Our latest mentor survey feedback is available now
30 January 2026
We’re proud to share findings from our latest mentor survey. And the message is clear: mentoring is changing lives, on both sides of the trusted adult relationship.
Over 1,101 incredible mentors took the time to share their experiences, offering powerful insight into what mentoring looks like in schools and community settings across the UK. Their voices are central to how we continue to grow, learn and improve the support we offer.
Positive changes is everything
- 70% have seen improvements in confidence and self esteem.
- 70% highlighted the importance mentoring plays in helping young people to believe in their individual talents and strengths.
Connection is a non-negotiable in trusted adult relationships. Having the ability to respond and discuss what’s important in a young person’s life is crucial.
- 78% said they could talk about a variety of topics and hold many different conversations through mentoring.
- Many also highlighted the importance of humour as a further important piece in the jigsaw to building trust and rapport.
Positive change can be measured in so many ways – from helping to reimagine what the future will look like, improving attendance to staying on at school to achieve qualifications.
One mentor was delighted to say her young person improved school attendance from 35%-80%. Others spoke about the deeper transformation they witnessed:
“Seeing words and ideas change into actions and the belief in themselves develop.”
“Seeing my mentee growing in confidence and self belief. At the age of 77 years I still feel valued.”
Please note: Stock imagery was used to protect anonymity.
Transformation flows both ways.
Many observed positive changes within themselves too. All of which contributes to improved wellbeing, purpose and career boosting skills.
- 91% of mentors have found a huge sense of fulfilment in helping young people to ignite the vital spark of potential in a young person.
- 89% said mentoring helped improve active listening skills.
- 73% felt it had improved their understanding of the challenges young people face today.
A respondent said: “It has helped me to understand how overwhelming schools can still be for young people and sometimes it takes one adult to listen for them to be able to slow down. I have noticed an increase in my communication skills and building on some skills that have lessened since being out of employment such as problem solving, public speaking, engaging and empowering others
“It has given me more experience working in a 1:1 support setting, and communicating and relating to young people. I work in university student support, so this experience is helpful.”
Please note: Stock imagery was used to protect anonymity.
Mentor spotlight
It (mentoring) has hugely improved my ability to communicate with young people. I understand the issues they face better and have a better understanding of their sub-culture and interests.
“I am a police officer. The benefits (of mentoring) are huge. I live in a small town and it has helped me understand my community better.
“There is only one high school, and a lot of the people who see me when I’m mentoring know what I do. Seeing me do something positive for the community has strengthened some of my relationships in the town. I have already had 2 interactions in my job with young people that I put down to being known by young people in the area and somewhat trusted.
“It has hugely improved my ability to communicate with young people. I understand the issues they face better and have a better understanding of their sub-culture and interests.
“It has slightly made night shifts harder. I believe that consistency and reliability is key with young people, so I will make sure I’m there every week unless unavoidable, so I sometimes will be very tired on certain shifts due to having been awake for longer than normal.
“I also have noticed a slight change in my relationship with the “young team”, because they see me as a bit more approachable. This can be positive sometimes, but also can make certain situations harder. It’s a small price to pay though, and I think the benefits far outweigh the costs.”
Please note: Stock imagery was used to protect anonymity.
Listening to our mentors is essential
Listening to the voice of our mentors is central. It’s how we enhance wider training and support to meet the needs of young people across the United Kingdom.
- Development sessions: We have increased mentor training topics and will continue to do so based on feedback received.
- Direct support: We will look into how we can support schools that have staffing issues to ensure mentors are supported to overcome challenges.
- Digital support: We are currently working on implementing a chatbot feature to further support mentors on the Mentor Hub.
- Coffee Conversations: We will continue to ensure we can offer coffee conversations and making these events as flexible as possible for our mentors.
If you’d like to find out more about becoming a mentor, please visit – https://mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor/
If you’re already a member and would like to speak to our team, please contact – ms@mcrpathways.org
