Family Day Out: The Strathclyde Zipslide
25 September 2026
Last month, nine brave supporters took on a brand-new adventure for MCR Pathways, heading to Strathclyde Country Park for our very first zipslide fundraising event!
A fearless and relentlessly passionate group of colleagues, family members, and trusted adult volunteer mentors stepped out of their comfort zones, soaring 1,000 feet above shimmering waters to raise over £1,100.
Every penny raised helps ensure that young people have a trusted adult in their corner, someone to build their confidence, expand their horizons and support them to realise their full potential.
To find out what it’s really like to take a 1,000-foot leap of faith, we caught up with Melodie Crumlin, Delivery Director at MCR Pathways, who smashed the challenge alongside her husband, Colin, and their 14-year-old daughter, Bethanie.
Motivations to take on the challenge
“We’re an outdoorsy family that’s always looking for fun challenges to tackle together. Plus, I’m a total adrenaline junkie, so you didn’t have to ask me twice! Most of all, we wanted to support young people and back a cause that means a lot to us!” Melodie said.
When describing how it felt moments before making the jump, Melodie shared: “A crazy mix of total excitement and focus! I took a big breath, looked out, and reminded myself why we were standing up there! Having my family right there made all the difference. We cheered each other on, cracked a few jokes on the platform to calm the butterflies, and just let the excitement take over.”
Soaring high over the loch
Once out over the water, the experience completely lived up to the hype for Melodie. “It was soooo good! Flying high over the water with those views was just magic. It was even better than I imagined. You get that heart in your mouth, weightless thrill right at the start, and then it turns into pure fun as you speed over the water…”
“Even as an adrenaline junkie, I was surprised by how peaceful it felt once I was actually flying over the water, it was the ultimate mix of total energy and pure excitement!”
Sharing the adventure with the family
“I was joined by my husband Colin and our 14yr old daughter Bethanie. As I said, as a family, we love outdoor adventures and helping young people. Colin was in kinship care as a teenager, so we both know firsthand just how important it is to have a trusted adult step into your life at the right time. We were also joined on the platform by fantastic MCR Pathways colleagues and mentors taking the leap, alongside an amazing cheer squad on the ground shouting us on, dogs an all!”
“I went first so for me it was seeing the massive grins on Colin and Bethanie’s faces when they went! Sharing that big moment as a family while raising money for MCR Pathways was easily the highlight.”
Changing young lives, one leap at a time
Reflecting on the achievement, Melodie shared she feels, “Super proud, full of energy, and ready for the next crazy challenge! It’s great looking back on a day where we pushed ourselves, had a proper laugh together, and helped make a real difference.”
“It feels amazing knowing personally what a difference having the right support makes, it’s super rewarding to help MCR Pathways match even more young people with awesome volunteer mentors.”
For anyone considering stepping up to fundraise for MCR Pathways, Melodie’s advice is ”Just go for it! That quick moment of wobbliness on the edge disappears the second you launch. The feeling of flying across the loch, and knowing you’re helping a young person get the support they deserve, is 100% worth it.”
Has Melodie, Colin and Bethanie’s leap of faith inspired you to take on a challenge to raise money for MCR Pathways?
There are so many ways to support MCR Pathways!
Head over to mcrpathways.org/support-us/fundraising to discover all of our upcoming fundraising events.
If you have a challenge idea of your own or want to find out more about how you can get involved, get in touch with our team at fundraising@mcrpathways.org
