James Dunbar of New Start Highland has been included on the Big Issue’s list for 2025. 

A Highland charity founder has been named on a prestigious list of “changemakers” tackling housing insecurity. 

James Dunbar of New Start Highland has been included in the Big Issue’s list of Changemakers of 2025. 

The Big Issue said that Mr Dunbar and others from across the UK are stepping in to help as more people than ever find themselves without a secure home in the UK. 

The aim of the annual list is to recognise and praise notable activists, agitators and grassroots figureheads making an impact on society, as nominated by readers of the magazine.

The description on the Big Issue website tells of how Mr Dunbar channeled the grief of losing his old sister as a teenager into founding New Start Highland in 2000. 

The charity and social enterprise helps vulnerable people in the north of Scotland overcome poverty, crisis and social isolation. 

It delivers solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the UK, including housing insecurity, social inequality, poverty and long-term unemployment. 

His nominator wrote: “He may not have known it back when he was in the thick of such a traumatic experience, but that time was a catalyst for starting one of Scotland’s leading charities that creates routes out of homelessness, an organisation which provides life changing support and a safe environment for all who walk through its doors, enabling them to realise their potential and move forward to a more positive place in their lives.”

Writing for the magazine, Paul McNamee, editor of the Big Issue, said: “Our annual Changemakers celebration is a tribute to the people and organisations who have focused not on themselves but on the rest of society. 

“And this incredible, inspirational collection of the selfless, tireless and remarkable innovators have all been chosen by you, our Big Issue readers.

“We asked you to nominate the people and groups who make life better and brighter, who see what needs done at a community level and beyond, either through their lived experience or because they realise that nobody else will step forward.

“The difficulty came when we had to narrow down the names to just 100. It is clear that while institutions of state creak, and many need remedial action after a decade of funding removal and decline, there is a network criss-crossing the country who are lacing a safety net, and also, frequently, planting seeds for new growth.”

James Dunbar added: “Exiting homelessness is about so much more than just having a place to live. Having a warm and secure base transforms lives — it builds self-confidence, improves employment prospects and strengthens mental health. At New Start Highland, we are proud to go beyond housing to offer a holistic set of support services that help people achieve lasting physical and emotional change.

“To be named alongside leaders and organisations who inspire our work and are responsible for driving innovative change to help make our world a better place to live, is an honour.”