England Regional Summit: Five Years of Growth
On 29th October, MCR Pathways hosted its first-ever England Regional Summit at North Herts College. Bringing together 60 attendees—including colleagues, volunteer mentors, young people, and partners—the day was a success and a perfect opportunity to celebrate a major milestone: five years of transformational impact across England.
Driven by our Collaborative Power pillar from the Bridge the Gap: MCR Pathways Strategic Plan 2025–2028, the day was all about bringing our network together to share experiences, strengthen foundations, and look ahead to the future.
Five Years of Growth
The day opened with an introduction from Kerry Fellowes, Head of Operations in England, and Kit Davies, North Hertfordshire College’s Principal and CEO. Kerry touched on the growth over the last five years since the programme launched in Hertfordshire in 2021.
“For me, what stands out is the human-to-human contact, the trusted adult working with a young person, in a safe and non-judgemental way that helps lift the lid on their aspirations, keeps them on track, and really opens the doors to a brighter future.”
What started as a pilot has grown into a network supporting over 1,600 young people across seven local authorities, from the South to our recently launched expansion in North East England:
2021 to 2023 – The Foundation Phase: We launched our core mentoring programme across six local schools with a handful of volunteer mentors, focusing on quality, safety, and trust before expanding further into Hertfordshire and Surrey.
2024 – Community Expansion: Recognising that many young people navigate unique barriers within traditional classroom settings, we expanded our community provision to support Care Experienced young people as they explore post-school education, training, and employment opportunities.
2024 to 2025 – Partnering with Alternative Provision (AP): In response to systemic challenges around engagement and school attendance, we built partnerships in Surrey to deliver wrap-around support for young people returning to school following short stays in Alternative Provision settings.
2025 – Regional Expansion and Strategy: Moving beyond our initial South East footprint, we expanded our reach to the North East and launched our Bridge the Gap strategy to ensure seamless, unified support wherever young people need us.
Over the last five years, we have supported more than 1,600 young people through group work and one-to-one mentoring across England, while training over 2,000 trusted adult volunteer mentors equipped with trauma-informed practice, active listening techniques, and safeguarding expertise.
Lived Experience and Keynote Speakers: Smash Life
We heard an incredibly moving keynote from brothers Andy and Matt Smith from Smash Life. Drawing on their Care Experience, they shared insights into the realities faced by Care Experienced young people and the life-changing difference a trusted adult volunteer mentor makes. Speaking directly to the volunteer mentors across the room, they noted: “We needed somebody like you when we were growing up.”
They spoke about their Care Experienced journey, how it has impacted their adult lives, and how they hope to support young people through the work they do at Smash Life.
"Children may not remember every conversation you have with them, however, the way we consistently make them feel, can shape how they see themselves, other people in the future."
Workshops and Panel Insights
Following the keynote speakers, attendees participated in an afternoon of workshops. Sessions covered everything from a 10-minute check-in focusing on how to build trust fast, start conversations, listen well, and set safe boundaries.
There was also a session on supporting successful transitions to college and alternative apprenticeships from North Herts College, alongside a talk from the University of Hertfordshire Widening Access team on navigating university transitions, housing, bursaries, and standout personal statements
“It's unconditional support, someone who's going to show up no matter if you've had a good day or a bad day... somebody who's going to show up and not judge you for what you've done, who's always going to listen.”
“Sometimes the greatest impact I had wasn't with what I said. It was with just staying silent and maintaining eye contact and just hearing what my mentee was saying... because sometimes there was a secondary meaning behind what he was saying.”
The Power of a Trusted Adult
In her closing speech, Melodie (Delivery Director) brought the day’s discussions back to the core mission of MCR Pathways, focusing heavily on the Trusted Adult Guarantee. She emphasised that mentoring is not just a "nice-to-have" but rather an essential piece of social infrastructure of equal importance to the healthcare and education systems.
Melodie highlighted why consistent, relationship-based support is so vital, noting that 1 in 5 young people lack a trusted adult outside their home. She praised the dedication of the volunteer mentors across Scotland and England who give up their time each week to show up for young people, standing proudly in their corner.
The event concluded with networking over lunch, where attendees celebrated five years of impact across England.
Become a volunteer mentor
Stand in the corner of a local young person by becoming a volunteer mentor in your community. All it takes is one hour a week, consistency, listening and encouragement.
Partner with MCR Pathways
From businesses, local authorities and charities to community spaces and schools, you have a role to play in realising our vision of ensuring every young person has someone to help them find their path.
