Invisible (Edinburgh) regularly welcomes students from Wisconsin, USA as our tour is a regular feature on their regional school programme!
Counselling students regularly travel to Scotland for a study trimester and as part of their course, they always take a tour with us.
Today, one of their students has sent us a lovely review, so we thought we would share it with you all:
“Coming into the trip, I knew a little about the views of society in Scotland. I had heard that they are much more ‘democratic’ and are very caring for those in need. I think it is unfair and completely frustrating that in the American society we have to immediately classify caring for others as being a political party, or associate caring about others as expensive.
In America many homeless people are victim blamed, or just ignored as a real issue in general. I liked the UK perspective how treating the person as a whole and providing them with resources…
Sonny was great at showing this through the locations he brought us. He showed us the typical historical tour sites. He also offered insight to the resources the locals had. He did share locations that people who become homeless often stay near or in.
I thought as a whole, the social enterprise systems where fantastic for society and taking on a cause to help society benefit, rather than a business to make profit for specific set of people and but the vulnerable people at a greater risk.
Sonny helped show that stigmas and stereotypes can be reduced through knowledge and understanding of those around you; that is just what the tour helped me see.
It was incredibly informative by not only showing how or where people in need may live, but by also sharing that people in Scotland are able to get the financial support they need to better themselves and start making changes.
In America, this process is similar… but much slower and with little support for realistic humane living conditions. By sticking up for others rights and well-being, we are able to create a better society around us. In addition to not being faced with the upset or guilt when seeing people who became homeless in the United States.
Overall, it was an incredible and eye-opening experience to see first-hand experience with how Scotland deals with those who are a more targeted group of society in America. I would recommend others to do a similar tour if they had the chance.
The knowledge learned from Sonny about Social Enterprises, makes me realize how simply sustainable a business helping others can be, and how it in-turn positively effects society.”
To read other reviews or to leave one yourself if you have been on one of our tours, visit our Trip Advisor page!
