Advocacy groups are a vital link

Pro-Active Community member Robert joined the Surrey Choices Advocacy group meeting on Friday 13th March, hosted at the The Garibaldi in Redhill, a Community pub providing essential community support for groups to meet and fund raise as well as being a real hub.

✨Members of the group all took time to share their lived experiences of hospital appointments or admissions over the past year, as part of the NHS Learning Disability Standards Benchmarking project Active Prospects UK are working with Learning Disability England and the NHS Benchmarking Network on. Helen Guest guided the group through the survey to collect answers and submit them, encouraging everyone to complete their own with support.

“They were kind to me, I understood what the doctor was saying, my mum came with me, it can be frightening otherwise” said one member of the group.

🗣️We discussed ‘our rights’ and what everyone can do if they have a worry or a complaint.

💪🏼Knowledge builds confidence, not just power.

🌼Great morning spent sharing thoughts and ideas, and planning upcoming events, so lovely to join everyone on a bright Spring morning, finally we had sunshine!

🎉Thank you to Shauna Jones and Lydia Simpson for facilitating such an energised meeting.