A Powerful and Warm Meeting with the First Minister

On the 21st of April, Easter Monday, I had the honour and privilege, along with a fellow group of parents at Changing Realities team, to be invited and attend a meeting with John Swinney - the First Minister of Scotland - at his residency in Bute House, Edinburgh. The meeting was in connection to the child poverty strategy, and was an important space for us all to share our lived experience as crucial evidence in the hope of informing the strategy.

Not only was it a gorgeous day but the excitement in the air was palpable at the pre-meet beforehand. Parents were very excited to share their lived experience with the FM and to feel seen, heard and valued.

Once inside Bute House, we were met with a warm welcome from staff which set a lovely tone for the meeting. This warmth carried on by Mr Swinney greeting us before our meeting in the waiting lounge, ensuring we all had any refreshments and were comfortable.

During the meeting, we all spoke from the heart, sharing our personal journeys in a way that was both relatable and inspiring. The stories were not just about us but the shared human experience. Everyone's stories were unique.

These stories were more than just compelling tales; they were about hope and resilience. They served as a powerful bridge, connecting our audience with the realities of asylum and immigration too, for example. I truly hope my own experience brought a personal perspective to the policy discussions. We felt listened to, validated and most importantly did not experience judgement whilst finding our voice to self advocate for change.

We need this vital space for people with lived experience to be heard. After all, families should be involved in shaping policy as our experiences highlight where support is most needed.

At the conclusion of the meeting, we all agreed that we did incredibly well as a group and team effort. I felt very proud of being part of this CR experience and sincerely hope our lived experience and stories support shaping the child poverty strategy.

Since our meeting, the FM has confirmed he will continue to work alongside CR in the coming months. If our relationship continues to strengthen further, I'm hoping that this event, as well as future ones, will make meaningful strides in tackling child poverty.