Erin's Trip to 10 Downing Street

Erin, our Comely Bank Café Manager, was recently invited to 10 Downing Street for their Burns Night Reception on 27 January 2026. This incredible honour came shortly after she won the Social Enterprise Scotland Employee Champion Award at the end of 2025, in recognition of her hard work and dedication to supporting young people through both her lived experience and professional skills.

We’re thrilled to share Erin’s experience with you. Hear all about it directly from her below:

“I was confused when I got the invitation, I thought it was fake, but once I knew it was real, I was baffled why I was going and got invited. I never expected someone like myself to be there and get invited.

I was excited to go there. I wasn’t nervous, as I felt like it could lead me somewhere, to where I want to be, to having my own café and business, and I thought if I met people, I could get opportunities, and it would be good to know people high up to help me open doors to getting my business.

It was an amazing experience. I didn’t know what to expect and what we were walking into. I had to say my name and walk through a metal detector to get in, and I had to turn my phone off and give it to them to lock it away until the end. It felt wrong for me to be there, as everyone was double/triple my age, and everyone was looking at me as if I was a bairn there, and one guy said I looked 14. I met lots of people from the telly, like Channel 4, and met authors. I met the lady who wrote How to Train Your Dragon, and I was trying to act normal, as it was the film I watched when I was younger. As soon as I left, I was texting my sister saying, “Mind that film we used to watch when we were young, I just met the author.” I also met loads of MPs and parliament.

When I left, I asked Will, “How do we get involved and do the catering?” as the food wasn’t up to Scran’s standard.

After the event, I felt good and still baffled, as people were coming up to me and asking me who I am, and I felt special. I was trying to keep cool and chill, it was weird. Very glad I went, but it was much better that Will came with me. I’d feel more comfortable going to something like that again in the future, and I feel proud. My biggest fear is going into a room full of lots of new people, but after having to go on stage at the Social Enterprise Scotland Awards to get my award, now that doesn’t bother me. Getting to go to these things makes me feel I am doing something right.”

Erin Hutton.