Published by The Herald
Martin Williams @MWilliamsHT
INNOVATIVE schools mentoring programme supporting disadvantaged young people is to go Scotland-wide.
The move comes as MCR Pathways handed the reins over to its young people to tell their stories at its first national conference at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall yesterday.
They shared how the mentoring scheme works and now with support from the Deputy First Minister John Swinney it will accelerate its national expansion to reach another thousand in Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018.
Over the last 18 months MCR Pathways has doubled the number of young people it supports to more than 1,000. It operates in all 30 secondary schools within Glasgow City Council and recently launched in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.
The charity is now working on a national plan, which will see its reach extend to other Scottish local authorities this year. The mentoring scheme was established 11 years ago by the Glaswegian businessman Iain MacRitchie and now has more than 600 mentors. He said: “Some of us have rosy memories of school, but for others high it represents dark times with uncertainty, feeling powerless and without anyone to rely on yet being asked to make adult decisions.”
#GiveAnHour
Can you become a mentor? There are 831 young people in Glasgow who need a mentor to help them succeed. Our mentors come from all walks of life to support the variety of young people. You don’t need to be an expert or have tons of experience with young people to mentor. The most important thing is that you care! We also provide intro to career, further and higher education options to our young people. These Talent Tasters show young people what opportunities are available to them. Can your fab organisation provide a Talent Taster? Contact us today!
