This interview is with Vineet Lal, who describes himself as a Southsider, although the family settled in Leith in Edinburgh on first arriving in the capital. Vineet is from an auspicious Edinburgh family. Both his mother and father were involved in many initiatives in Edinburgh to combat racism in the city, in education and in civic life. He is mindful of that legacy as he prepares for the Saroj Lal awards in June 2026 - the awards for school children and city schools which are named after his mother. He now considers himself as an activist.