The National User Group is made up of 14 service users from all over the country. The management group comprises 8 members elected from the National User Group.
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| Amanda Wells |
Peter Beresford is Chair of Shaping Our Lives and is a long time user of mental health services. Peter has been involved with Shaping Our Lives from the outset and has carried out research and written much about the best ways to involve service users in the services they receive. Peter is a professor of social work and director of the Centre for Citizen Participation at Brunel University.
Alison Black is aged mid 30s and from Northern Ireland. 'I am male to female transgendered person, which I consider myself female. I campaign for Human rights, I am involved with Disability Action in Belfast & also involved with Values Into Action in London. I am on the committee of Shaping Our Lives & I enjoy being part of Shaping Our Lives. I have written various articles about being transgendered and campaigning for Human Rights.'
Maggie Brennan bio coming soon
Patricia Chambers is the coordinator of the Hammersmith and Fulham black mental health service users group, known as BUGS. Patricia is a poet and is also one of 4 regional coordinators on the Shaping Our Lives project ‘Beyond the Usual Suspects: Developing Diversity in Involvement’. Patricia is joint treasurer of Shaping Our Lives and a member of the Management Group.
Munir Lalani is the founder and Chair of Achi-Zindagi, a support organisation run by and for Asian men. It is based in Manchester. Munir is one of 4 regional coordinators working on the Shaping Our Lives project ‘Beyond the Usual Suspects: Developing Diversity in Involvement’. Munir is vice Chair of Shaping Our Lives.
Brian Maslen is a member of Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network, a service user-controlled organisation offering a range of services to users of health and social care. He was Chair for many years. Brian has much experience of service user participation and advises on best practice in participation to his local service providers as well as to the Social Care Institute of Excellence.
Graham Price chairs Sandwell Visually Impaired (SVI), a user led organisation. He likes to network, having developed close links with RADAR; his local deaf community; and those with learning difficulties. Graham sits on his council’s Disability Equality Project Board and he is a member of Birmingham University’s recruitment panel for new students for social studies.
June Sadd was until recently the network manager for Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network, an independent, service user controlled organisation that offers a range of support services to health and social care service users. June has been involved with Shaping Our Lives for many years and is an experienced workshop facilitator and equality trainer and consultant. June is a member of Shaping Our Lives Management Group.
Anna Sartori is a member of Surrey Users Network, a user-controlled group which aims to improve the quality of life for all users of health and social care services. Anna has been involved in training and education of social care staff for many years and is a member of Shaping Our Lives’ Management Group.
Patsy Staddon is a lesbian service user who survived alcohol and mental health treatment and is completing her PhD into women’s alcohol use and its treatment, from a sociological perspective. She started WIAS (Women’s Independent Alcohol Support) as a result of her research, and is an experienced presenter, writer and facilitator. She is a member of the INVOLVE Empowerment Group, and of various organisations committed to a social approach to mental health and alcohol use. She supports Animal Rights and likes cake and posh ice-cream.
Jennifer Taylor is a black woman with learning difficulties. She works for People First Lambeth in South London. She loves going to meetings and speaking up for people with learning difficulties who can’t speak up for themselves. She likes looking after people with learning difficulties as well. She is a member of the Partners’ Council at the Social Care Institute for Excellence. Sometimes she likes to socialise. She likes to chat to people about what is going on in their lives, what they are going through.
Amanda Wells lives in Mid-Wales and is a mental health and disability trainer/consultant. She has been involved in user activism for many years, and is committed to promoting the rights and aspirations of disabled people and people with mental distress. She is also a writer and artist. Amanda loves animals and has two dogs, a cat and a horse.
