Two Years of Impact: A Growing Movement for Change
10 April 2026
Two years ago, MCR Pathways welcomed Sharon McIntyre as Chief Executive Officer.
This was more than a leadership transition, it marked a step-change in our ambition. Her vision of services being able to meet the young person where they are and led by the young person through their education and beyond, propelled the introduction of a new approach to ‘pathways’ for MCR Pathways – one that is built on the principle that all Care Experienced young people are entitled to the transformational power of mentoring, no matter where they live or what setting they are in (school, community, college, etc).
A Trusted Adult Guarantee.
This vision has grown into a movement for change through our new ‘Bridge the Gap’ Strategy. Our Trusted Adult Guarantee is the movement for change with partners across all sectors. It is a multi-agency commitment to a consistent, dedicated Trusted Adult Volunteer Mentor who stands in a young person’s corner, encouraging, supporting and truly seeing the young person as they are and how they want to be seen.
Growing Our Impact
In the past two years, we created even more opportunities for more than 2,500 people to step forward to become volunteer mentors across the UK.
Our relationship-based mentoring offer has expanded significantly over the past two years with partners:
- Into 85 new schools across the UK.
- Across 11 additional local authorities.
- New pilot projects launched in communities and further education settings.
- New mentoring expansion investment in partnership with Scottish Government
This growth means more young people than ever before have access to a Trusted Adult Volunteer Mentor who believes in them and their future. For young people like Nathan, that support can be life-changing.
Empowering Young People Beyond Mentoring
Young people are not only at the heart of our mission, they are shaping it.
Through continued investment in our Youth National Advisory Board (YNAB) and the development of a dedicated Policy and Public Affairs function, we have strengthened engagement with decision-makers at both Holyrood and Westminster.
Young people are now actively influencing our strategic direction, bringing their ideas, energy, and lived experience to drive meaningful change. Mia, a member of YNAB, played a key role in developing our first-ever manifesto.
At our first-ever Summit, young people took to the stage to share their stories, participate in workshops and much more with confidence and conviction, inspiring partners from across the UK to join our mission and help make the Trusted Adult Guarantee a reality.
Beyond advocacy, young people are contributing across our organisation, supporting teams, building skills, and gaining valuable experience for the future.
Mia, who recently completed her work experience with MCR Pathways and is progressing to an internship this summer, reflects:
“My work experience with MCR Pathways gave me a clearer understanding of both the marketing industry and the organisation itself. I developed confidence in a professional environment and applied my skills to real tasks, including interview preparation and market research. I’m now planning to apply for a marketing course at university and look forward to building on what I’ve learned.”
Harnessing the Power of Collaboration
Partnerships have played an integral role in deepening our impact.
Sharon’s journey with MCR Pathways has come full circle. She began as a Volunteer Mentor within Wheatley Housing Group and went on to drive a pioneering partnership that created opportunities for employees to become mentors, provided in-kind staff resources (including a team of five secondees), enabled aspirational visits for young people, and opened up employment pathways.
This collaboration opened doors. Just as mentoring relationships help build confidence and raise aspirations, partnerships expand what’s possible, connecting young people and communities of mentors with new experiences, expansive networks, and aspirational futures they may not have otherwise imagined.
Trailblazing partnerships like this with community anchor organisations reflect our joint values and mission and are fundamental to delivering more meaningful, long-term impact for all.. Our investment in new partnerships across all sectors, secure even more opportunity for working collaboratively towards a shared purpose.
Organisations like the Robertson Group who are working with us to make a shared commitment to nurture ambition and create lasting, positive change in the lives of young people across the UK. Together, our collaborative impact can be transformational.
Read more about our partnership with the Robertson Group.
The Next Chapter
Two years on, MCR Pathways is accelerating towards its ambition:
- More young people supported
- More volunteer mentors coming forward across the UK
- More partners across corporate, education and community sectors.
- More futures transformed.
As we champion the Trusted Adult Guarantee, the potential of every young person, and realise our strategic ambition, we are equally committed to the people at the heart of our work – our colleagues.
This commitment began with refreshing our working culture pillars and delivering our first-ever staff conference last year. We are now working towards both Investors in People and Investors in Volunteering accreditations, ensuring our staff and volunteers are supported within a culture that is ambitious, inclusive, and empowering.
By investing in our people at every level, we strengthen and expand our ability to deliver lasting change for young people across the UK.
Join the Movement
Be part of transforming young lives through the power of mentoring.
Become a volunteer mentor. Partner with us. Support our mission.
