Global experts to detail how science of relationships is key at Glasgow event

International experts will detail how to help disadvantaged Scots build brighter futures at a landmark conference backed by some of the country’s most influential charities.

Renowned academics and industry leaders will attend the two-day talks in Glasgow detailing how strong relationships and a sense of belonging help children and young people thrive.

The conference will examine how childhood trauma risks isolating young people but how they can gain a new sense of belonging in families, firms and communities.

Experts attending the event in Glasgow next month, will explain the biology, physiology and psychology underpinning and encouraging a person’s sense of belonging.

Broadcaster turned child therapist Kate Silverton will chair the event attended by a range of international experts, including best-selling US psychiatrist Dan Siegel and Gordon Neufeld, a Vancouver-based developmental psychologist.

The Biology of Belonging conference is being staged by the Tigers Group, which helps young people into training and work, while influential Third Sector organisations, Aberlour Children’s Charity and The Wise Group, will sponsor the event.

SallyAnn Kelly OBE, chief executive of Aberlour, said helping young Scots gain a sense of belonging is integral to the work of the charity, which is marking its 150th anniversary this year, and it is delighted to be supporting the conference.

She said: “Supporting disadvantaged children and young people who have faced difficulties and trauma has never been more important.

“Every child must be encouraged to thrive not just survive and that means ensuring they feel safe, loved and that they belong.

“This event will be an important opportunity to explore that sense of belonging and why it matters for all children, young people and families across Scotland.”

The Wise Group, a leading social enterprise supporting people into work and out of poverty, is proud to co-sponsor the event. Chief Executive Sean Duffy said: “At the Wise Group, we work with households navigating some of life’s toughest barriers - poverty, isolation, mental health challenges - and we know that real change starts with connection.

Belonging isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation for hope, resilience, and growth. It’s what enables people not just to survive, but to thrive.

This conference is an important opportunity to reflect on why belonging matters, and how we can embed it more assertively into the systems and services that shape young people’s lives.”

Pauline Scott, Tigers Group managing director, said: “Belonging is a fundamental biological need for our children, young people, and the adults in the lives of young people.

At the heart of this conference is a simple belief that when individuals experience true belonging, they can grow, heal, and thrive. That individual transformation, when nurtured and sustained, becomes the foundation of empowered communities. And those communities, in turn, hold the potential to shape more just, compassionate, and resilient societies.”

The Biology of Belonging conference, a not-for-profit event, will take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Glasgow on Wednesday 7 May and Thursday 8 May.

More information at learnwithtigers.co.uk

Aberlour’s response to the Scottish Government’s consultation Empowering Schools: A Consultation on the Provisions of the Education (Scotland) Bill