There are 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability. According to a 2004 NHS report, 40 per cent of people with learning disabilities would like more say on issues that affect them. Changing Our Lives is a charity working to promote the rights of people with learning disabilities.
Working across the borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands Changing Our Lives supports people with learning disabilities to speak up for themselves so they can make their own decisions about their lives and be treated as equal citizens. The charity facilitates a People’s Parliament which is run by people with learning disabilities. The Parliament’s MPs meet monthly to discuss issues that affect people with learning disabilities and meet with decision makers, such as councillors and Westminster MPs, who implement policies.
In 2009 the charity approached the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales for funding. “We wanted to secure the salary cost of the Development Officer to enable us to develop and expand the People’s Parliament,” says Jayne Leeson who is the Co-ordinator at Changing Our Lives. “Unlike many organisations we knew the Foundation funded salary costs so we contacted them.”
After passing the Foundation’s online eligibility test the charity was visited by their local Grant Manager.“The assessment visit was invaluable,” continues Jayne. “The Grant Manager, Peter, was really supportive and meeting him in person made it a lot easier to talk about our work and funding need.”
Grant Manager for the region, Peter Cunnison, remembers the assessment visit:“I was really impressed by the charity’s approach which was truly innovative. It is rare to see a charity that really allows its beneficiaries to steer it.”
Following the visit Changing Our Lives was advised to apply for funding and awarded a two year grant of £43,000 to help fund the salary of the Development Officer. Since then the People’s Parliament has gone on to achieve some remarkable results.
It has implemented a number of policies including an accessible recruitment scheme with Sandwell Local Authority. The scheme means that when people with learning disabilities apply for a job they will have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in practice rather than just speak about them in an interview.
In October 2010 Peter revisited Changing Our Lives to see how the charity was getting on and what they had been able to achieve as a result of their funding. Mid- grant monitoring visit such as this is one of the ways the Foundation seeks to learn from its grant making and ensure that it’s funding is appropriate and beneficial as possible.
“It was great to hear about the progress of the Parliament,” explains Peter. “The charity has done some impressive work to shape policy and influence key decision makers, but without forgetting the true need of their beneficiaries who are at the heart of everything they do.”
The Parliament’s success has been so well recognised that Jayne and her team have been commissioned to set up a People’s Parliament in the Wolverhampton area.
“This grant has really allowed us to develop the People’s Parliament which has implemented some ground breaking campaigns,” continues Jayne. “The impact it has had for people with learning disabilities in the area has been tremendous and they now have a direct say on issues affecting them.”
