Simon Community Scotland are proud to call the Mhor Collective a partner and a friend. We have been working together for 8-years in the digital inclusion space to help people experiencing homlessness access the digital world.

In Gaelic,“mhor” means “big”. M are a collective – a team – and we love and agree with their philosophy that ‘by working together with colleagues, clients and partners, our impact can be much bigger than the sum of our parts.’

Thank you to Irene Warner-Mackintosh, Director at Mhor, for kindly writing a guest blog (below) for our website on the back of the launch of our brand new, sector leading ‘I Feel Part of Society’ report. 

You can also listen to Irene reading her blog in a podcast.

It’s always been about all of us.

It’s a beautiful day in Sutherland today. I checked the weather and it’s sunshine for a couple of days. That almost never happens. I had a wee look at tide times, and it’s all good for a swim after work if I feel brave enough. I called my mum and dad . They aren’t close by but I’m lucky enough to talk to them every day. I was in touch with my kids too: half of them have moved out, and even though I miss them, our WhatsApp group keeps me up to date with their lives and we use a daft Snapchat thing to send pictures to each other. 

Anyway: so far, so everyday. For me at least. Every wee bit of my life has a digital element. All of my relationships are held together with that wee bit of metal in my hand.

Last week saw the launch of the newest Simon Community Report exploring the personal impact of digital inclusion for people with experience of homelessness. It’s been a privilege to be part of that work not just because, professionally speaking, I happen to think it’s a phenomenal piece of work. It’s one of the most significant pieces of action research looking at how we really make a dent on digital inequality for folk accessing the holistic support at Simon Community. 

But really, the reason it’s been such a privilege is because it’s always been about all of us. 

It’s been about all of us being able to reach out to loved ones. It’s been about all of us having better access to things that matter to us. It’s about all of us living healthier, happier lives. 

From the very start of this work in 2017, speaking to people experiencing homelessness who are so often caught in a horrendous circle of systemic, generational poverty, trauma, social isolation and stigmatisation, we knew it was about all of us. The people we spoke to told us, and we understood, because it was us too. Our relationships, our friendships, our stories of ourselves, past, present and future are all held (partly at least) in the digital space. And our support, our recovery, our healing, our best selves, our fun, our education, our jobs… all of these too, so often, have a digital element to them. 

That’s why this matters so much. It’s about equity, fairness, dignity, love. The report outlines the myriad of ways in which people’s lives have been changed, how devices and support have been a lifeline for them in the stormy waters of homelessness. How folk can feel more in control. How opportunities have been unlocked. How people have stayed on paths they want to be on. How change happens.

All with that wee bit of metal in our hands. 

Today I also heard of a friend’s passing. Someone who had experience of homelessness, who died far too young and has left such an empty space. We’re all heartbroken. 

My other friend called me to tell me.

How would I have known otherwise?

How would her family members, her loved ones find out?

How will her friends stay connected in all this pain, and how will they hold on to services which can anchor and support when their world is spinning like this? 

If they didn’t have that wee bit of metal in their hands too? It’s about all of us.

This work matters.