A PROJECT that seeks to help disadvantaged young people reach their potential in life has reached a new milestone with 500 people signing up to find out how to become involved.
MCR Pathways, which provides adult mentors to teenagers who have experience of the care system, works in six schools in Glasgow's east end and has been appealing for new volunteers.
The project seeks to widen opportunities for young people who are most likely to leave school early by showing them how to access further education or job opportunities.
More than 100 mentors have signed up since last year and now the push is on the attract many more.
The announcement was made at the launch of the charity's film on mentoring at Cineworld Parkhead, in Glasgow.
Many mentors attended the premier of the video, which has been made to provide training and to promote the work of the project to people who may be interested in becoming mentors and help young people to stay in education and achieve their gaols of attending university, college or finding a worthwhile career.
Speaking at the event on Thursday, MCR Pathway's graduate Nicole Quinn encourage said that mentors can provide young person with caring and consistent support.
She said: "Getting into college, university or a job and focusing on the future rather than the past was crucial.
"without my mentor I would not now be here speaking with confidence and attending college. My mentor 100 per cent helped my life'.
Donna Cunningham, the first mentor to join the scheme and now Programme Director for the project, said that mentors had to follow a "young person's agenda".
She told the volunteers: "You are not a teacher, you are there to be alongside a young person and to really listen so you are guided by them and to be yourself so that you build trust'.
"You will get at least as much out of mentoring than you give, but most likely you will get a lot more. Just one hour a week will make a profound difference.".
Mentors can come from any background, and give an hour a week of their time to work with the young person they are matched with and help guide them in a meaningful direction.
Businessman Greg Chalmers, 49, Managing Director of Lambert Contracts Ltd, has been mentoring since December last year after joining the scheme the month before.
He said: "Mentoring has been very worthwhile and I feel as though I have been making a difference in the young person's life.
"As a business we do a lot for charity and prioritise youth work, but you often don;t know where the money goes once you're finished.
"Joining the MCR project means I can pass on my experience first-hand and give a young person the benefit of what I have learned."
MCR Founder Iain MacRitchie added: "It is crucial for every mentor, and everyone interested in mentoring, to know that they need just be a motivated, committed and resilient listening ear.
"No other set skills are required and training will be given but the best training is to be yourself. Mentors are not there to 'fix someone' as these are talented and resilient young people who have already overcome bigger challenges that many of us could imagine in their young lives.
"They are young people to be admired and nurtured through basic human interest, listening, caring and guiding thanks to the life skills mentors have been fortunate enough to obtain themselves. Young people need us to believe in them first and foremost and to show this through being there come rain or come shine".
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