MCR Pathways Welcomes New Child Poverty Plan and Investment of Further £1 Million
12 March 2026
MCR Pathways warmly welcomes the investment of a further £1 million from the Scottish Government in announcing the launch of the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-31: Bringing Hope, Brighter Futures.
In introducing the new plan in Holyrood today (12 March 2026), Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities of Scotland, said: “We will invest a further million pounds to expand the successful MCR Pathways school-based mentoring programme so up to 5,500 care experienced and disadvantaged young people can benefit across Scotland.”
Sharon McIntrye, MCR Pathways Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome the announcement of a further £1 million investment in our award-winning, relationship-based mentoring programme. This commitment reflects the shared ambition set out in Scotland’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026–31: Bringing Hope, Brighter Futures, ensuring that every young person has the support, opportunity and confidence to achieve their potential.
For many young people, particularly those facing the barriers that poverty can create, having a consistent and trusted adult in their corner can be transformational. Through mentoring, young people build belief in themselves, recognise their unique talents, and begin to see new possibilities for their futures.
Every mentoring relationship is unique and shaped around the individual needs, strengths and aspirations of the young person. By connecting volunteer mentors with young people across Scotland, we are helping them develop ambition, resilience and pathways into education, employment and fulfilling careers.
This investment will allow us to continue expanding this vital support, ensuring more young people can benefit from trusted relationships that bring hope, raise aspirations and help create brighter futures.”
Shaping the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan
MCR Pathways was asked to be one of only three partners directly involved in the development of the latest Tackling Child Poverty Plan announced during the First Minister’s speech.
As a ‘Lived Experience Partner’, we empowered young people, engaged in MCR Pathways’ programme, to co-design and participate in a series of roundtable discussions alongside their mentors and partners. This approach led to a significant commitment in the final plan.
Having lived experience at the heart of policymaking is essential for MCR Pathways. We are passionately proactive in encouraging all spheres of government to listen to the voice of young people. Meaningful consultation is crucial in creating solutions that fully understand and meaningfully tackle the challenges young people face to finding brighter futures.
This engagement work was used in part to publish our first-ever Manifesto last month which asks the next Scottish Government to commit to a Trusted Adult Guarantee to any young person in Scotland who needs one. A Trusted Adult Guarantee could play a crucial role in supporting the Scottish Government on its mission to lower child poverty to less than 10% of the population by 2030, with the goal of eradicating poverty in the longer-term.
We are delighted to note that a quote from MCR Pathways Board Member and co-chair of our Young National Advisory Board (YNAB), Susanne Richards, is included in the plan surrounding the government’s role in addressing poverty related stigma that so many young people face.
“For me [eliminating] the stigma associated with poverty… would then mean more people are more happy to claim what they’re entitled to and more likely to talk about poverty and ask for help when they need it.”
Susanne Richards, Scottish Government's Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-31: Bringing Hope, Building Futures
Our full analysis of the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026-31: Bringing Hope, Building Futures will be available next week.
For further information about our influencing and policy work, please visit: https://mcrpathways.org/policy-and-influencing/
