Glasgow to host major global homelessness conference

UK charity, the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) is set to host the Global Street Paper Summit at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) this September.

Founded by The Big Issue, INSP represents over 90 organisations in 35 countries with the collective aim of tackling homelessness and poverty.

GCU will host the event from 1 to 3 September in their capacity as the “University of the Common Good”, a principle central to the university’s goal to become a global leader in social innovation. The event will deepen the pre-existing relationship between INSP and GCU, after INSP gifted GCU over 8,000 street papers last year.

Participants in this global homelessness conference include street paper editors, journalists, social and support workers, from Asia, Europe, North and Latin America. The summit is an exciting opportunity to showcase Glasgow’s rich social heritage, with a cultural programme also taking place the day before the main conference starts.

Delegates will stay at The Social Hub in the Merchant City of Glasgow, which is where the INSP Awards evening will also be held on 3 September, giving recognition to the hard work and dedication of street papers globally.

This year, the main themes of the summit include strategy, organisational development, journalism in increasingly authoritarian countries, and supporting people in poverty. These themes will explore how street papers can remain hopeful in challenging times, the advancements and risks of AI, protections for journalists under increasingly totalitarian regimes, and the most effective way to meet the needs of diverse communities.

Keynote speakers announced

INSP is delighted to announce three keynote speakers for this year’s summit: Adele Zeynep Walton is a journalist, online safety campaigner and author of ‘Logging Off: the Human Cost of Our Digital World’, who will talk about the impact of independent journalism; Professor of Social Justice, John McKendrick, co-director of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Unit, and Commissioner of Fair Access with the Scottish Government, who will talk about what poverty in Scotland can teach us globally; and respected journalist and academic Leona O’Neill, founder of MediaStrong, will talk about better health and wellbeing in our newsrooms.

The summit is a fantastic opportunity for people from street papers around the world to share ideas and inspiration. However, street papers often work amongst very marginalised communities, limiting their budget and therefore their ability to attend this event.

Sponsorship and partnerships

INSP is actively seeking sponsors and partners who can contribute to this year’s programme and play an active role in the global fight against poverty.

Mike Findlay-Agnew, Chief Executive of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), comments: “The 2026 Global Street Paper Summit in Glasgow provides an unparalleled opportunity for Scotland to welcome international homelessness organisations. We are actively seeking partners who will support our scholarship programme, enabling an even greater number of delegates at our event, as well as wider contributions towards our programme. The persistent problem of poverty, and its associated issues, remains prevalent not just here in Scotland, but around the world, and our summit aims to look at some solutions to these pressing social issues.

“Street paper organisations remain at the forefront of services aimed at giving people a dignified way to earn an income as a way out of poverty. There are around 10,000 vendors working each day globally, and our street paper colleagues are continually under pressure to innovate and sustain their services despite the challenges. However, we cannot go it alone. This is why we are inviting new partnerships to support us in delivering the Glasgow summit this year. In return, partners will have the chance to feature in our global newswire, which distributes stories to all our members, and will feature and influence the summit’s programme.”

Sponsorship options range from £1,500 – £3,000 and include scholarships for street paper staff to attend the Glasgow event, through to supporting evening activities and the INSP Awards. Click here for more information.

For more details, please contact INSP directly at info@insp.ngo