National mentoring programme marks milestone of 1,000 trained mentors
Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, visited local charity Right There to learn about intandem, Scotland’s only national mentoring programme for care-experienced children living at home or with kinship carers. During the visit, Mr Yousaf met with Eilidh, a volunteer mentor and 2024’s Volunteer of the Year, recognised for her outstanding dedication to supporting care-experienced young people.
Eilidh spoke to Mr Yousaf about what inspires her to volunteer, she said: “I really enjoy being a volunteer mentor, it gives me something to look forward to each week. I have noticed both myself and my mentee Lennon, growing in confidence and learning new skills. I never thought I would do something like this, but glad I have.”
The visit was part of a series of events across Scotland organised by intandem to celebrate the programme’s impact and its milestone of training 1,000 volunteer mentors.
Right There is one of 12 charities delivering intandem, which matches care-experienced children with trained mentors who provide consistent emotional support, reduce isolation, and support the young person to set clear goals and try new things. By meeting weekly, mentors help young people set goals, try new activities, and build resilience.
Humza Yousaf MSP said: “Can I congratulate Right There for the fantastic intandem mentoring service they are providing, which is having a transformative impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in my constituency. Mentoring can, quite literally, be a lifeline for so many young people who, through no fault of their own, are facing significant challenges in life. Right There, their staff and volunteers should be commended for their incredible efforts, and I am delighted to lend my support to them.”
CEO of Right There, Janet Haugh added: “The work of intandem is invaluable to Right There, giving the people we support access to trained mentors who can support their needs in a way which really makes a difference to them.
“Our charity is focused on helping individuals by meeting them wherever they are in life, with no judgement, and tailoring our support to their specific needs. intandem’s programme matches this ethos perfectly, and we are delighted to showcase the success of the work we are doing with Inspiring Scotland and other charities across Scotland.”
Last year, intandem supported over 280 young people across 19 local authority areas, with 78% reporting that having a mentor helped them attend school more regularly—a clear sign of the programme’s success.
Right There currently supports 18 young people weekly with trained volunteer mentors, contributing to life-changing outcomes in the Glasgow Pollok area.
