“Sometimes the most important thing you can do is simply be there.”

At 55, Howard Smith has built a successful career as a Project Manager with Nexus, raised two children with his wife Joanna, and gained a lifetime of experiences to share.

But when he thinks back to being the age of the young people he mentors today, he remembers something different.

“I remember being the age these young people are now and feeling a little bit lost,” says Howard. “I didn’t really have someone to turn to who wasn’t a teacher or a family member.”

That experience stayed with him and became the motivation behind becoming an MCR Pathways volunteer mentor at Walker Riverside Academy in Newcastle.

“I just thought that would be really rewarding for both myself and the mentee.”

Building trust, one conversation at a time

For Howard, mentoring is not about having all the answers. It is about being a consistent, trusted adult who is there every week.

“Mentoring to me is being available to the mentee. Having somebody to speak to on a regular basis. Somebody to ask questions of, somebody to tell about your week, tell about how things are going on in your life.”

When Howard first met his mentee, Lacey, he quickly saw the foundations of a positive relationship beginning to form.

“When we first met, Lacey was quite open. We got on quite well from the beginning. She was willing to talk about things, which made it easier to start building that relationship.”

Over time, their conversations have been shaped by shared interests and experiences.

Lacey is interested in joining the Army, and Howard’s own military background has given them a natural connection point.

“Lacey is very interested in joining the Army when she gets older, and I have quite a vast military experience from my time in the Army. We can tend to talk about those things in our sessions together.”

They have also discovered another shared passion, motorcycles, which has helped create opportunities for conversations that feel natural and meaningful.

Watch Howard’s video below

More than just a weekly meeting

Their mentoring sessions include activities like Connect 4, creating a mosaic together over time and tie-dyeing tote bags. But for Howard, the activity itself is never the main purpose.

“The activity doesn’t take over the conversation. We make sure that we have conversations all the time as well.”

Those regular conversations are where trust grows. Week after week, Howard is there to listen, encourage and help Lacey think about her future.

Helping young people see what’s possible

Howard hopes that his support helps Lacey approach the transition from school into adulthood with confidence.

“My hopes for Lacey’s future are mostly that she enters the transition from school years as smoothly as possible, whether that’s through the Army or whatever she decides to do.”

Having someone who remembers what it felt like to be uncertain at that stage of life is something Howard believes can make a real difference.

“I always felt I was a little bit lost at this point in my life when I was younger. Hopefully, she’ll have something to aim for and that transition into adulthood and employment is as smooth as possible.”

The power of consistency

Howard’s advice to young people is simple: set goals, keep going and stay consistent.

“Whatever goals you set, they need to be achievable. Whatever you try to achieve, you must be constant. You must constantly attend, constantly pay attention and constantly work.”

And he believes the same is true for mentors.

“Be constant. Make sure you turn up at the mentor sessions. You’re not going to fix everything in the first week, or even over the whole term of the mentorship. But just be consistent and do everything you can each time you go.”

For Howard, success is knowing that when his mentoring journey with Lacey eventually comes to an end, she is ready for whatever comes next.

“The one thing I want to get over is knowing that Lacey’s been put in as good a position as I can, with the help of her tutors and her family, to move onto the next step in her life.”

Could you be the trusted adult who makes a difference?

Across Newcastle, MCR Pathways urgently needs more adults from all walks of life to step forward and become volunteer mentors.

You don’t need special qualifications or previous mentoring experience. You just need to be willing to listen, share your experiences and give a young person one hour a week of your time.

As Howard says:

“Become a mentor, or support mentors if you’re a business owner. It can only be a good thing.

“You’ll get the opportunity to make a little bit of a difference to somebody coming up in the future. It also gives society as a whole the opportunity to develop young people in a better way than if they didn’t have mentoring.”

Could you be that person for a young person in your community?

We have an urgent need for adults from all walks of life to step forward to become volunteer mentors.

You already have it in you to make a difference and you don’t need to have all the answers. We provide training and ongoing support.

Find out more about becoming a volunteer mentor: mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor