MCR Pathways’ award-winning, relationship-based mentoring service is expanding to three further Falkirk Secondary Schools to help greater numbers of young people to find their path to realising their potential.
Come August, young people attending Denny High School, Bo’ness Academy and Grangemouth High School will have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing, transformative programme which sees young people from care-experienced and wider challenging circumstances, supported by volunteer mentors from their local community.
Already supporting over 100 young people in Falkirk, the effectiveness of the MCR Pathways programme continues to increase since its formation in 2007, evidenced by the charity’s latest impact report.
- 82% of care experienced young people on the MCR Pathways programme progress to college, university or employment after school, compared with the care experienced national average of 69.1%
- 86.6% of MCR Pathways young people achieve at least 5 qualifications at National 4 level, compared to the care experienced national average of 61.2%
- Additionally, 41.3% of MCR Pathways young people achieved at least 1 Higher qualification before leaving school, compared to the national average of 29.2%.
The MCR Pathways programme is designed to identify young people who are most at risk of disengaging with education, due to facing external barriers which may impact their ability to attend school or engage with lessons. As a result, our young people face a number of difficulties which could affect their education, social skills and self belief.
In addition to producing remarkable results relating to educational attainment, the transformative power of mentoring has also been found to have profound effects on young people’s confidence, future planning, mental health and wellbeing, and much more.
When asked about the impact mentoring has made, young people said in our end of year survey:
- 83% of mentored young people stated that having a mentor has improved their confidence
- 83% of our young people said that mentoring has helped them to identify their skills and strengths
- 86% said that mentoring has helped them to identify their goals, both long-term and short-term
- 85% said that mentoring has helped them to believe in themselves more.
Murray Watson, Acting Quality Improvement Officer at Falkirk Council, said: “Falkirk Council is delighted to be re-establishing our work with MCR Pathways for session 2025/26. The new programme offers significant flexibility for secondary schools and will allow our young people to access vital mentor support with a view to achieving their academic potential and progression into positive destinations. By building their confidence, resilience and skillset, the MCR Pathways programme will contribute positively to the future opportunities of young people in Falkirk. The programme has previously had a profound impact on young people across Falkirk, and we are excited to see the positive outcomes achieved by those involved in the programme during the new academic year.”
Lauren Picken, Programme Manager for Falkirk, said: “Thanks to our strong partnership with Falkirk Local Authority, we’re thrilled to be expanding our programme! We’re eager to witness the positive impact this expansion will bring, building on the continued success of our programmes at Falkirk High School and Graeme High School. This growth is a testament to our dedicated team, including our school-based coordinators, amazing mentors, partnerships team, and mentor services, all of whom are indispensable.”
MCR Pathways are looking for adults, from all walks of life, and experiences, to become volunteer mentors to support the programme’s growth across Falkirk and beyond. If you would like to mentor at a high school near you, sign up at https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor.
Alternatively, MCR Pathways are also looking for businesses and workplaces local to the Falkirk area to host Talent Taster sessions for our young people. If you are interested in hosting or finding out more, please contact Lauren Picken, Programme Manager for Falkirk at lauren.picken@mcrpathways.org.
