Expert Citizens

Expert Citizens is a Community Interest Company led by and for, people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage.

We support people with experiences of homelessness, mental ill-health, addiction, domestic abuse, poverty or  criminal justice.

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Expert Citizens CIC National INSIGHT Awards 2024 The National INSIGHT Awards is a unique event that celebrates positive and outstanding practice aimed at tackling social disadvantages. What sets this event apart is that it is judged and delivered by people with lived experiences of the systems and services that we believe need to change. Nominations for the awards are open to both individuals and organizations who are making significant contributions to their communities. #insightawards2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/
National INSIGHT Awards 2024
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Palma Black Palma is the founder of Soul Purpose 360 CIC, a coaching, mentoring and training social enterprise for Black women; blending community development with personal development. She is a Personal Performance Coach who is passionate about empowering individuals to live fulfilling lives. Palma has decades of experience working in and with communities through her work in community development, urban regeneration and social enterprise in London and the south east. By day, Palma is Head of Engagement for a social housing developer called EDAROTH - Everyone Deserves A Roof Over Their Head. She is a single mother of two daughters, and loves DIY, gardening, personal development, self-care and countryside hiking. Never a dull moment!
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Palma Black
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Jason N. Smith Poet and Expert Citizen Jason N. Smith is a poet and has read at the National Theatre, Bet365 and the Royal Festival Hall, London's St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, Six Towns One City Carnival and featured in BBC 4 Listener programme and National 'Prison Radion at BBC Broadcasting House. Jason's work addresses themes of personal and social struggle and he has been involved in various projects and performances highlighting diverse talents. Jason has created works in response to the demolition of a shopping center in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, and clashes between left-wing groups in England. His poetry frequently aims to heal, teach, and share the joy of life, blended with personal experiences. His workshops focus on motivational speaking, creative expression, and well-being, providing inspiration and insight drawn from life experiences. Jason has worked for the Probation Service as a Community Support Worker as a development coach and has published poetry collection Beyond Words released an album titled: The Word, as I Witness (Available on all platforms) and is an Expert Citizens member.
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Jason N. Smith
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Kieron Bryan Author, entrepreneur and former prisoner At the start of serving my 25-year sentence I was eager to get out and pick up where I left off, until I heard the joke "if you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book", which inspired me to start reading, which intern led me to taking the opportunity to use the time I had to further my education. Utilising the opportunities provided by The Open University. I started my degree. During my first ever assignment I had to write about red grouse, I remember reading everything I could get my hands and thinking whoever reads this is going to believe I raised red grouse throughout my childhood. When I received my feedback, I got 99%, and the tutor asked if I had prior experience with the subject. I was elated and that set me off to a brilliant start. All of the 250 books I read were non-fiction as I was hungry for relevant and reusable information, the books I most credit for the life changing paradigm shift I experienced has to be; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people, by Stephen R Covey and Awaken the Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins. The subject that was most beneficial to my transformation has to be black history pre-slavery (transatlantic slave trade). This is because learning about all of the inspiring cultures, inventions, great kingdoms and empires that existed in Africa, had a profound effect in lifting an inferiority complex I had acquired due to my exposure to a framing of history that omitted this vital information. Therefore, I was able to overcome a lack of confidence and self-imposed barriers.
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Kieron Bryan
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Anna Wardley CEO Luna Foundation Anna Wardley is founder and CEO of Luna Foundation, a social enterprise dedicated to transforming the support and outcomes for children and young people after a parent dies by suicide. Motivated by her own experience of parental suicide during childhood, Anna was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to carry out international research on improving the support for children after a parent dies by suicide. She visited 19 organisations in Australia, USA and Scandinavia over two years and she set up Luna in 2022 to implement key recommendations from her report, entitled Time to Count. Luna operates on a nationwide basis providing evidence-based suicide bereavement training for people working with children and young people to equip them with the skills and confidence they need to provide support when a parent or primary caregiver dies by suicide. Shortly after forming Luna, Anna was selected as a Shackleton Leader by the Shackleton Foundation which recognises social entrepreneurs who embody the qualities of Sir Ernest Shackleton, namely resilience and overcoming adversity. Anna is also a record-setting endurance swimmer and was named Inspirational Woman of the Year after completing a gruelling 103-km swim around the Isle of Wight in 26.5 hours in 2013. As a