“Being involved with the Spokesperson Network is an experience I will never forget. It feels like I am part of an incredible, unique family. I have learned so much. I always come away with renewed passion, and the goal to keep going no matter how complex the issues I am trying to highlight.”
Amanda Hailes, Women’s Rights Campaigner and Peer Researcher
I am proud to announce that applications are now open to recruit a new cohort of leaders to take part in sounddelivery’s Spokesperson Network Programme and I’d love you to share it with your networks or if you see yourself in the applicant profile – apply!
For those of you who are new to sounddelivery, we have been working in the charity sector since 2008 and on the 1st February 2021, we were granted charitable status for sounddelivery media. We work alongside people with direct experience of social injustice and inequalities to advocate for themselves and their communities publicly. We do this by providing training, support, mentoring, media meet ups and media opportunities. We work to address representation and diversity of voice in the media, finding platforms for our networks and building trusted relationships with journalists and media professionals. We do this work in partnership with other charities most recently the Family Rights Group and Z2K as well as through our own created spokesperson programme.
Our spokesperson programme started as a pilot launched off the back of a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2018/2019 which raised nearly £12k from the crowd and was subsequently supported by The Tudor Trust Lankelly Chase Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. For our pilot we invited a small group of changemakers including a founder of a user-led organisation, a small charity CEO, poet, rapper, hip hop artist and campaigner, people all with personal experience of the issue they wanted to amplify and where they were already using their expertise to develop solutions to social inequality and social injustice.
Their feedback has helped to shape the new programme. We held a learning event bringing together funders, journalists and charity sector organisations and shared the learning from the pilot. You can read that here.
“Every workshop has been insightful; it has shown me to believe in myself and the power my story has. I learnt to be more confident in the things I have to say and has given me a chance to learn from my peers. Speaking to the media has shown me that I don’t have to be afraid.”
Brenda Birungi aka Lady Unchained
So we’re looking for 14 new participants who will be united in using their lived experience to create a positive change in and for their communities.
- You are using your lived experience to raise awareness of your community or starting to advocate for others and would like to build your skills and confidence to reach bigger audiences
- You may be running a user-led organisation
- You may be an individual using the arts to amplify your lived experience
- You are supporting the communities you represent
- You want to find solutions to the challenges your community faces
- You are wanting to speak more publicly and be more visible, particularly in the media
- You haven’t had regular media platforms and are ready to take on new opportunities that come with the programme.
Please do find out more about the programme and help us spread the work by sharing with your networks.
A programme like this matters – particularly when so many feel that they are not being listened to and don’t feel that they have the networks and platforms to lead the change they would like to see. This programme will give a network of leaders and indirectly their communities the skills, confidence, networks, peer support and platforms that they deserve.
During the last year, the pandemic brought to the surface the inequalities that are being faced by so many. But what has given me hope and what has kept me going are the leaders in the community who despite everything are leading with dignity and courage when it seems that they are being failed by those in positions of power.
Helena and I want to say a huge thanks to our funders The Tudor Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Lankelly Chase Foundation for believing in our vision and our plans for this programme and have funded the scale up. To our alumni who we continue to work closely with and are using their expertise in such incredible ways – becoming go to people for journalists, winning awards for their media work, receiving funding to develop their own projects, influencing policy makers and the public harnessing their lived experience.
We’re looking forward to receiving lots of applications deadline for applications is Friday 30th April at 10am. Thank you for spreading the word.
For further information and to find out how to apply click here.
‘I have been more confident in presenting since the programme. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and spoken more publicly about my experiences in the media, and at a festival. I am leading by example and long term will encourage the Peer Power community to be more confident and visible, in ways that are safe and trauma responsive. This will be vital as we address systems that have failed us and policies that are not fit for purpose.’
Anne-Marie Douglas, Peer Power UK