Meet the Unity board members

Why did you become a board member? 

I became a board member because I was already involved with Learning Disability England (LDE), Campaign 4 Change and Unity as a co-chair. I want to help make a difference to the lives of disabled people. I am on the rep body of LDE as well.   

What do people admire about you? 

I’ve got a good sense of humour and I’m good at sharing ideas. I enjoy public speaking and speaking to large audiences, and I’m good at working with lots of different groups of people! 

Can you tell us about what you like about co-production? What do you hope co-production can achieve? 

I like interacting with other Unity members, board members and Achieve together teams, including the Community Hub, and working together on different projects. Co-production helps bring people together and gives everyone a chance to contribute. 

What are your aims and goals as a Unity board member? 

I want to continue growing my skills as a board member and attend conferences around the country to learn, network and share ideas. 

Can you explain your role as a board member? How does the board work alongside Achieve together leadership? 

I meet with my co-chair, Simon, and members of the executive team to discuss what has been happening across the South East region and share feedback and ideas. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

I want to keep campaigning for many years to come so that we can continue changing the lives of people with disabilities, both within Achieve together and at a national level!

Why did you become a board member? 

I became a Unity board member because I wanted to advocate for people with autism and learning disabilities within Achieve together. As an autistic person myself it’s so important to me that all people supported within Achieve together are recognised, understood and heard. 

What do people admire about you? 

I believe people admire my presenting skills and my thoughtfulness towards others. I think my experiences within the health and social care sector is also a strong part of why I work for Unity. 

Can you tell us about what you like about co-production? What do you hope co-production can achieve? 

Co-production is so important so people can shape their own lives and work and equal partnership with team members to achieve goals. It’s so important we involve people with every aspect of their support and to lead their best life. 

What are your aims and goals as a Unity board member? 

I hope to increase awareness and understanding of co-production across Achieve together. I also want to build up my confidence attending events outside of Achieve together. 

Can you explain your role as a board member? How does the board work alongside Achieve together leadership? 

As a Unity board member, it’s my responsibility to ensure co-production is happening across the organisation to the highest standard. Co-production is a big passion of mine and I want to teach people on implementing it the best way I can across the organisation. We work alongside many different teams across Achieve together to co-produce initiatives, projects and event. It feels amazing to work with so many people who have the same goes as me and the rest of the Unity board. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

I hope to make people across Achieve together’s voices heard and ensure that co-production is happening to a high standard. I also want to engage with as many teams as possible to co-produce anything they have going on.

Why did you become a board member? 

I became a Unity board member to make a positive difference, use my life experiences and help guide decisions that benefit the individuals the organisation supports. 

What do people admire about you? 

I asked one of my keyworkers this question and this was her response: 

“Rob has an artistic flair and can be respectful and professional in every situation. Rob never fails to put a smile on people’s faces and has a fantastic sense of humour.” 

Can you tell us about what you like about co-production? What do you hope co-production can achieve? 

I feel that co-production is a way of bringing people together for a common cause, combining lived experience with professional knowledge. By working together, we can make better decisions and create positive changes for individuals whom we support and represent. 

What are your aims and goals as a Unity board member? 

My aim is to use my life and mental health experiences to help others. My main focuses are making sure individuals’ voices are heard, reducing stigma, increasing awareness and understanding of mental health and contributing to positive changes that improve people’s lives. 

Can you explain your role as a board member? How does the board work alongside Achieve together leadership? 

As a board member I see my role as helping and guiding the organisation, contributing to important decisions, representing the views and opinions of individuals who we support, and ensuring that the organisation is working towards its goals while providing the best possible care and services. 

The board works closely and alongside the Achieve together leadership team by providing support and guidance. The leadership team is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation. The board is independent and is made up of unique individuals who use their life experiences to shape and make decisions, oversee performance and work in the best interests of the individuals we support. Together we work alongside each other to maintain and improve the services that are provided by the organisation. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

Personally, I hope to continue on my recovery pathway and to grow more in confidence and self belief whilst using my life experiences to help individuals. And as a board member, my aim is to ensure individuals’ voices are heard. I hope to make a positive contribution to help influence changes that improve the care services and better the day-to-day support the organisation offers.

Why did you become a board member? 

So that I can build my confidence in talking to people and help other people. 

What do people admire about you? 

I care about other people, I’m very independent and I don’t let much stop me. 

Can you tell us about what you like about co-production? What do you hope co-production can achieve? 

To change things for the better for people who are disabled. 

What are your aims and goals as a Unity board member? 

To help people, make a difference and change things for the better. 

Can you explain your role as a board member? How does the board work alongside Achieve together leadership? 

To talk about things that affect people and help make changes that improve their lives. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

To have more control over my own life, live independently and keep helping others.

Why did you become a board member? 

I became a Unity board member because I wanted to give back and make sure people’s voices are heard. As someone who has lived in multiple supported accommodations, I understand how important good support is. Being on the board gives me the chance to share my experiences, influence positive change, and help improve services for current and future people who are supported. 

What do people admire about you? 

I asked support staff and they said: “determination and positive attitude,” “treating others with respect and kindness,” “showing willingness to keep moving forward in difficult times,” “grown in confidence,” “progressed so much,” “easy to talk to,” “determination” and “laughing and joking and trying to have a good day even after a bad week.” 

Can you tell us about what you like about co-production? What do you hope co-production can achieve? 

I like co-production because it makes people feel listened to and respected. Everyone’s experiences matter, and co-production gives people the chance to share their views and help influence decisions. I hope it leads to better services, stronger relationships between people supported and staff, and a culture where everyone’s voices count. 

What are your aims and goals as a Unity board member? 

To use my own lived experience to help make a positive difference for others. Being involved gives me the opportunity to have a voice and make sure that the views of the people we support are listened to and taken seriously. I want to help improve services by sharing my experiences, alongside others, and make sure everything is shaped by all people supported. My goal is to help create services that are understanding, inclusive, and focused on what really matters to people. 

Can you explain your role as a board member? How does the board work alongside Achieve together leadership? 

My role is to represent the voices of people to use Achieve together’s services and make sure their views are heard. I work with other board members to share feedback, discuss important issues, and help influence positive change. 

The Unity board works closely with Achieve together by providing a lived experience perspective on decisions and developments. This helps ensure that the people who use services have a say in shaping the support they receive. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

Personally, I hope to continue growing in confidence, developing my skills, and making a positive difference through the experiences I’ve had. Being a Unity board member has given me opportunities to use my voice and hope to keep building on that. 

In my role, I hope to help ensure that people with lived experience continue to be listened to and involved in shaping services. I would like to see co-production become an even bigger part of how decisions are made, so that people feel valued, included and empowered to influence the support they receive. 

Why did you become a board member? 

Because I wanted to help the house and organisation in any way that I can, and be as helpful to the company as possible. 

What do people admire about you? 

People say that I’m a great advocate for people and their rights, and that I’m not afraid to speak up or speak my mind. 

Can you tell us about what you like about co-production? What do you hope co-production can achieve? 

I like the concept of everyone working together towards the same outcome. I think that if co-production was done everywhere, we could achieve world peace! 

What are your aims and goals as a Unity board member? 

To try and be as helpful as possible, and to go to more events where I can speak out. 

Can you explain your role as a board member? How does the board work alongside Achieve together leadership? 

I meet with my Regional Operations Director and fellow Wales and West Unity board member, Rob, to discuss what has been happening in the organisation. We then feed this back to the Unity board as a whole and work together to make decisions. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

We are making changes already, but I want to learn more about company policy and hopefully become more involved so that I can help make as much positive change as possible.