speaker, she inspires audiences around the world with her story of how she has used the challenges she’s faced in life as a source of strength and motivation to create positive change for others. Maike Mullenders Lived Experience Network Facilitator | Luna Foundation Maike is the Lived Experience Network Facilitator for the Luna Foundation. She also works as a yoga teacher and volunteers for SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide), heading up their Reigate Support Group. After working for ten years as an actress she proceeded to train as a Relate counsellor, supporting couples and young people. Going on to work for NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood) and Witness Against Abuse by Health and Social Care Workers. A personal highlight was finally having the courage to tell her own story; living with a father with undiagnosed mental health issues who went on to take his own life. Leaving behind a confession for the police saying he had abused her, something she had no memory of. Having spent years trying to find balance in her life after these traumatic events, it was through therapy and yoga that Maike was able to move forward. Her memoir, The Confession: A Journey to Acceptance was published by Mirror Books in June 2023. She works as a Lived Experience speaker, trying to use her own experiences, struggles and healing to support others. www.teamluna.org
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Anna Wardley & Maike Mullenders
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Maurice Thaw, known as Coach Mo, is a dedicated community leader and social activist based in South-East London and Staffordshire. Maurice Thaw’s journey in community development is a testament to the power of resilience and transformation. From his notorious roots in Stoke-on-Trent to founding Collab Training Academy CIC in London, Maurice has dedicated over 20 years to supporting youth and communities. His work has been instrumental in empowering over a thousand individuals, many facing complex challenges. Maurice’s approach is holistic, addressing immediate needs and long-term aspirations through various means. He provides one-to-one coaching, delivers workshops and training programmes, organises career and job fairs, and offers invaluable support to youth looking to start their own businesses. The “It Takes a Village” conference exemplifies Maurice’s innovative spirit, bringing together 57 organisations to create 31 tailored programs, supporting 300 people. This initiative earned him the Mayor of Lewisham’s Award for Voluntary Contribution, recognising his impactful community service. Maurice’s unique background as an ex-offender who overcame dyslexia brings authenticity to his work, allowing him to connect deeply with those he supports. His return to Stoke-on-Trent marks a new chapter, bringing successful London-based programs to his hometown. Through his multifaceted work, Maurice continues to inspire change, fostering community development and empowering individuals to overcome barriers and achieve their potential.
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Maurice Thaw
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Siobhan Down CEO / Founder - Yellow Brick Road Projects Hello, my name is Siobhan Down, I am delighted to be invited to speak at the Insight Awards 2024. A bit about me. Having a childhood which left me feeling unimportant, unloved, and scared gave me incredible survival skills. I believe that these lived experiences have got me to where I am now, Founder and CEO of Yellow Brick Road Projects. I am a proud neuro spicey woman my most important achievements to date are raising two fierce young women. Other achievements include appearing in The Big Issue in the Top 100 Changemakers 2024, winning Pride of Andover 2023 and completing Level 5 Coaching. I have used my life experiences as the foundation for the charity. Supporting young people who face similar experiences to find their seam of GOLD – one of the ways we do this is through our programme You Matter.
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Siobhan Down
Expert Citizens: National INSIGHT Awards 2024 www.expertcitizens.org.uk/insight-awards-2024/ #insightawards2024 Speaker videos: Kheron K. Gilpin Education Consultant | Engagement Specialist | Public Speaker | School Governance Kheron Gilpin is an engagement specialist with over a decade of experience in community development and educational interventions. His work encompasses motivational speaking, engagement training, and facilitation of events and dialogues. He began his career in community development by eagerly taking, and making, opportunities for himself and others in his home area of South London. As a young community leader, Kheron worked as a peer outreach worker for the Greater London Authority while also founding initiatives, including a youth forum within South London Tenants Associations that provided creative opportunities for young people. Kheron’s skills in public speaking and facilitation have led him to be enlisted by the Tutu Foundation to facilitate difficult dialogues, including between police and young offenders. Kheron had also been commissioned by brands such as Nike, JD and Sports Direct to run community engagement events and deliver youth engagement consultancy. Kheron now specialises in educational engagement and works with schools and colleges around the UK to maximise their student engagement strategies and deliver impactful talks, workshops and assemblies. Kheron has a strong commitment to making a positive impact, not only by sharing practical tools and strategies but also by embodying the values of unity and action, inspired by Ubuntu, an African philosophy that emphasises our interconnectedness and shared humanity.
INSIGHT Awards 2024: Featuring; Kheron K Gilpin
Join us in celebrating this year's Expert Citizens' Conference and National INSIGHT Awards 2024. www.expertcitizens.org.uk #insightawards2024 Video produced by Inspired Film and Video Ltd www.inspiredfilmandvideo.co.uk/
Expert Citizens National INSIGHT Awards 2024
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