on the streets of scotland, a relentless group of people walk amongst us.
these remarkable individuals are applying their entrepreneurial mindset and deeply learned experience to solve our nation’s challenges at their source. and it’s working.
they are economy boosters, home providers, family supporters, homelessness enders, community developers, employment creators, narrative changers, opportunity makers, poverty eliminators, stigma enders, boundary breakers, equity empowerers...
they are scotland’s changemakers. and it’s time we paid attention.
david duke is
relentlessly hopeful
Inspired by his life-changing experience taking part in the Homeless World Cup, David Duke’s Street Soccer gives people experiencing homelessness the structure, purpose and hope that have been lacking in their lives.
His secret? It’s never about the football.
rhiannon davies is
relentlessly optimistic
At the heart of the Greater Govanhill community magazine lies not just the words on the pages or the photographs that adorn them, but a true changemaker - a founder whose commitment to amplifying marginalised voices and creating space for community-led storytelling is redefining what local journalism can achieve.
caroline speirs is
relentlessly devoted
Calum Speirs was a remarkable young boy, who at just 11 years old was tragically diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Throughout the remaining 13 months of his life, Calum spent his days bringing inspiration and joy to everyone around him, despite all he was going through.
His mum, Caroline has devoted the rest of her life to carrying on Calum’s dream of helping others in his position.
lynzi leroy is
relentlessly equitable
Lynzi Leroy was fed up with seeing chain after chain pop up on Scottish high streets. She found injustice in the small selection of locally made products being cashed in on by big businesses, with very few pennies ending up in local makers’ pockets. Lynzi knew there was a more equitable way forward to boost the local economy and support Scotland’s art and culture scene.
gerard mckenzie-govan
is relentlessly disruptive
Gerard McKenzie-Govan is disrupting prejudices one thread at a time through the UK’s first non-profit fashion label aimed at ending homelessness. The Blankfaces’ goal is to shift mindsets by sparking conversations that promote empathy and understanding, qualities that Gerard himself developed during a unique childhood spent helping his mother run a hotel that housed the homeless.
fiona mckenzie is
relentlessly inclusive
Fiona McKenzie is stopping lives from being wasted by giving society’s most excluded somewhere to belong. An ex music teacher, Fiona was fed up watching students follow the same narrow path from school exclusion to prison admission. Where society chose to push people out, Fiona chose to invite them in. Fiona quit her job and set up her very own community village, CentreStage, a place for everyone to belong and prosper.
susan mcghee is
relentlessly empathetic
Susan McGhee is removing childcare as a barrier to education and employment through empathetic and flexible services. A veteran of the childcare industry, Susan saw firsthand how rigid fees and fixed schedules were denying thousands of parents access to the services they needed to get back into work. Susan’s simple yet effective approach has put £1.9 million into the hands of low income families across Scotland in the last year alone.
viana maya is
relentlessly empowering
Viana Maya is empowering Scotland’s people by empowering Scotland’s institutions to lead with empathy and inclusion. Viana herself experienced the barriers to employment and social equity that are present in many of Scotland’s organisations, barriers that pushed her into a period of in-work poverty and homelessness. To help others walk a different path, Viana founded pRESPECT; a consultancy that doesn’t just work to support others to overcome barriers, but works to tear them down altogether.
lisa gallagher is
relentlessly pioneering
Scotland’s lowest paid industries are often those with the most inflexible working practices. From care to retail and manufacturing, low-income workers have little safety net from falling into unemployment and poverty following the birth of children, an illness or a disability. A staggering 76% of unemployed people looking for work have not applied for, or been forced to turn down a job opportunity, due to a lack of flex. Lisa is pioneering flexible approaches that are keeping workers in jobs and out of poverty.
celia hodson is
relentlessly advocating
Celia Hodson is breaking boundaries and biases by advocating for period equality, dignity and education through her award-winning enterprise, Hey Girls. Since launching in 2018, Celia and her team have donated over 40 million period products across Scotland and the UK, and were instrumental in campaigning for two monumental law changes, the tampon tax abolishment and the free period products provision bill.
susan aktemel is
relentlessly innovative
Susan Aktemel firmly believes that the foundation needed to overcome many of life’s challenges is a secure and comfortable place to call home. That’s why she is reinventing the letting industry, with an innovative model that has kindness, quality and integrity at its core.
arthur mcneaney is
relentlessly fighting
Arthur McNeaney supports disengaged young people to become young people destined for success. As Head of Operations at The DRC Youth Project, Arthur fights for young people to believe in themselves and unlock their true potential. Each year, his employability initiatives support over 60 young people into meaningful and sustained employment.