Ella Quinn is one of those unique people in life who manage to bring joy and kindness to every situation and always acts with compassion first when campaigning for change. As a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament Board, she has been integral in directing our organisation through a newly-launched 2026-2031 Manifesto, a new five-year strategy and a substantial governance review to revamp how we operate and how we better support the young people we work with. In October she was elected as Vice-Chair of SYP.

Recently, Ella has co-designed and delivered a very successful campaign on the accessibility of period products in secondary schools (called PADS: Providing Access and Dismantling Stigma) after recognising that there is still a significant gap in how young people talk about menstrual health and how accessible period products are to those who need them. She worked in partnership with a fellow MSYP to conduct surveys across Angus and Aberdeenshire to understand young people’s experiences, which was compiled into a report that was then showcased at an online launch event. 

Ella’s other campaigning passion is youthwork – fighting for increased investment and for a commitment from decision-makers to protect it against further cuts. She spoke in front of leading civil servants on the issue; calling for them to improve the transparency on where funding is spent and what local councils use the allocated budget for. Ella then followed up with decision-makers, pushing them for further action when she felt like more could be done and has written a ‘youth work guide’ to help other young people campaign on the issue in their local areas.

Ella has done all of this while working and supporting her family through periods of ill health. She is an incredible young woman, constantly seeking ways to fight for what she believes in and make the world a better place for young people. Our world is better for having her in it. Her next focus will be on improving the mental health support available to 16 and 17 year olds, a specific group who Ella has realised are often left in limbo.