A native of Burundi, Wilson came to study at the University of Salford in 2005. His early days were immersed as a volunteer, particularly in communities new to the UK. As a leader in the Salford Forum for Refugees and people seeking asylum, Wilson discovered the power of festivals in building community cohesion: events to share our cultural heritage, meet our neighbours, learn from each other, make new friends and build a sense of ‘who we are’. His work as a local councillor for Langworthy seeks to bridge his neighbourhood’s voices and local policy development, fuelling positive social change. Wilson has seen how residents have struggled under austerity policies that reinforced poverty. He has also seen success stories of people who made better lives for themselves and policies that underpinned those transformations.

"I started as a volunteer. Now I have come to a stage where I can catalyse voices of unheard people and bring them to a table where decisions are made."

His work with the University of Salford and Salford City Council has supported community and cultural events across the city, including the Love Langworthy festival. Wilson now sits on Salford’s steering group for Ripples of Hope, a February 2021 festival in Greater Manchester created by Robert F. Kennedy for Human Rights UK to celebrate the power of people to make human rights a reality for all.