YOU CAN’T FIND YOUR VOICE

IF YOU DON’T USE IT

About The Voice Lab

The Voice Lab began as a grassroots initiative in Lanarkshire, created in response to a clear need for accessible communication training and opportunities for young people. What started as a small community project has grown into a charity dedicated to helping young people find their voice and use it with confidence.

As a charity, we reinvest our resources into expanding our programmes and strengthening our impact across the community. Our focus is simple: to make high‑quality communication coaching available to every young person, regardless of background or circumstance.

Working in partnership with local groups, schools and youth organisations, we’ve developed a distinctive approach that blends communication coaching with personal development and community building. Our workshops are practical, supportive and rooted in real‑world skills that help young people thrive in education, work and everyday life.

The Voice Lab believes every young person deserves to be given the communication skills that will help them flourish.

Our purpose is to make those skills accessible to all.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to help young people find their voice, build confidence, and develop essential communication skills that support them in education, work and everyday life.

OUR VISION

Is a Scotland where every young person no matter their background, can express themselves with clarity and confidence, shaping their future and their communities.

Our Approach

  • Young people are involved from the beginning, helping shape activities, identify real-world speaking scenarios that matter to them, and determine how success should be measured.

  • We provide authentic platforms for young people to use their voice in ways that matter, from school assemblies to community forums to digital media projects.

  • We establish psychological safety through group agreements, progressive challenges, positive reinforcement, and a focus on growth rather than perfection.

  • Programmes draw on young people's own stories, cultures and interests rather than imposing standard speaking topics or styles that may feel disconnected from their lives.

  • Activities gradually increase in challenge, starting with low-risk speaking opportunities and building toward more public platforms as confidence grows.

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.”

Ralf Woldo Emerson

The voice lab

The voice lab

OUR VALUES - CLEAR VOICE

We live our values in everything we do

Courage - Speaking up with confidence even when it feels challenging, and supporting others to take brave steps in sharing their voice.

Learning - Growing through reflection, embracing feedback, and recognising that finding your voice is a journey, not a destination.

Equality - Ensuring every voice matters and every story counts by actively addressing barriers to participation and expression.

Authenticity - Valuing being real over being perfect, celebrating genuine expression rather than polished performance.

Respect - Listening deeply and sharing with care, creating spaces where different perspectives are honoured.

Voice - Recognising the power in both speaking up and making space for others, valuing your own and others' perspectives equally.

Openness - Recognising the power in both speaking up and making space for others, valuing your own and others' perspectives equally.

Inclusion - Creating spaces where everyone belongs and can participate fully, adapting our approaches to meet diverse needs.

Confidence - Building belief through practice, celebrating progress, and recognising that confidence grows through supportive challenge.

Empowerment - Supporting young people to use their voice to create positive change in their lives, communities and beyond.

Meet Margaret

The Voice Lab was created and is led by Margaret Gilmour. With professional expertise in journalism, youth coaching and motivational interviewing training, Margaret brings over 30 years of experience in coaching, mentoring, transformational learning and youth development.

She is a producer and journalist with a decade of experience across multiple news outlets, including seven years with BBC Scotland as a Broadcast Journalist on Reporting Scotland and The Nine. Her work in journalism sharpened her strengths in storytelling, interviewing and presenting, abilities she now passes on to Scotland’s next generation.

Her credentials include:

  • MA Journalism (former BBC Scotland journalist, producer, film-maker & documentary producer)

  • SQA-qualified Assessor & Verifier

  • CIPD-accredited Trainer

  • Speech and Drama coaching

  • BSc in Health and Social Welfare

  • Extensive delivery for Glasgow University Addiction training for professional staff across Scotland & Glasgow Guarantee modern apprenticeship programme

  • Mentor to hundreds of young people, specialising in public speaking and mindset development

  • Expert in motivational interviewing and behavioural change coaching.

Margaret Gilmour - Founder