We are excited to be starting a powerful new piece of work with our Health Rights Defenders, thanks to funding from Awards For All from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Over the coming weeks, our Health Rights Defenders will be working with Media Education and Children’s Health Scotland to create a piece of media that explores what it is really like to be a child or young person in Scotland living with a health condition and/or disability – and how this impacts health, wellbeing, education, friendships, and everyday life.
Michelle Wilson, Head of Children’s Services at Children’s Health Scotland, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Awards For All and the National Lottery Community Fund for recognising how important it is to create a piece of media like this. Truly listening to children and seeing the world from their perspective is essential if we want to improve health and wellbeing for children and young people.
At Children’s Health Scotland, we have been listening to children and young people for 50 years, particularly those with long-term health conditions and disabilities. This project builds on that legacy by giving our Health Rights Defenders the tools and space to tell their stories in their own way.
We are also hugely thankful to Media Education for working alongside us to support young people to create something that will go down in history. We have been consistently impressed by Media Education’s previous work and their child‑led approach, which empowers children to take the lead, shape their own pieces of work, and guide the direction they want them to take. None of this would have been possible without the passion, creativity and dedication of our Health Rights Defenders — their voices are at the heart of everything we do.”
Crucially, this is not a project created about young people – it is a piece of media created by them. Health Rights Defenders will be leading the storytelling themselves, supported to share their lived experiences in ways that feel authentic, powerful, and true to who they are.
Who are Health Rights Defenders?
Health Rights Defenders are children and young people with health conditions and disabilities who are passionate about standing up for their health rights and the rights of others like them. They use their lived experience to influence decision-makers, challenge inequality, and help shape services so they work better for children and young people across Scotland.
Health Rights Defenders are leaders, campaigners, and change-makers. They speak up on issues that matter to them, from accessing healthcare and education to being listened to and believed when it comes to their own health and wellbeing. Everything they do is grounded in the belief that children and young people are experts in their own lives and have the right to be heard.
“I really like this group. No one treats me like I am different, because I’m not. I think it’s really important to hear our voices.”
– Oona, 12
Through this project, Health Rights Defenders will take the lead in shaping the story they want to tell. With guidance from Media Education and support from Children’s Health Scotland, they will plan, film, and create a piece of media that reflects their real experiences – in their own words and from their own perspective.
“I really liked today, I like making the stories and seeing all the equipment. I’m really looking forward to next week.”
– Sam, 14
Why this project matters
Children and young people with health conditions and disabilities are too often spoken about rather than listened to. Their experiences can be misunderstood, minimised, or overlooked – particularly when it comes to the impact on mental health, school life, friendships, and feeling included.
This project creates space for Health Rights Defenders to reclaim that narrative. It recognises that health and wellbeing are shaped by more than appointments and treatments – they are shaped by whether young people feel heard, supported, respected, and able to take part fully in their lives and communities.
By creating their own media, Health Rights Defenders are not only developing creative and technical skills, but also building confidence, collective strength, and the power to influence change.
Launching at the My Health, My Rights Conference
The finished piece of media will be launched at the My Health, My Rights Conference 2026 – an event that is being shaped and led by Health Rights Defenders themselves.
The conference brings together children and young people, professionals, and decision-makers to focus on children’s health rights in Scotland. Health Rights Defenders play a central role in shaping the agenda, choosing the themes, and deciding what conversations need to happen.
Launching this media at the conference ensures that children and young people’s lived experiences are placed front and centre, helping to guide discussion, action, and accountability.
What comes next
This work is rooted in Children’s Health Scotland’s long-standing commitment to listening to children and young people – a commitment that has spanned more than 50 years. With the support of Awards For All, Media Education, and the dedication of our Health Rights Defenders, this project represents both a continuation of that legacy and an exciting step forward.
We are incredibly proud of our Health Rights Defenders and grateful for the creativity, honesty, and leadership they bring to everything they do.
We can’t wait to share the finished piece of media — and to continue amplifying young voices as they defend their health rights and shape a fairer future.
Watch this space.
OUR SMS PROGRAMMES
Our Health Rights Defenders are children and young people aged 9-17 living with a health condition or concern. They’ve taken part in our Self-Management Skills Programmes which are designed to help children feel more confident, build self esteem, cope with stress and know more about their Health Rights. These SMS Programmes are six weeks long and run through the year. They are completely free and don’t require a diagnosis to take part. Professionals can refer or you can self refer by CLICKING HERE.
