fundraising and Communications, visited members of the Lodge recently to receive the cheque on behalf of the charity, who said:
“Our expansion in the highlands is crucial to our mission of ensuring no young person is left behind, regardless of their geographic location.
“We are sincerely grateful to Lodge Drummossie for their generous donation which means more young people in this region will have a mentor who believes in them, encourages them, helps them navigate their future, and builds an inner confidence that gives them hope and optimism.”
Serving as both Master of the Lodge, and MCR Pathways Mentor, the decision to nominate the charity proved very close to Kenny Fowler’s heart, who said:
“Mentoring is enjoyable and fulfilling. It is also a way of giving something back to the community. If spending an hour once a week can help a young person navigate through adolescence, then it is worth it. As a Freemason, charity and community is at the core of what we do. If this donation can help the charity in the local community, then it is worth it.”
The decision, as Kenny continues, was grounded in a deeper family pride and association with the charity’s work across the Highlands:
“My son is a Pathway Coordinator (for MCR Pathways) and to see the work that he does for the benefit of the young people makes me extremely proud of him. My role as a mentor is but a small part of that, but if the fund helps support that then it is worthwhile. I think that keeping the funds in the Highlands is important as you then know that it is benefiting young people in your local area.”
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Editors Notes:
For further information regarding MCR Pathways, please contact Gary Seath, Strategic Communications Lead – gary.seath@mcrpathways.org.
Further information concerning the charitable work of the The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland –
https://www.grandlodgescotland.com/charity-and-community-work
About MCR Pathways:
When you’ve had the most unfair start in life, you can lose your way for the rest of your life. You need someone to help you find your path. MCR Pathways is committed to ensuring everyone has someone to help them find their way.
Through no fault of their own, care-experienced and young people facing challenges are affected by a significant gap in outcomes compared to their peers. They aren’t reaching their potential—but mentoring can change that.
The charity partners with schools, local authorities and businesses to train mentors from all walks of life to provide guidance, hope, and encouragement in building confidence, overcoming challenges, awakening ambition and much more.
Mentors provide simply one hour a week to mentoring a young person at a local school; a commitment that can achieve a truly immeasurable impact that lasts a lifetime, putting young people on a path of fulfillment, promise and hope.
