We welcome two new Trustees
Sounddelivery Media has appointed two new Trustees as the charity continues its next phase of growth.
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“I want to ensure that every young adult living with a hidden disability feels seen, supported and empowered to advocate for the change they deserve.”
When Amy Thompson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) shortly after her 21st birthday, her life changed overnight. Alongside coming to terms with her diagnosis, she quickly realised how few spaces existed for young adults navigating life with a hidden disability.
Rather than accept that gap, Amy set out to change it.
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“Isaac’s idea to give away free food on our driveway now feeds 5,000 people a year.”
When nine-year-old Isaac suggested giving away free food from his family’s driveway, nobody imagined where it would lead. Six years later, what began with an old pop-up greenhouse is now a six-site food bank supporting 5,000 people each year across Redditch. In this blog, his mum Claire Simmons, part of our Spokesperson Leadership Programme, shares their story.
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“I want to make sure that refugee and migrant communities are represented directly and powerfully.”
Oksana Kalala is the Founder and Managing Director of New Arrivals CIC, a grassroots charity which supports refugees and migrants and their integration into the UK.
Drawing on her own lived experience, Oksana set out to help others have a less turbulent start in a new country. As one of our 2026 spokespeople, she hopes to gain the confidence, skills and experience to further amplify and support others.
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“For many years, I thought the problem was me.”
When Elsy Gomez Campos wrote a blog about racial discrimination in pharmacy in 2018, she wasn’t expecting the response. Messages flooded in from Black pharmacy professionals sharing similar experiences. Now part of our Spokesperson Leadership Programme, she shares why she founded the UK Black Pharmacists Association and her ambition to bring more people into the conversation about racial discrimination in pharmacy.
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“When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan…my life was in great danger.”
Having experienced first-hand the challenges of fleeing conflict and rebuilding a life in the UK, Said Mir Ahmad Seerat now works to support refugees and migrants in Hull. As part of our Spokesperson Leadership Programme, he shares his passion for helping others integrate and his commitment to creating positive change.
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“Disabled people are tracked like an issue to be solved or a deficit on a spreadsheet. No. We’re human beings with feelings, wants and aspirations.”
Ten years ago, Hope Lightowler was told she would never work, live independently or stay out of hospital. Today, she’s doing all three. As she joins our Spokesperson Leadership Programme, Hope reflects on the role good social care has played in her life, the barriers disabled people still face and why she’s using her voice for change.
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“One of the biggest challenges is being heard while looking the way I do.”
Sport should be for everybody, yet many Muslim communities still face barriers to feeling welcome, safe and represented in sporting spaces. Having joined our Spokesperson Leadership Programme, Asma Ajaz-Ali, interim CEO of Muslim Sports Foundation, reflects on her mission to make sport more inclusive for Muslim communities.
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Meet the 2026 Spokesperson Leadership Programme cohort
The people closest to social issues should be at the centre of conversations shaping change. That’s why we’re proud to welcome 14 new grassroots leaders to our 2026 Spokesperson Leadership Programme.
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Be part of the change: sponsor the Festival of Learning
In 2024, 275 people joined us for Sounddelivery Media’s first Festival of Learning. Across eight days of practical workshops, honest conversations and peer learning, we created space for people with lived experience to strengthen their voice, build confidence and influence change.