The 2025 Iona Community Lecture

Lecture postponed

We’re sorry to announce that the Iona Community Lecture originally scheduled for Friday, 13th June 2025 has been postponed due to unforeseen health concerns affecting our lecturers.

TheGKexperience remain enthusiastic about delivering the lecture and we are working with them to reschedule it. Everyone who has booked will be notified as soon as a new date is confirmed.

Further updates will be shared here in due course. Thank you for your understanding.

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We’re delighted to announce the 2025 Iona Community Lecture, taking place in partnership with theGKexperience (GK)—a community of young people and leaders dedicated to building relationships, creating opportunities and changing lives together.

🗓️ Date: Friday 13th June 2025
⏰ Time: 7:00pm 
📍 Location: Govan and Linthouse Parish Church and online

About the lecture

For many years, GK has journeyed with young people from across Glasgow, including time spent at Camas, the Iona Community’s residential outdoor activity centre on the Isle of Mull. Like the Iona Community, GK prioritises community—making clear that “theGKexperience is not a programme, but a community.”

In this inspiring lecture, GK will share their long-term relational approach to youth work, supporting young people who face unfair barriers of poverty, inequality, and injustice. Together with young leaders, they’ll unpack how they challenge harmful assumptions that label young people as no-hopers or troublemakers, instead recognising them as Scotland’s next generation of leaders.

You’ll hear powerful stories from both youth and adult leaders who’ve grown through GK—from receiving support to stepping into leadership as volunteers themselves.

Their approach is rooted in:

•  listening deeply to young people
• understanding their context and behaviours
• staying flexible and responsive
• offering meaningful opportunities for responsibility and leadership

Who should come?

This event is for anyone passionate about youth work, community building, education, inclusion, and social justice. Whether you’re part of a youth organisation, a faith community, or simply curious to learn more—you’re warmly invited.

We’d love for you to join us, and help us spread the word by sharing this invitation through your networks!

Come and be inspired by the stories, wisdom, and leadership of Scotland’s brilliant young people.

Facilitators

theGKexperience is a youth work charity in Glasgow and the wider area. Founded on the belief that all young people are brilliant, and that they all deserve the same opportunities to succeed, they work to make their aspirations a reality. They build long-term trusting and respectful relationships with young people and their families over years. They prioritise listening to their voices and are welcomed by them to offer support. GK are persistent in their engagement, love, and support, especially if it becomes difficult due the barriers they face. Working alongside young people in their local settings and outdoor residential and wilderness experiences, they help them to soar.  GK provide an integrated model of support across 4 areas: Residential experiences, local community work, a young leaders programme and tailored individual support.