As Volunteers’ Week 2026 gets underway, MCR Pathways is celebrating the thousands of volunteer mentors helping young people overcome unique challenges and barriers as they work towards positive futures across its channels.
Last year, volunteer mentors dedicated more than 84,000 hours of support to 5,930 young people across Scotland.
Research consistently shows that even one consistent, trusted adult volunteer mentor can have a profound impact on a young person’s confidence, aspirations, and wellbeing. MCR Pathways’ most recent survey found that 99% of young people said their mentor was a great role model, 96% said mentoring improved their confidence, and 95% said it helped them with goal setting.Among those benefiting from the programme is Sonny, who describes the impact his mentor, Iain, has had on his life.
“Iain is my mentor, he’s fantastic, and I wouldn’t change him for the world,” said Sonny. “Mentoring means having someone you can talk to about anything on your mind. Before I met Iain, I didn’t really talk about my feelings or what was happening in my life. My mindset has eased now.”
Looking ahead to his future, Sonny added: “Iain has helped me to visualise my future. I want to go to university to become a paramedic. He’s helped me with revision, homework and tasks I’ve got at school. It’s helped a lot.”
There are many qualities mentors bring to supporting young people in recognising their potential, building self-belief, and reimagining what their future could look like.
The benefits of mentoring also extend to volunteers. According to MCR Pathways’ latest mentor survey, 94% of mentors said their experience was positive, 92% reported personal fulfilment from helping others, and 90% said mentoring had helped them develop their active listening skills.
Iain added: “If I were to say anything to someone thinking about becoming a mentor with MCR Pathways, I would 100% say do it. An hour a week is not a huge commitment, and what you get from it outweighs that commitment 100-fold. It’s amazing.”
Sharon McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer of MCR Pathways, said: “Volunteers’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible people who give their time to support others and strengthen communities across Scotland.
“As an award-winning schools, further education and community-based mentoring programme, MCR Pathways is committed to ensuring that every young person who needs one has access to a trusted adult volunteer mentor. We connect mentors with young people to help them progress towards positive destinations, including further education, apprenticeships, training, and employment.
“We are incredibly grateful to every mentor who volunteers with MCR Pathways. Their dedication is helping thousands of young people navigate challenges, unlock opportunities, and move towards brighter futures.”
Volunteer mentors come from all walks of life and must be aged 21 or over. No specific qualifications are required. Full training and ongoing support are provided, enabling mentors to draw on their own experiences, skills, and personal qualities to support a young person.
Find out more and apply to become a volunteer mentor: https://www.mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor
