Children's Parliament

What Children's Parliament does

Children's Parliament is a Scottish charity (SC 026247) and company incorporated in Scotland (SC170891), founded in 1996 and headquartered at Summerhall, Edinburgh. The organization advances children's human rights through a rights-based practice that combines creative engagement, workshops, and consultation processes, enabling children aged roughly 2-14 to share ideas and influence decisions affecting their lives. Core programmes include the Child Human Rights Defenders flagship, the annual Cabinet meeting with the Scottish Government and First Minister, the National Sitting events, the Unfearties adult-ally movement, and five programme areas spanning Early Years and Family Life, Schools and Learning, Community, Health and Wellbeing, and Professional Learning.

The operating model is built around a distributed cohort of Members of Children's Parliament (MCPs) recruited across Scotland's 32 local authorities, supplemented by ad-hoc consultation cohorts. Service delivery channels are school-based workshops, community-based delivery, and formal government partnerships; all services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Tangible outputs include published reports, murals, films, and a validated My Life in Scotland subjective wellbeing survey instrument developed with Scottish Government funding.

The business model is grant-funded and not commercial. Revenue derives from charitable foundations (Robertson Trust, National Lottery Community Fund Young Start, Comic Relief), Scottish Government funds (NYVOSF, Community Safety Unit, Fairer Scotland Fund), local authority and NHS board commissions, and ad-hoc donations. Customer counterparties are exclusively public-sector or charitable: Scottish Government, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, Creative Scotland, RoSPA, multiple local authorities, and partner NGOs such as Save the Children. There is no disclosed pricing model, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no commercial product line.

Name

Children's Parliament

Legal name

Children's Parliament

Website

https://childrensparliament.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children's Parliament is a Scottish charity, founded 1996 and based in Edinburgh, that uses rights-based creative engagement to enable children aged 2-14 across Scotland to influence policy through consultations, school workshops, and annual Cabinet meetings with the Scottish Government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Rights Advocacy and Youth Participation Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Children's rights advocacy
• Youth participation programmes
• Rights-based engagement
• Policy consultation services
• Civic education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Children's Parliament operates primarily through grant funding from charitable foundations and government bodies. Funding sources include Robertson Trust's Beyond Pledges fund, The National Lottery Community Fund Young Start programme, and Scottish Government grants. The organization also receives support through Fairer Scotland Fund and other public funding mechanisms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Children's Parliament is a Scottish charity that enables children aged approximately 2–14 to share their ideas and experiences through rights-based creative engagement workshops, consultations, and participation projects, so that their views can influence local and national policy and legislation. The organization delivers structured programmes in schools and communities, runs annual Cabinet meetings with the Scottish Government, and provides professional learning for practitioners working with children.

