"I never thought my voice would be heard or matter"

"I never thought my voice would be heard or matter"

On the evening of the 26th February 2025, in a moment of Northern solidarity, citizens who live, study and work in the North agreed our Citizens Statement. This statement seeks to ensure that the people in our communities are involved in shaping the services they receive. Over 200 people, representing thousands of members of our civil society institutions, came together in Preston for the first Citizens UK Convention of the North Fringe Event. And within 24 hours, on day one of the Convention of the North, a team of community leaders secured commitments from Northern Mayors, MP's, Council Leaders and decision makers.

During the Convention of the North, Scott, a student from Edge Hill University, addressed Mayor Andy Burnham in the Transport Policy workshop with his powerful testimony of how unreliable and inaccessible public transport impacts his physical health and studies. In a response to Mayor Burnham highlighting the progress made, he asked Mayor Burnham what he was going to do to support other areas in achieving improved public transport and ensuring equity across the North. On the next day of the Convention of the North, Mayor Burnham opened his panel discussion by acknowledging what he had heard from Scott’s testimony and saying accessibility must become a priority.

Read Scott's story below:

I got involved when Davinia, the organiser for Lancashire Citizens, was hosting a transport listening session at my university.

More listening events and training were held at Edgehill, where I and fellow students and staff shared our experiences and often shared frustrations about public transport. My story and experiences with northern transport highlights its inability to meet accessibility and inclusion required, while also exposing the rural inequality plaguing these services.

I was invited to meet Martin Tugwell, the CEO of Transport for the North with leaders from other Northern Chapters to share my testimony. In the run up to the convention and CUK’s Fringe event I was also actively involved in attending planning meetings, I aided in creating a statement for Citizens UK for the Convention of the North and I helped get over 20 staff, students and community members from Edgehill to the Convention's Fringe event – I achieved this by going to speak in lectures to tell other students about the events and encourage them to attend and get involved.

I then spoke at the Fringe event about the challenges I have faced due to having a disability and the problems of accessibility on transport. I have to rely of public transport as I cannot drive. The next two days I attended the Convention itself.

What I will take away from this experience is that this is only the beginning, I know there is lots more work to undertake, but this to me is a start and I am excited to be part of it. I was asked after the event how I felt and my response was – amazing – I never thought my voice would be heard or matter but by being involved in Lancashire Citizens I have had some influence on things that affect me and so many other students and young people. For me, I think I have found what I want to do in life, I want to continue making a difference for young people and those with disabilities, I want to get these stories told.