Peer Champions are representatives of a group(s) of individuals, and use their knowledge of being a part of that group to help improve services.
Staff Champions
Staff Champions focus on a particular group to help ensure resources, training, and support is available to the customers we support. Staff Champions are also a point of contact for our Peer Champions should they need to discuss ideas.
Peer Champions
Peer Champions are people who have lived experience of mental health, and have the additional experience of belonging to a particular community so they can help to promote inclusivity and accessibility.
A Peer Champion uses their knowledge to help services deliver support that is really focused on what helps people in those communities access the services. Peer Champions have a voice to improve accessibility to services by working with staff and commissioners to teach us what things we can do to make people within communities feel more comfortable coming to us for support. They can also be a link to telling us what people in communities want us to be doing at our services and the support they would like to see.
What do Peer Champions do?
- Be at services to be a lived experience point of contact
- Inspire others based on your journey
- Attend workshops to help peers feel comfortable
- Help at events
- Let staff know what will help communities access services
- Help services improve the provision they offer
Current Champion Areas:
- Neurodiversity
- LGBTQIA+
- Young People (18-25)
- Veterans
- Dementia
- GEM
- Mental Health
We are always open to more groups so if you have a group you would like to represent, just let us know!
Why should I be a Peer Champion?
Peer Champions can also contribute to our Your Voice in Kirklees Newsletter – you might want to raise awareness of the group/s you represent, or just things that interest you generally!
FAQs
- Isn’t it the same as volunteering? Yes and no. Some aspects are the same as a volunteering role, such as attending local events, but Champions also get involved in the internals of the charities by sitting in on meetings and voicing their opinions about services.
- How many Champion areas can you be a part of? One of them, or all of them! Whatever your lived experience is, that is the one(s) you can represent.
- An area I want to represent isn’t listed; can I still be a Champion YES! There are so many unrepresented people and communities, if you have that experience, then bring it all with you! Being a Champion is about improving access to services for the underrepresented!
- Can I be a Champion in more than one service in the Partnership Yes! Hopefully, once all the Partners have Peer Champions established, we’ll be working towards being a singular unit while still representing our services.
- How much time do Champions have to give? As much, or as little, as you can. If you can only attend meetings, then that’s OK. Some choose to be more involved than others; it’s all about managing your time and health.
- I’ve left my service. Can I still be a Champion? I hope so! Even if you can’t attend in person, attend via Zoom/Teams. There are plenty of workarounds!
Peer Champion News
Peer Champion Celebration Final by Hannah
Winter 2023!
Our Champions have been meeting up regularly to help the service with it’s accessibility, promotion, and general support. Champions have so far attended the World Mental Health Day Lantern Parade and were fantastic at providing information and support to members of the public…as well as creating beautiful lanterns!
Champions have also been involved with Richmond Fellowship’s Communication department to look at the ways we can market and promote the event.
A third exciting project before the year ends is a piece of work Champions are doing with commissioners within the council to share their thoughts and opinions on what future services in Kirklees might look like. This is a very exciting piece of work and we are thrilled the commissioners have asked us to be involved!
Summer 2023!
Kirklees Employment Service held their first champion steering meeting and five members completed Peer Champion Training. The group intends to meet at least every quarter to discuss the operation of service and look at ideas of how we can improve access.
If you would like to become a Peer Champion, or have any questions, please contact us through the website.
You can also register your interest in becoming a Peer Champion by clicking Here.