When people Lead, Scotland Wins: Why we Must Back the Power of Community Voice
“With the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections on the horizon, there is a real opportunity for political leaders to show courage. To commit to putting community voice at the centre of how Scotland designs and delivers support. The WM2U manifesto sets out practical steps to make that happen.”
We talk a lot in Scotland about second chances. But the truth is, for many people, there was never a first chance to begin with.
Too often, decisions are made about people before they have even opened their mouths. Judged on their postcode. Written off because of their accent. Defined by the hardest chapter of their life. I’ve spent my life working alongside people who know exactly what that feels like. And I’ve seen what happens when, instead of being judged, they are listened to.
That’s why the What Matters To You (WM2U) manifesto speaks to something I care deeply about. Because at its heart is a simple truth: the people closest to the issues are closest to the solutions.
Right now, in Scotland, one in four children is growing up in poverty. That statistic should stop us in our tracks. But behind every number is a person – a parent trying to stretch a budget, a young person trying to hold onto hope. When support is designed around systems instead of people, we shouldn’t be surprised when our shot consistently goes past the post.
At Street Soccer football is just the vehicle. It's all about creating a space where people who have experienced homelessness, addiction, prison or trauma feel safe, valued and heard. We ask what do you need then we build programmes around what they say. Education. Employment. Confidence. Belonging.
And when you give people real responsibility over their own journey, something powerful happens. Confidence grows. Trust rebuilds. Ambition returns. People who were once seen only for their problems start to see themselves for their potential.
That’s the same shift WM2U is calling for at a national level.
It’s about moving from doing things to communities, to doing things with them. It’s about recognising that lived experience is not a barrier to insight – it is the insight. That listening isn’t a soft option. It’s a smarter one.
If we listen early, we prevent crisis later. If we design support around real lives, it works better. If we share power, we build resilience that lasts.
This isn’t about spending more money. It’s about spending it wisely. It’s about trusting communities to shape the services that affect them. When people have genuine influence, problems are identified sooner, solutions are more relevant, and reliance on emergency intervention starts to fall. That’s how you build a country where people don’t just survive – they thrive.
With the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections on the horizon, there is a real opportunity for political leaders to show courage. To commit to putting community voice at the centre of how Scotland designs and delivers support. The WM2U manifesto sets out practical steps to make that happen.
For me, this is personal. I’ve stood on pitches with people who had been told they would never amount to anything and watched them become captains, coaches, mentors and leaders. I’ve seen what happens when someone is finally asked, “What Matters to You?” and knows the answer will shape what happens next.
Scotland has the talent. It has the compassion. What we need now is the collective leadership to match that energy and back the belief that potential exists in every community.
And when people tell us what they need to improve their lives, we must have the courage to act on it. Scotland has everything it needs to make this change. It’s now time for us all to step up and be counted.
