MCR Pathways recently marked five years of partnering with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) supporting young people to find paths to brighter futures across Scotland.
Representatives from MCR Pathways and SFRS came together at the organisation’s impressive headquarters in Cambuslang to celebrate all that has been achieved in changing lives in communities across the country, through our award-winning mentoring programme.
They were joined by mentor/mentee pairs Craig Connelly and Ben, alongside Ryan Howie and Oliver on the day too to talk about the power of connection, reimagining what the future will look like, the unique experiences and qualities fire fighters bring to the role of mentors and much more.
The conversation proved immensely inspirational for all involved, and once concluded, it was time for a short photocall, followed by what we imagined would prove the conclusion to the visit. We were wrong – Both Craig and Ryan had planned a special tour of the immensely impressive training facilities.
The visiting party ventured into the fire simulation house, witnessing, firsthand, flames crawling up the walls and along the ceiling – a truly unforgettable experience for all involved. That was followed by a look at a simulated motorway, railway, oil refinery and residential street. The tour was supported with detailed descriptions of the demanding training provided to equip firefighters with the ability to manage any challenging situation in order to save lives.
For both Oliver and Ben, the experience served to enhance connection and appreciation further for the hugely valued and diverse role their mentors, Craig and Ryan, play as Fire Fighters.
Oliver reflects: “It’s been really good. Days like this show young people what it’s like to be a fire fighter and what they go through – all the effort and how much it really takes to do the job. They’re really well-trained. It’s incredible. I liked when we actually got to see how they are trained to deal with fire in houses and when cars are stacked up and things. It’s been really good.”
Ben stated: “It was really good – it was real fun. It definitely wasn’t what I expected. Don’t know what I was expecting but it was good. I think it proves being a fire fighter’s not just about fires and more about helping people in lots of other ways too and you do without ego if you know what I mean. I didn’t realise how hard the job actually was until we spoke about it recently and today.”
SFRS became the first of the emergency ‘blue light’ services to step up to partner with MCR Pathways; an organisation which embeds strong teamworking and mentoring at its core, committed to serving communities across Scotland through fire fighting, prevention and charitable activities.
As a corporate parent under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, In partnering with MCR PAthways, SFRS demonstrated a deep commitment to The Promise which aims to ensure young people from care-experienced backgrounds grow up loved, safe and respected so they can realise their full potential.
122 SFRS staff have volunteered as mentors, giving over 2,963 hours of their time across Scotland in the past five years. In making that commitment of an hour a week, they have helped 140 young people, from care-experienced backgrounds and wider challenging circumstances, to believe in themselves, navigate unique challenges, and reimagine what their future will look like.
Andrew Watt – Deputy Chief Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are immensely proud of our partnership with MCR Pathways. Recognising the value of positive role models within society, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has a leading role to play. Fire stations are at the heart of communities across Scotland. That positioning is crucial, as a trusted partner, to make a positive impact for young people pursuing brighter futures through the power of mentoring.
“Many unique experiences gained by our staff, demonstrating our values, adapting a community-focused approach help many members of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to fulfil the role of mentors supporting young people to see their potential, believe in themselves and much more with MCR Pathways. The experience also helps our team to grow both as individuals and professionals, enhances our learning and our ability to do more in the future.
“I warmly encourage further members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to get involved as a mentor with MCR Pathways as part of our continued investment in young people and doing all that we can to help them get the best possible start towards brighter futures.”
Every young person deserves someone in their corner. Because when someone shows up, believes in you, and never gives up, everything can change.
Partnerships are critical to making that vision a reality for every young person that needs a trusted adult to help them believe in themselves, spark potential, awaken ambition plus much more.When organisations like SFRS also see the vital spark of potential in young people and bring a relentless passion for change something incredible happens. A surge of unrelenting energy, a special voltage, that drives real, lasting change for young people, local communities and wider society.
Ryan Howie has mentored Oliver for the past year, who states: “I first noticed MCR Pathways on the iHub and had a read through the website and found some of the stories were very interesting. From career/education advice to just having someone to talk to, it felt like the perfect fit for me to try and get involved. Personally, I feel there’s a lot of pressure on young people to have their career and life mapped at such a young age and end up starting a career they don’t necessarily enjoy. I felt that by being able to give a small amount of time every week to help support a young person’s confidence and future opportunities would be time well spent.
“I’ve certainly noticed a boost in Oliver’s confidence, particularly in our meetings. At the beginning, it would be myself steering a lot of the conversation and prompting the chat. However, now it’s much more balanced and I feel this is down to our meetings every week and the mentorship growing.”
Reflecting on his mentoring experience, Oliver says: “The word mentoring feels like a safe word. Like during a time of struggle you can rely on a mentor. It’s difficult to describe but the word seems really safe and welcoming. Getting to know and speak to a mentor is a really good experience. It’s sometimes better to speak to someone outside of your friends and family – you can open up more than you would with someone you know.
“We started talking and learned we both liked football and most sports. Also things like UNO and playing other games help us to connect more. We’re really into our golf, football and rugby, so sports have been a good way to connect and bond. I would say I’ve definitely become more confident. You can feel less anxious about saying stuff to your mentor which helps get things off your chest. That can feel like a massive relief and helps in feeling better about yourself.
“It’s great to know you have that time every week to speak about anything you want without any judgement or weird looks.”
Craig Connelly, said: “I was an instructor on the Fire Skills course, where we take 13-15 year olds and teach them about teamwork, communication and problem solving by utilising fire service skills. I found the experience amazing to see young people unlock the potential they never knew they had. So, when the opportunity came up to mentor with MCR Pathways, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to help another young person unlock their full potential.
“I found the best way to build a connection is just to be true to your word. If I said I would be there next week then I would be. If I were told about an event happening in the young person’s life I would be sure to ask about it in our next meeting. I have never told Ben what is right or wrong. We discuss the pros and cons of a lot of subjects and in the end Ben will make his own decisions. The connection, trust and friendship then grew naturally.”
The power of connection has proved hugely impactful for Ben, Craig’s mentee, who states: “Mentoring is one of the best things of helping to get through the senior phase of school. It’s great knowing you have someone there once a week that you can just talk to. We made a connection through just getting to know each other, telling each other things, and being honest. It’s a lot to do with sports, being active and things like that.
“Being a teenager means you have lots of ideas and schools tend to rush you into something to go into. Mentoring has helped me figure out what I want to do after school. I’d say mentoring is amazing. It’s great to know you have a trustworthy adult that you can tell them everything and they’ll have your back.”
Sharon MacIntyre Chief Executive at MCR Pathways, said: “Incredible Mentors like Craig and Ryan who come forward to dedicate an hour a week, despite their demanding commitments as Fire Fighters, are crucial in achieving our vision of ensuring every young person, who needs us, has someone to help find a path to brighter futures.
“That power of having one trusted adult unconditionally in your corner, who consistently turns up for their young person,, no matter what, can be truly transformational and life-changing – as we have heard from Ben and Oliver today. We are truly grateful for all that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are doing in supporting young people through MCR Pathways and in championing the power of mentoring and encouraging more staff to come forward in becoming mentors.”
For further information about becoming a mentor – https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor/
If you’d like to become a partner, like Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, please contact – partnerships@mcrpathways.org
