Our Spokesperson Network is a dynamic community of leaders with lived experience of social injustice or inequality united in using their firsthand insights to create a positive change in and for their communities.
Developed collaboratively with a network of grassroots leaders, our eight-month training programme equips participants with the practical skills, confidence, support and platforms to be visible public spokespeople for the community they represent.
We help to amplify their voices, expertise, and stories.
Their insights could identify solutions and create lasting change. But we know from working with charities, and training experts with experience that their voices and stories often go unheard.
That’s where the Spokesperson Network comes in. It is designed to bolster their impact in various settings, influencing media narratives, policy-making and driving public awareness.
“I’ve gone from standing in the picket lines trying to shout over a sea of other voices to being able to walk in the front door and have a conversation face to face, valued conversation and they are actually listening.”
This programme tackles the barriers to engaging with journalists and aims to diversify the voices we hear in the media to make it more representative of the society we live in. It aims to empower leaders with lived experience to be valued for their expertise in every space they enter.
Community matters. Grassroots leaders are too often isolated and this network provides an invaluable community, people they can turn to for support and advice, share resources and knowledge.
Watch a snapshot of the Spokesperson Network in the media below, find more on our impact page, and find the latest on our hashtag #SDMNetwork.