Lived Experience Conference
Lovely to be able to attend the lived experience conference with a few of our peer support volunteers today. We had some wonderful conversations and listened to fantastic talks with other organisations that follow a similar ethos and approach as we do as a charity. Sharing personal experiences, invaluable knowledge and insight to support and more authentically connect with others.
It's not a typical approach to services but there's connection and community that cant be recreated in the same way. Well being and mental health rely on community to thrive. Todays conversations reconfirmed the benefits and goals we have as an organisation.
I couldn't be prouder of our volunteers that attended with me today. Week in and week out they give their time and energy on the ground to support our service users. They share their voices through advocacy, peer support and their own lives relating to neurodiversity and beyond. Without that level of commitment, we wouldn't have the community we have supporting neurodivergent people in Tees Valley.
While today was a great opportunity to network and learn, it was more of a chance to celebrate how the lived experience approach has seen our own members thrive, develop to become volunteers themselves and stand at the heart of the charity and our community.
Chelle Waddington (CEO)
