Sam Anderson and Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin join the Inquiry as the newly appointed co-chairs

A new Scotland-wide inquiry into how communities can hold the power to lead on change from within has appointed two independent co-chairs

The Social Action Inquiry will support communities to take action together, create change and share power, while working alongside them to understand what helps and what gets in the way of progress.

Led by people living and working in Scottish communities, this three-year independent inquiry will provide money and power to communities to undertake activity, which they direct and lead on while supporting people to find their voices, take action and use what they learn to create wider change.

It will also try to make change as it goes along, by bringing together people who hold power, and those currently furthest from it and it will build evidence for longer term change in Scotland.

Sam Anderson and Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin join the Inquiry as the newly appointed co-chairs. They will be advocates for participation, collaboration and shifting power so that change is led by the knowledge held by communities.

Sam is the Founder of The Junction, an award-winning charity based in Edinburgh which works with and for young people on a range of health issues. 

He brings extensive experience as a coach, mentor and facilitator supporting people furthest from power to feel understood and heard amongst systems that might otherwise exclude them.

Catherine-Rose is a social researcher with a wealth of professional, research and personal experience of care. Her experiences of kinship care and as an informal carer have inspired her to build a career that explores how the systems we live within could be reimagined.

Sam said: “Social action has been a significant part of my life journey. I am therefore delighted the need for an Independent Social Action Inquiry for Scotland has been recognised and invested in.

“I feel honoured to be able to contribute to this important Inquiry through the role of co-chair and to see the potential of social action unleashed in our journey towards an equitable Scotland.”

Catherine-Rose added:  “As someone who has tried to build community around every significant challenge in my life, I'm thrilled to contribute to an Inquiry that will help us galvanize the ways we take action together.

“I’m particularly delighted that we can shine a light on the work that people and communities are already doing in Scotland, to have the resource to strengthen that activity and the support to think about where power can be redistributed to making meaningful change.”

Catherine-Rose and Sam will shortly be recruiting an inquiry panel, along with an inquiry lead.

Partners who have founded the Inquiry are Carnegie UK Trust, Corra Foundation, Foundation Scotland, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, The National Lottery Community Fund and The Robertson Trust.