The people who helped us:

Support Group

We had an Advisory Group, known as the Support Group, to help us with this project

Members of the Support Group:

Chair - Simon Cramp – Independent
Jonathan Evans – Rotherham Speak Up Group
Robert Parkin - Rotherham Speak Up Group
Vicki Farnsworth – Rotherham Speak Up Group
David Woods – REACT – Self Advocate
James Hughes – REACT - Supporter
Geoff Holmes – Mencap/Independent
Julia Cowie – VIA (Values into Action)
Liz Brookes – BILD - Advocacy Manager
John Alderson - Cumbria PCT
Annie Lawton – Independent Self Advocacy Projects Worker
Kath McKinstry - Federation for Supported Living

In attendance – Chris Mitchell Deputy CEO ARC
Michelle Thornton (ARC) worked on the admin for this project

Left to right - Jonathan Evans, David Wood, Alison Wright, Simon Cramp, Geoff Holmes

Talk and Share Shops

During 2006 Alison Wright held consultation meetings, called ‘Talk and Share Shops’, to meet self-advocacy group supporters in Harrogate, Chorley, Coventry, Bath, Tunbridge Wells and London. 

Alison asked them how they wanted this website to look.

At the Talk and Share Shops we asked people to tell us which formal meetings people with a learning disability have attended. 

We heard about more than 80 different kinds of meetings!

Here are some of them:

Advocacy Forum Meetings
Valuing People Network
Partnership Boards
Pre and post Partnership Board
National Forum
Regional Forum
Campaigning Group
National Communication Network
Local Service Providers
Local Schools re: bullying
Emergency Services Meetings
Person Centred Planning
BME Network
Employment Review
Consultation Groups
Interviews – self and staff
Union Meetings
Monitoring meetings with funders
Tenants Group
Health Liaison Group
Health Action Plan
M.P. meeting.