Mel Young is President of the Homeless World Cup which he co-founded in 2003. Under his leadership, the organisation has expanded all over the world and now has partners in over 70 countries, touching the lives of over 100,000 homeless people every year – more than one million people in the last decade. There have been 20 annual events across the world since 2003, including Mexico City, Rio, Paris, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Santiago, Melbourne, Milan, Seoul and Oslo in 2025.
Having initially worked as a journalist, including on a community newspaper in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh, he co-founded The Big Issue in Scotland in 1993. He also co-founded Senscot (Social Entrepreneurs Network Scotland), the City Lynx magazine and the New Consumer magazine. He is the former President and Honorary President of INSP (International Network for Street Papers). He has five Honorary Degrees from Scottish Universities. He has received several awards, including an MBE and the prestigious Jackie Robinson Humanitarian Award. He was given The Edinburgh Award in 2024. He believes passionately that homelessness can be ended and has dedicated most of his life since 1993 in various practical and global initiatives working with homeless people to change their lives.