Product overview

Children's Parliament is a Scottish charity offering a portfolio of rights-based programmes enabling children to share their ideas and influence positive change. The core offering includes the Child Human Rights Defenders programme, the annual Cabinet meetings with Scottish Government, and the Unfearties community movement. These are supported by five programme work areas covering Early Years & Family Life, Schools & Learning, Community, Health & Wellbeing, and Professional Learning. The organization also produces Learning Resources including published reports, toolkits, and consultation materials. The National Sitting events serve as annual flagship gatherings connecting children directly with decision-makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Human Rights Defenders Flagship programme that empowers experienced Members of Children's Parliament (MCPs) to act as human rights defenders, influencing policy and legislation on key issues affecting children across Scotland through participation in local, national, and international democratic processes.
• Unfearties A community movement encouraging adults to take a brave stand for children's human rights by making commitments to help ensure children are healthy, happy and safe. Participants wear the Unfeartie badge and join a community dedicated to realising children's human rights.
• National Sitting Annual national events that bring together Members of Children's Parliament with key decision makers from the Scottish Government, NHS, local authorities, and universities to discuss and take action on issues affecting children.
• Annual Cabinet and Executive Team Meetings Annual meetings where Members of Children's Parliament meet with the Scottish Cabinet and Executive Team, including the First Minister, to present their concerns and calls to action on issues affecting Scotland's children.
• Professional Learning Professional development and training services for practitioners working with children, including workshops on rights-based practice, consultation techniques, and children's participation methodologies.
• Learning Resources Published reports, toolkits, and educational materials documenting children's views on various issues and providing guidance for practitioners on engaging children in rights-based work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven annual Cabinet meetings held with children and Scottish Government Cabinet
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Save the ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Multi-year collaboration on 'Child Power: Growing Children's Activism to End Child Poverty' project. Funded by Robertson Trust's Beyond Pledges fund. Phase 1 (October 2025 - February 2026) gathered children's views on child poverty for Scottish elections. Phase 2 (2026-2027) supports children's activism in Easterhouse, Glasgow, with learning to be extended to other organizations across Scotland.
• City of Edinburgh CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered What Kind of Edinburgh project in partnership with Young Edinburgh Action, on behalf of City of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Children's Partnership. Supported children and young people in influencing the city's services plan.
• Young Edinburgh ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Children's Parliament on What Kind of Edinburgh project to facilitate creative sessions and engage children in developing Edinburgh's children's services plan.
• NHS LothiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded What Kind of Edinburgh project and commissioned Children's Parliament for NHS Lothian consultations on children's health and wellbeing strategy.
• Fife CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Fairer Fife Mural project exploring children's views on fairness. Children from Balcurvie, Denbeath, East Wemyss and Kennoway primaries participated. Mural helps Fife Council understand children's needs.
• East Lothian CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on StreetsAhead Tranent project. Fa'side Area Partnership (within East Lothian) contributed funds to allow children to travel to Geneva for UN Committee presentation.
• International Play AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Under the Same Sky international constellation project exploring children's rights and environment, featuring StreetsAhead Tranent at UN Day of General Discussion 2016.
• Children and Young People's Commissioner for ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Children's Parliament and International Play Association on Under the Same Sky project presented at UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
• Terre des HommesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in Under the Same Sky constellation working with children's rights organizations from Mozambique, Australia, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Brazil and Scotland.
• Fife Council Children and Early Years ServiceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned Creating a Culture of Kindness training for out of school care staff on consulting effectively with children and shaping Respect Policy.
• Police ScotlandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned Children's Parliament to engage children in consultation for Police Scotland's 2026: Serving a Changing Scotland 10-year strategy, ensuring children's voices inform future policing direction.
• Scottish Football AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered Gamechangers project enabling girls to develop skills and confidence through football, with residential activity week in Stirling.
• RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned Children's Parliament to consult with primary-aged children on home safety and accident prevention for RoSPA's home safety programme.
• Creative ScotlandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned Art Puts Colour and Joy Into Things consultation for development of Scottish National Youth Arts Strategy, engaging 135 children in P4-6.
• Architecture + Design ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRan Making Space international award and conference promoting innovation in design for children. Children's Parliament facilitated children's involvement in selecting award prize-winner.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Young Edinburgh Action: Named project partner with Children's Parliament on the What Kind of Edinburgh project; comparable focus on children's participation and consultation in Edinburgh, sharing methodology, funders (City of Edinburgh Council), and beneficiary base.
• Terre des Hommes: International children's rights NGO and named partner in Children's Parliament's Under the Same Sky international constellation. Highly comparable mission around child participation and rights, operating across more geographies.
• Save the Children UK: Current strategic partner on the multi-year Child Power programme funded by Robertson Trust. Operates in adjacent space as a children's rights and anti-poverty charity; comparable mission and overlapping beneficiary base of disadvantaged children in Scotland and the UK.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF UK: Largest global children's rights organization and natural comparator; engaged in children's rights advocacy with similar UNCRC framing Children's Parliament uses, and operates the office that presented the StreetsAhead mural (UN Geneva).
• Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland: Scotland's statutory Commissioner for children's rights; a direct, named partner of Children's Parliament on the Under the Same Sky submission to the UN. Overlaps as a national voice for children's rights and shares audience of Scottish policymakers.
• National Children's Bureau (NCB): UK-wide charity focused on children's wellbeing, rights, and participation in policy and practice. Comparable service offering around participation, training, and policy influence, though at greater UK-wide scale and serving a broader children's services sector.

Direct peers

• Children in Scotland: National membership organization working to promote children's rights, wellbeing, and participation across Scotland. Operates in the same Edinburgh-based third sector ecosystem, sharing partners, funders (e.g., Robertson Trust) and policy engagement with Scottish Government.
• Scottish Youth Parliament: Scotland's representative youth democratic body for ages 14-25. Closest functional peer to Children's Parliament's work, though it serves older young people; uses participation, voting, and direct engagement with Scottish Government on policy issues affecting young people in Scotland.
• Together Scotland (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights): National alliance of organizations and individuals working to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Scotland. A clear peer given overlapping mission, policy advocacy in Edinburgh, and overlapping government/policy relationships.

Regional players

• Who Cares? Scotland: Scotland-wide charity advocating for care-experienced children and young people. Shares operating geography, third sector funding ecosystem, and policy engagement with Scottish Government and local authorities on children's rights issues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Creative_Voices
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrensparliamentscotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Children's Parliament