04/06/2026
Volunteer Mentors Urgently Needed in Forth Valley to
Support Local Young People
National volunteer mentoring charity MCR Pathways has launched an urgent appeal for volunteer mentors across Forth Valley, calling on local adults to give just one hour a week to support young people.
The charity’s mentors help young people overcome barriers, navigate challenges, and build pathways to sustainable futures through education, apprenticeships, training, employment, and long-term careers. Mentors come from all walks of life and bring a broad range of experiences. They receive full training and ongoing support, enabling them to draw on their own life journeys and personal qualities to make a meaningful and lasting difference.
“Iain is my mentor, he’s fantastic, and I wouldn’t change him for the world,” says Sonny, who has benefitted from MCR Pathways’ mentoring programme in Forth Valley. “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.”
Supporting young people to focus on future aspirations is a huge part of many mentoring relationships, as Sonny reflects: “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 seeing their potential, believing in themselves, and reimagining what their future could look like.
Sonny’s mentor, Iain, shares some of the qualities he feels are important: “Having an open mind, not being judgemental, and not trying to impose the perceived right solution is very important. Young people often have the answer and just need a little guidance to help bring it out themselves.”
Iain also believes mentors gain a huge amount from the experience: “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 by spades — 100-fold. It’s amazing.”
Last year, more than 84,000 volunteering hours were delivered by MCR Pathways mentors, supporting 5,930 young people across Scotland.
Research consistently shows that having one trusted adult volunteer mentor who shows up consistently can be transformational for young people. The charity’s most recent survey found that 99% of mentored young people who responded said their mentor was a great role model, 96% said mentoring improved their confidence, and 95% said it helped them with goal setting.
Signing up to become a mentor is quick and easy and takes place online via the charity’s website. Volunteers complete five simple steps, and no academic, professional or special qualifications are required. Mentors must be over 21 years old and are subject to PVG and reference checks.
Sharon McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer of MCR Pathways, said: “Mentoring has been shown to significantly improve school attendance, increase achievement, awaken ambition, and open pathways to brighter futures after school. I warmly encourage anyone across Forth Valley who can bring kindness, good listening skills, and a solution-focused approach to come forward and become a volunteer mentor.”
MCR Pathways’ award-winning mentoring programme is currently
supporting 259 young people across Forth Valley in secondary schools and Forth Valley College.
Anyone across the region who could give an hour a week, and would like to find out more about becoming a volunteer mentor can visit: www.mcrpathways.org/become-a-mentor
