MCR Pathways Shortlisted Charity Awards 2019, the most prestigious award in Charity Sector

Big news! We are delighted and honoured to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for this year’s Charity Awards in the Education and Training Category. The Charity Awards is the most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector.

The ten winners will be announced at a black-tie dinner on 5 June, held in the grounds of the Tower of London. The event is the charity world’s longest-running, biggest and best-known awards ceremony. The evening will be hosted by the Rev Richard Coles, who will be joined on the night by a host of celebrities, representatives of the shortlisted charities, as well as leaders from Britain’s best known and best loved charities.

All 28 shortlisted charities this year have been judged by an independent panel of sector leaders as having demonstrated best practice in leadership and management, from which other organisations can learn.

We began in one Glasgow secondary school in 2007 with a clear vision: that every care-experienced and disadvantaged young person in Scotland gets the same education outcomes, career opportunities and life chances as every other young person. 

This wasn’t an easy goal, but we’ve never wavered. Scotland’s care-experienced young people inspire us everyday – with their bravery, openness, and strength. We knew that they were always as talented as their peers, what they struggled with was their circumstances. By matching young people with their very own mentor, there just for them, they blossom. 

Over the past 12 years, we’ve had the honour to reach thousands of young people across the country. Now working in schools in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, North Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and South Lanarkshire, mentoring is transforming outcomes for care-experienced young people across the nation. 

MCR Founder Iain MacRitchie shared:

“We are honoured to have our mentoring programme recognised and shortlisted by the Charity Awards, the charity world’s most prestigious award. From one Glasgow school to now supporting more than 2000 young people across the country, our goal has always remained the same: making sure all young people are defined by their talents, not their circumstances.

Every young person is enormously talented, but a difficult home life holds so many back from achieving their potential. But when young people are matched with a mentor, who volunteers simply because they care, the results are transformational.

It’s this partnership that makes the difference, that empowers our young people to achieve, attain and progress to a positive destination. Thank you to all our mentors for making a difference in their young person and community. Thank you to the Charity Awards for helping us spread our message and reach every young person in the country and beyond who needs a mentor.”

Matthew Nolan, chief executive of Civil Society Media, which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated MCR Pathways on making the highly-coveted shortlist. He said:

“Once again we received a record number of entries to the Charity Awards, and the breadth and quality of the work being done by charities across the sector continues to astonish. MCR Pathways should be very proud to have made the shortlist.

“For 20 years the Charity Awards have been identifying and celebrating the fantastic work that UK charities do. Our rigorous judging process highlights those charities with the most innovative ideas and the most effective approaches to delivering real change.

“All the nominees on this year’s shortlist are examples of large and small charities who are truly leaders in their field. I wish MCR Pathways the very best of luck on the night.”

Andy Pitt, head of charities – London at Rathbones, overall partner of the Charity Awards, said:

“The Charity Awards celebrate leadership, good governance, innovation and excellence. As investment managers we do everything we can to support the work that the sector does and promoting best practice is an important part of our relationship with charities.”

Share This Post