Glory: How I’m striving for change and a better society
Change happens when people work together to demand it, and we love hearing inspiring stories of people doing just that.
This blog showcases the experiences of Glory Omoaka, who has worked with a huge range of people and groups to challenge the injustices she has encountered, and to remove hurdles for other people.
In recent years, Glory has:
Helped to change the unjust funding rules that denied her vital support for her nursing training.
Campaigned for more dignified approaches to help people going through food insecurity.
Worked with The Food Foundation on a range of campaigns to empower low-income communities.
Joined a Poverty Truth Commission in Scotland to help shape systems where she lives
Become a trustee with Church Action on Poverty, to help drive change across the UK
Been one of the leading voices in the Let’s End Poverty work.
What motivates Glory to consistently step up?
“I want change. I want a better society. I want to see smiles on people’s faces, and to see things done in the right way.”
Glory's introduction to activism
One of Glory’s first campaigning experiences came when she was doing her nursing qualifications in Glasgow, with the aim of working in the NHS. Glory was born in Nigeria, but the rules on student funding for people born outside the UK were very outdated, and she was being denied support that other students could access. Glory could see that the world of work was evolving, and the rules needed to be reformed.
The Poverty Truth Commission in Scotland helped arrange meetings with Ministers, but only after taking a legal case was she given the support she was due – but she then faced similar inequality while continuing her training. Other student nurses were awarded funding to help with travel costs to their placements, and other expenses, but Glory was not.
“I struggled and struggled through the pandemic, and was watching my coursemates accessing support and enjoying their studies while I was struggling. It was not a fair system. Even though I was down, I wanted to stay to the end. There was another woman in the same situation and she took Legal Aid to get a lawyer, and with the support of the charity JustRight Scotland, we took the case and won, and the long-term residency rules were changed.
“I went through some horrible situations, I do not have the words to describe what I went through, but I have always wanted to help people, and I have often met with MPs or MSPs to show what should change.”
Following that relationship, Glory has been a member of JustRight Scotland’s panel.
Glory: food in focus
Another of Glory’s big areas of focus has been food. During the Covid lockdowns, some councils were giving low-income families vouchers that could only be used in certain shops, and Glory was among the groups calling for more dignified cash payments instead.
She has also encouraged community food projects to ensure they offer a diverse range of food, to reflect the cultures and backgrounds of different groups, and is also involved in campaigns to reduce sugar and junk-food advertising.
“We are also campaigning for free school meals to be extended and to be allocated automatically, so people who don’t have internet access or struggle with filling in the form are not left out. And I also volunteer with the Dignity project with Nourish Scotland, working to ensure people who access food banks are treated in a dignified way.
“When I first went on to Universal Credit, I was given a food bank voucher but I did not need it immediately, so saved it. When I then tried to use it, I was told it had expired and I was called terrible names and called a thief. I did not want anyone else to go through this, so I have been campaigning in this regard, to give holistic support to people at food banks.”
Glory is also a member of Nourish Scotland’s meaningful participation panel, and also a Food Foundation ambassador, which involves talking about poverty and food insecurity, and campaigning for things like free school meals, and helping to support families.
Challenging UK poverty
In 2023-24, through her work with the Poverty Truth Commission in Glasgow, Glory was introduced to the Let’s End Poverty campaign, and became a member of the steering group.
As part of that, she was one of 15 contributors to Dear Prime Minister, a collection of letters to Sir Keir Starmer from people with personal experience of poverty, and she attended the launch event at the House of Commons.
“It felt very good doing that. How rare it is to have an opportunity to express your experience and to have a voice. Even if the outcomes are slow, it gives a relief. I was happy with that opportunity and hope that work continues. Through Let’s End Poverty, I met Church Action on Poverty, and now I have become a trustee.”
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