Our team

The Community Activists Advisory Group brings together community activists with lived experience of issues relating to poverty to engage with the Poverty Alliance staff, the board, and other agencies on topical issues of mutual interest. The main purpose of the group is get the voices of people with lived experience to be heard and to influence policy and practice at national and local levels. CAAG meets at least five times a year and is a regular platform that provides an evidence base and sounding board on lived experience to inform Poverty Alliance’s grassroots engagement and policy work.

In the last few years, the group has contributed to the Poverty Alliance’s work on social security for Scotland, the Fairer Scotland Action Plan including Fairer Scotland for Disabled People with a focus on employment, the Scottish Government’s Public Transport Strategy and our food insecurity work. The group is represented on Glasgow City Council’s Poverty Leadership Panel, the Scottish Government Social Security Experience Panels and the board of the Poverty Alliance. CAAG members have been instrumental in supporting the Poverty Alliance engagement work with a range of other organisations including the Poverty and Inequality Commission, NHS Scotland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, NHS 24 and Shelter’s Commission on Housing. Members of the group have spoken and participated in meetings at national and European levels.

If you’re interested in joining the community activists group please email David Reilly at david.reilly@povertyalliance.org