I remember being quite nervous the first time that I came to Poverty Truth Community, walking into the Gorbals Parish Church and not being very sure about what to expect.

And when I thought about what it meant to me, the whole process, the whole involvement, I came back to thinking about connecting with people and having a cup of tea, listening and understanding other people's experiences and how poverty was shaping their lives and really kind of compromising their ability to lead happy and fulfilling lives, and to really give me that sense of okay, how do we play a part in trying to change things.

It's had a significant effect on me both personally and professionally, it's informed what I do. I moved from public sector to charitable sector. It's also informed how I do you things. We have a commitment to involve people in the work that we do and help shaping our priorities. But I suppose its has had a more profound effect on how I view the world and my commitment to tackling inequalities, particularly health inequalities, which really undermine people's well-being and quality of life. For me the cups and the welcome sign really typify like how the poverty truth community welcomed to me in, and how many fantastic people that I've met through it, and more so than Moira who was my amazing mentor. It's been a unique and transformative experience and feel extremely fortunate to be part of it.