People First Scotland

What People First Scotland does

People First (Scotland) is a charitable Disabled People's Organisation (DPO) headquartered in Edinburgh that serves as the national self-advocacy body for adults with learning disabilities in Scotland. Founded in 1989, the organisation operates a membership model with approximately 1,000 members who hold voting rights for the elected Board of Directors, can stand for Board election, attend conferences, and represent the organisation in external meetings. Its service portfolio spans a core membership programme plus a suite of specialised advocacy projects: the SOLD national development project, the Hospital Advocacy Project, the Equally Safe Project (safeguarding), gender-based violence support, a Parents' Group for parents with learning disabilities, and a Volunteer Advisor programme supporting local self-advocacy groups across Scotland.

Delivery is carried out by a network of National and Local Development Workers covering Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Clackmannanshire, and Midlothian, supervised by a Service Manager and supported by an Office and Finance Administrator. The organisation also runs a Student Placement Programme in partnership with universities delivering Social Work courses, in which members assess student practice. There is no proprietary technology, no digital product, no API, and no app; the WordPress-based website (peoplefirstscotland.org) plus a Facebook page serve as the primary digital channels.

People First (Scotland) is an independent, membership-governed non-profit with no parent company, no subsidiaries, no equity funding rounds, and no public listing. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and no membership fees or service prices are published. Operating geographies are confined to Scotland, with no international footprint. As a designated national DPO, the organisation's competitive position rests on its formal representative status and its user-led governance model rather than on commercial defensibility.

Name

People First Scotland

Legal name

People First (Scotland)

Website

https://peoplefirstscotland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

People First (Scotland) is a national Disabled People's Organisation in Edinburgh providing self-advocacy, representation, and specialised support services for approximately 1,000 adult members with learning disabilities across Scotland through a network of development workers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Learning disability support
• Self-advocacy programmes
• Charitable membership organisation
• Disability rights campaigning

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

People First (Scotland) is a charitable, membership-based Disabled People's Organisation that provides advocacy, self-advocacy support, and related services for adults with learning disabilities living in Scotland. Its core offering centres on a membership program (approximately 1,000 members) combined with specialised advocacy projects covering hospital advocacy, gender-based violence, parents' group support, and the Equally Safe project, delivered through a network of National and Local Development Workers.

Product overview

People First (Scotland) is The National Disabled People's Organisation of adults with a Learning Disability in Scotland. It operates as a self-advocacy organization offering membership-based services rather than a traditional product company. The organization provides a portfolio of support services including membership programs, local group facilitation, specialized advocacy projects (Hospital Advocacy, SOLD, Equally Safe, Gender-Based Violence, Parents' Group), student placement opportunities, and information resources. These services are delivered through National Office staff and a network of National and Local Development Workers across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• People First (Scotland) Membership Program Membership programme for adults with learning disabilities living in Scotland, with approximately 1,000 members. Members can participate in activities, vote for the Board, stand for Board elections, attend conferences, and represent People First in meetings.
• Local Group Support Services Support for local self-advocacy groups across Scotland, facilitated by National Development Workers and Local Development Workers covering regions including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Clackmannanshire, and Midlothian.
• Hospital Advocacy Project Advocacy support provided by Merwain Graham, National Development Worker, to assist people with learning disabilities during hospital visits and care.
• SOLD Project National Development Project managed by Franck David, providing advocacy and development support for people with learning disabilities.
• Gender-Based Violence Support Specialised support and development work led by Jo Kyrtsi addressing gender-based violence issues affecting people with learning disabilities.
• Equally Safe Project National project focused on keeping people with learning disabilities safe, managed by Joyce Patton in Glasgow.
• Parents' Group Support Support group for parents with learning disabilities, facilitated by Claire Lyall as National and Glasgow Development Worker.
• Student Placement Program Regular student placement opportunities for Universities running Social Work courses, with members involved in assessing students' practice. Some of the staff are qualified social workers and one is a qualified practice educator.
• Volunteer Advisor Program Volunteer advisor positions supporting local groups, requiring good communication skills and commitment to user-led support approaches.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mencap (Royal Mencap Society): The UK's largest charity working with people with learning disabilities. Overlaps strongly with People First Scotland's mission but operates at a UK-wide scale with significantly larger funding, brand, and statutory service contracts.
• United Response: A UK-wide charity providing personalised support for people with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs. Comparable in advocacy and user-led support philosophy but operates England-and-Wales focused at a much larger scale.
• Sense (UK): A UK-wide disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities, including those with learning disabilities, through services and campaigns. Comparable in advocacy and member-support scope but at much larger national scale.
• Hft (Home Farm Trust): A major UK charity providing personalised support for people with learning disabilities, including housing, advocacy, and employment services. Comparable in beneficiary population but operates at UK scale with direct service delivery.
• Turning Point (UK): A UK social enterprise delivering learning disability, mental health, and substance use services. Comparable as a large-scale provider of disability advocacy and support, offering a benchmark for what an at-scale version of People First's mission could look like.

Direct peers

• Inclusion Scotland: A confederation of disability organisations and disabled people in Scotland focused on human rights, independent living, and social model advocacy. Comparable as a Scottish disability advocacy umbrella organisation engaging with public policy on similar issues.
• ENABLE Scotland: Scotland's largest learning disability charity, providing campaigning, membership, and tailored support services for people with learning disabilities. Directly comparable to People First Scotland as a fellow Scottish DPO serving the same constituency with member-led advocacy.
• Down's Syndrome Scotland: Scotland's national association supporting people with Down's syndrome and their families through information, advocacy, and member services. Comparable as a Scotland-focused disability membership and advocacy organisation.
• Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD): Scotland's national learning disability strategic body working on rights, inclusion, and policy. Operates in the same Scottish learning-disability advocacy space, often partnering with grass-roots DPOs like People First.

Regional players

• People First (England): An England-based self-advocacy organisation for people with learning disabilities. Closely comparable in mission and user-led model, providing a structural parallel that signals potential for cross-border federation or shared services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about People First Scotland