Mentor Stories - Jacqueline Murphy

Jacqueline Murphy who works in the Business Support team for Neighbourhood and Regeneration Services, has been mentoring with MCR Pathways for seven years.

Jacqueline says, "I got involved with mentoring after attending an information session and being inspired by the positive impact that mentors have on young people. I had no previous experience working with teenagers but believed that I could support and encourage a young person to realise their potential.

"I've just been matched with my fourth young person who I'm looking forward to meeting. I built a longstanding bond with my last young person, we shared a mutual love of music and going to live gigs so used to chat about that. When she left school, she gave me a card that expressed how much gratitude she had for me as her mentor. She said she knew she could always count on me and thanked me for having faith in her.

"We still keep in touch and meet up for a coffee every so often; she's now studying law at college. I'm so proud of how far she's come; to see her overcome challenges and be at her side through her achievements was an incredible experience.

"I'd encourage anyone to consider mentoring, if you can spare an hour a week you can make such a difference in a young person's life."