
By Simon Bamford, Expert Citizen Since having the opportunity of being involved in this project I’ve been considering poverty and hardship more often and more deeply than I usually do….
By Simon Bamford, Expert Citizen Since having the opportunity of being involved in this project I’ve been considering poverty and hardship more often and more deeply than I usually do….
APLE Collective & Joseph Rowntree Foundation – -Redirecting
Expert Citizens Expert Citizens featuring on netECR – Redirecting
By Phil Parkes, Expert Citizen Just a few things first, in order to fully understand my meaning behind all what I’m about to say it would be beneficial to have…
This year’s National INSIGHT Awards has now been and gone, but what a day it was! With representation from over 80 organisations from across the UK Expert Citizens CIC would like to thank everyone that attended and participated for helping make it the best one yet.
We are three organisations that are passionate that the voice of lived experience drives the work we do. All too often, being homeless, struggling with poor health, drugs, alcohol or the many other challenges we face, also means that our voices are not heard in the decisions that affect us. This needs to change.
We want to see a commitment from all political parties that policy decisions are made with the full participation of people affected by those decisions.
People that work for local and national government take decisions that affect our lives every day. Decisions that change our access to health services, our housing, our recovery, and many other things that impact our lives. In many cases when local decisions are made there is a legal duty to consult people who are affected by it. But we don’t always have the opportunity to have our say.
Having personal experience gives real insight into the realities of living with social exclusion. It’s a wasted opportunity when society is not harnessing all the skills, knowledge and creativity that we have. Including this insight in decision making about ways to prevent and solve the challenges we face, will lead to better decisions and better policy.
That’s why we’re asking that any future government commits to recognising our skills, to hearing our voice, so that there is ‘nothing about us, without us’.
By Laura Furness, Head of Funding for The National Lottery Community Funds Fulfilling Lives programme Our National INSIGHT Awards, now in their fourth year celebrate examples of positive and outstanding…