In their four years together, Voices for a Better Future have created hope, support and connection. They help to shape services and advocate for change, all while supporting each other in their own personal journeys. Here, members reflect on what the group means to them.
Joyce
“Being part of a lived experience group to help other survivors has helped me to come to terms with my past. Helping others through Future Pathways has turned a negative into a positive.”
Joyce took part in our VOICES film series, sharing key moments of her life and showing how determination can bring change.
George
“It’s coming up to nearly four years since we started Voices for a Better Future and what a journey of joy, love, understanding and kindness working with these members of VFABF.
Voices for a Better Future is about what we, as a member, and what other people, need and help.
It took a long time getting there but, with the members of VFABF and Future Pathways members, we found something that can help other people and that was Peer Support. Yes, it took some time but Rome was not built in a day. As a member of VFABF I take no credit and I can safely say nor do my friends in VFABF take the credit. I know that I and members of VFABF and Future Pathways are looking forward in the next journey to come.”
Yvonne
Being in a lived experience group is the moment you realise that the heaviest things you have carried are not just burdens; they are gifts for people who are still feeling lost in the dark. It is the healing power of finally sitting in a room where you don’t have to translate your pain or apologise for your truth. Because everyone there” just knows”.
In the group, we take our scars and turn them into stars to steer by, so that your hardest chapters weren’t for nothing. It’s about reaching back into the person behind you and saying ‘I’ve been where you are, we are here for each other; you don’t have to walk this journey alone.’
Yvonne took part in our VOICES film series. She talks about seeking acknowledgement and speaking up for others.
Pauline
“Future Pathways has helped me grow, rediscover myself, and take part in life again. Over the past four years with the Voices group, I’ve seen how far we’ve come together. We’ve become a strong, compassionate team—here not for ourselves, but for the many others in the care‑experienced community, young and old.
Hope has been the thread running through all of this. It’s carried me, it’s carried us, and it continues to guide the work we do. Scotland has led the way in recognising that care experience is lifelong, and I’m proud to be part of a group that stands together with empathy and purpose.
Thank you to every member of staff at Future Pathways for your dedication and for helping make all of this possible. With the growth of peer‑to‑peer groups and new developments ahead, we’re moving forward with strength and belief.
And always—hope heals hearts.”
