Guildford Action was bustling on Thursday 25th September with passionate and powerful voices. VOICES SUPPORT, a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO) in Surrey, held their highly anticipated launch event at Beverley Hall.
Many showed their faces to learn and collaborate with people from various facets of the health and social care system.
LEROs are organisations created by those with lived experience in drug and alcohol addiction recovery. Their mantra is lived experience, and they work to provide resources to those who need them, join people to services that can help them, promote advocacy and encourage community engagement. Through peer-led management and flexibility, they empower people to reform their lives.
VOICES = Voices Of Individuals Creating Equity & Support
VOICES, led by director, Jamie Poole, is an organisation comprised of people who share a passion for lived experience and advocacy. We know that those who draw on support services are vital in the design and delivery of them.
In 2023, VOICES set out to increase the volume of vital voices in Surrey, to ensure that services are equipped to support those with multiple disadvantage. Since their formation, VOICES has worked with The Changing Futures Programme in Surrey, including the Bridge the Gap project, which sees 12 local charities running a trauma-informed relational outreach service.
VOICES has worked to co-produce services and policies, and they supported Surrey’s first Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for multiple disadvantage.
The purpose of last Thursday’s launch event was to showcase the successes so far, their vision, goals, ambitions and plans. With the support from wonderful and engaging speakers, they succinctly presented why the organisation exists, who they support and how they can do this. Lisa Byrne, Programme Delivery Manager for Surrey’s Changing Futures, stood as a representative of the national programme.
She introduced the organisation and their link to VOICES, immediately demonstrating the dedication and expertise behind the work. This was followed by Jamie Poole, who took us on his journey of multiple disadvantage, summarising VOICES and what they offer.
If you’d like to learn more, support VOICES or transform your service read the full story here.
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We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector.
This content was created by VOICES