The Herald is supporting the MCR Pathways campaign to recruit 200 new mentors for disadvantaged young people in Glasgow.

If you are a motivated and committed adult, you could support these young people to help them overcome the barriers that mean so few currently make it into higher and further education.

An hour a week plus travelling time, a listening ear and putting a young person first, are the only skills you will need. All training and support will be given.

The mentoring scheme aims to open up opportunities for young people such as those who have been in care.

Often this is done simply by giving them the information about routes to learning and support to pursue it that others take for granted.

MCR Pathways aims to change some of the indefensible statistics about the inequality of opportunity that currently exist in Scotland.

In 2012 fewer than 10 per cent of adults living in our most deprived communities held degree-level qualifications, compared with 40 per cent living in the most affluent areas.

Meanwhile almost 80 per cent of "looked-after" children left school at the minimum age, compared with fewer than one-third of all children in Scotland.

The average age young people leave home is 24, but for children in care, the age is 17 - exactly the time when they need the most input and support to make the best decisions about further education.

This campaign is unique to Glasgow, and will ultimately become a model for the rest of the country.

For more information, or to register interest, please go to mcrpathways.org/#herald or contact Donna Cunningham at donna.cunningham@glasgow.gov.uk.