Published by The Times
James Glossop
A mentoring charity has held its first national conference, at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, as it prepares to expand.
MCR Pathways, which works with all high schools in Glasgow, recently set up in six schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and is in talks with nine other local authorities. It assigns a personal mentor to young people in need of support because they are in care or for other personal reasons.
The initiative has raised the attainment of teenagers, while mentors have developed skills that have helped them in the workplace. It is now being backed by the Scottish government, which has said it will match funding with local councils with high levels of poverty that adopt the programme. It supports more than 1,000 teenagers each week, with the help of more than 600 mentors.
The conference was organised by young people who have benefited from the scheme. Iain MacRitchie, founder of MCR Pathways, said: “By devoting 50 minutes a week to listen, build a trusting relationship and help a young person to find their talent, people can make a life-changing difference.” John Swinney, the education secretary, said the scheme had improved life chances of those who had experienced care in Glasgow and backed plans to roll it out nationwide.
#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!
