Challenge Poverty Week: Pathways Beyond Poverty
5 October 2026
This week is Challenge Poverty Week. Launched by the Poverty Alliance in 2013, the initiative brings organisations across Scotland together to call for a more equal society where every young person can thrive.
With around 1 in 5 young people in Scotland navigating financial barriers and facing distinct socioeconomic challenges, this week is an opportunity to raise our voices together and unite with hundreds of organisations across Scotland in demanding a more just and equal future for young people.
At MCR Pathways, we know that financial barriers are one of the most pressing challenges facing many communities where our award-winning programme runs. Too many young people grow up navigating personal and structural barriers that can stand in the way of realising their full potential.
Through the power of mentoring, amplifying the voice of young people within our policy work, and delivering aspirational opportunities with partners, we are bold and relentless in ensuring pathways to sustainable positive futures are clearly visible to all.
The Policy Context: Child Poverty as Scotland’s Top Priority
Tackling child poverty is not just one of many Scottish Government policy interests—it is explicitly identified in the Scottish Government’s 2026–27 Budget as its single top central priority, alongside economic growth, tackling the climate emergency, and improving public services.
This priority is anchored across three critical dimensions:
- A Legal Commitment: The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 sets statutory targets for 2030–31, including reducing relative child poverty to below 10%.
- A Dedicated Delivery Plan: Bringing Hope, Building Futures sets out the Scottish Government’s approach for 2026–2031.
- Targeted Investment & Interventions: Direct structural and income-based measures including the Scottish Child Payment, employment support for parents, expanded childcare, housing, transport, and wider family support.
Priority vs. Progress: Why Mentoring is Essential
Crucially, there is a distinct difference between making child poverty a government priority and achieving statutory targets. In its scrutiny of the legislation, the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee concluded that measures taken had not generated sufficient action to meet targets. The Scottish Government itself acknowledged that Scotland was not on track to meet all four 2030 statutory targets.
While MCR Pathways does not position mentoring as a direct financial solution to poverty, trusted adult relationships play an essential role in complementing cash transfers and income-based interventions. Mentoring addresses non-financial, relational, and emotional barriers, enabling young people to build confidence, realise their talents, and convert opportunities into long-term success.
The Role of Mentoring in Helping Break Cycles of Poverty
Trusted adult volunteer mentors serve as a vital, system-wide mechanism for the Scottish Government, local and combined authorities, schools, and community services supporting young people.
Establishing a trusted adult guarantee offers public services and partners a proven delivery mechanism to help achieve existing government ambitions without requiring entirely new services or competing policy priorities.
Volunteer mentors support young people across key strategic pillars:
- Prevention: Building confidence, resilience, and high aspirations early on helps young people navigate personal and structural barriers associated with poverty.
- Education & Opportunity: Mentors help bridge gaps in opportunity, supporting educational achievement and ensuring personal circumstances are never a barrier to success.
- Transitions & Long-Term Earning Potential: MCR Pathways’ expansion into further education and community settings creates vital continuity of support as young people move towards employment, training, and higher-earning positive destinations.
Many mentors bring a wealth of experience from their own careers. By sharing their journeys, challenges, and achievements, they spark academic and career aspirations; demonstrating boldly what is possible when you believe in yourself and can see an exciting path ahead.
Impact & Social Value
Our impact evidence demonstrates clear social value: mentored young people achieve higher educational outcomes, progress to positive post-school destinations at significantly higher rates, and build stronger long-term earning potential. Recent findings from an Ipsos report underline the benefits for young people:
-
School Attendance: MCR Pathways shows a statistically significant positive effect on S5 school attendance, with Care Experienced pupils attending school an estimated 28,850 additional days in S5 between 2014/15 and 2021/22.
-
School Exclusions: MCR Pathways led to a 7 to 9 percentage point reduction in care-experienced pupils ever being excluded from school, equating to around one-third of the total gap between care-experienced and non-care-experienced pupils.
-
Post-School Destinations: At 9 months post-school, there was a 5 to 7 percentage point increase in all positive destinations.
The £1 million further investment from the Scottish Government reflects clear belief and commitment in mentoring as a key mechanism to help eradicate child poverty.
Amplifying the Voice of Young People in Future Policy
Tackling poverty is not only about creating opportunities today; it is also about listening to young people’s lived experiences and ensuring their voices actively shape the policies that affect their futures.
MCR Pathways was proud to be one of only three partners directly involved in developing and delivering the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan (Bringing Hope, Building Futures). Building on this work, we are actively participating in developing the latest Tackling Child Poverty Report to ensure young people shape policy directly.
As a ‘Lived Experience Partner’, we empowered young people to co-design policy and actively participate in roundtable discussions alongside their volunteer mentors and partners.
"For me, removing the stigma associated with financial hardship would mean people feel more comfortable claiming what they're entitled to, talking openly, and asking for support when they need it."
— Susanne Richards, MCR Pathways Board Member & Co-Chair of the Young National Advisory Board (YNAB)
Challenge Poverty Week is a powerful reminder that tackling poverty and inequality requires a collective effort. By combining statutory public investment with trusted adult relationships, we can help ensure that where a young person starts in life does not determine where they can go.
Take Action: Help Ensure Everyone Has Someone
Become a Volunteer Mentor
Addressing structural inequality cannot be achieved by government policy alone; it requires a collective, community-wide effort. By giving just one hour a week, you can become a trusted adult volunteer mentor who helps a young person navigate challenges, unlock potential, and discover a brighter future.
Become a Partner
Work with us to make a lasting difference for young people in your local community. Whether by giving your workforce the flexibility to become volunteer mentors or by creating and delivering aspirational opportunities, your organisation can help open doors, broaden horizons, and support young people to see what’s possible for their future.
Support Our Policy Work
MSPs, MPs, local councils, and combined authorities have a vital role to play in creating the conditions where every young person can thrive. Work with us to ensure young people’s voices and lived experiences are heard in decision-making, strengthen community support, and help embed a trusted adult guarantee across Scotland.
