Mentor Stories - Alan Speirs

Alan Speirs, Corporate Policy Officer in the Chief Executive's Department started mentoring five years ago and is now a Glasgow City Council ambassador for MCR Pathways. He says "I decided to get involved with mentoring because I could see the benefit of sharing my time and experience to help nurture a young person.

"The team at MCR are really supportive and I felt well equipped with the training they delivered before I was matched with a young person. They are there for me throughout my journey with advice and support. My own manager was supportive too and encouraged me to get involved.

"I'm currently mentoring my third young person. He is a refugee and while his English isn't the most fluent, we have still managed to bond over humour in our lack of cultural references. We have a lot of banter; I feel like we both learn from each other, and I enjoy my weekly visits with him.

"I'd say if you are considering getting involved then don't let anything hold you back. We all have the ability to connect with a young person and by becoming a mentor you can help change their life. If you have any questions or want to learn more, speak to your service's MCR ambassador who can tell you about their experience as a mentor and what you can expect on your own mentoring journey."