Unlocking Potential: strategic investment brings life-changing mentoring to highland schools
MCR Pathways were awarded £10,000 by the Haventus Ardersier Port Community Benefit Fund towards the employment of Pathways Coordinators.
MCR Pathways recruits volunteer mentors from local organisations, targeting employers that support staff volunteering. Partners include Nairn Connects Business Improvement District, Nairn County Football Club, and major employers like Balfour Beatty and Morrison Construction. School colleagues have identified the first 250 young people who need mentoring support most.
When MCR Pathways applied for funding from the Haventus Ardersier Port Community Benefit Fund, they aimed to extend their transformative school-based mentoring programme to both Nairn and Culloden Academies. They were awarded £10,000 by the Haventus Ardersier Port Community Benefit Fund which enabled the employment of Pathways Coordinators at both academies for over three years.
The Haventus Ardersier Port Community Benefit Fund supports community projects benefitting those living in the areas covered by the Community Councils of: Petty and Ardersier, Cawdor and West Nairnshire, Croy and Culloden Moor and Nairn West and Suburban.
The programme matches young people with volunteer mentors who become trusted role models. Coordinators work with pupils from Primary 7, easing transition into group activities in S1 and S2, then facilitating one-to-one mentoring from S2 onwards. They organise Talent Taster visits, help explore career paths, and ensure weekly mentoring sessions. For S4 and beyond, Coordinators help prepare applications for college, university, and employment.
The programme extends beyond academic success, instilling belief, resilience, and skills to thrive. Mentors offer consistent support, helping young people navigate challenges and build pathways to realising their ambitions. The impact reaches families and communities through stronger relationships that empower access to further education, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities.
MCR Pathways aims to develop long-term partnerships to ensure sustained investment for all young people in the Nairn and Culloden communities who need support.
By funding the MCR Pathways programme, the grant enables Highland young people to access dedicated mentoring support for the first time – demonstrating how strategic investment can unlock life-changing opportunities and help young people realise their full potential.
MCR Pathways aims to develop long-term relationships with strategic partners to ensure sustained investment, providing for the futures of all young people who need support from the Nairn and Culloden communities.]
Read more about the Haventus Ardersier Port Community Benefit Fund