Jude Habib, founder, sounddelivery and Darren Murinas, chief executive , Expert Citizens CIC Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. Supporting people with lived experience to tell
their own stories.
Jude Habib, Director sounddelivery
@judehabib @sounddelivery
Darren Murinas, Director Expert Citizens CIC
@darrenmurinas @ExpertCitizens

3. • 15 years at the BBC developing multiplatform social action campaigns
• sounddelivery set up to support charities to be more confident in telling their stories to challenge
perceptions, tackle stigma, to engage audiences, raise awareness and funds.
• Amplifying the voices of people with lived experience of a wide range of issues.
• Buiding their confidence to tell their stories in their own ways and own words.
• Engaging with media/journalists or at commissioner level to address systems.
• Youth homelessness, poverty, domestic violence, cancer, criminal justice system, addiction.
• What do we need to be braver at putting lived experience at the centre of our work
Our Backgrounds - Why We Do What We Do?

4. Expert Citizens was established in 2013 as a group of volunteers to help support a partnership bid in Stoke-on-Trent to the
National Lottery Community Fund.
This was to set up the Fulfilling Lives programme, this is now known as VOICES, Voices of Independence, Change &
Empowerment in Stoke-on-Trent.
In 2016 Expert Citizens became a community interest company ran by and for people with lived experience of some of the
biggest social injustices of our times – homelessness, addiction, mental ill health, criminal justice, domestic violence, abuse
and poverty.
By sharing our own lived experience and insight we hope to make all services and organisations more accessible to people
who have been effected by these issues. We offer a wide range of products and services to unlock the INSIGHT in your
communities: Peer Led Research, Service Evaluation, Consultation, Lead facilitators in coproduction methods
Our Backgrounds - Why We Do What We Do

5. SESSION OVERVIEW
• What is lived experience – don’t we all have it?
• Explore different storytelling techniques and best
practice involving lived experience
• Barriers and Solutions Gatekeeping V Safeguarding
• Share our own experiences/projects/insights
• Next Steps

6. Who is in the room?

7. An Untold Story

8. Our Stories Need to Stop People In their Tracks

9. Movement to incorporating Lived Experience with Charities

11. Lived Experience Storytellers

12. New breed of reporters with lived experiences of the issues they are
reporting on

13. When was the last time
you encouraged someone
you support to tell their
story? Or were you asked
to share your
experiences?

15. What challenges/barriers are you
currently facing in telling your
organisations stories?

16. Mental Health Orgs / Health charities –
What can we learn from them?

19. Provide skills-based training

21. • Inviting people to tell their stories (Crowdsourcing content)
• Inviting people to get involved in campaigns
• Providing guides/tips and help online
• Training
• Managing expectations
• Recognition – Media Awards

22. Personal Contact and Building Relationships

23. Consent and Systems

24. Little Village
Collaboration and Co-Curation key

25. Easy Access, Low Cost Free Tools

26. Consent

31. • Volunteer within the organisations that have supported
• Gone on to further media opportunities
• Spoken publicly
• Become peer researchers
• Spoken in House of Commons/Lords
• Supporting/advocating for other families
• Gone on to employment where their lived experience is an asset.
• Trustees on charity/funder boards

36. Forum Theatre
Arts Council – Forum Theatre
Used to tell real stories and take them to different audiences within
our community to challenge and bust the ‘lifestyle choice’ myth that
people are choosing to live on the streets.

38. Things to consider
• Not everyone is at the right stage to tell their story
• Building confidence – starting point
• Really listen to what they have to say. Be guided by their insights but be guided by your instincts.
• Gatekeeping V Safeguarding
• Collaboration / co curation is key
• Accessibility – low cost tools, jargon free / How to guides
• Connect them with local MPs, counsellors and journalists in an informal environment
• Consent - ongoing
• Mentoring/Ongoing Support - (whatsapp groups) Build into budget

40. In groups of 3-4 think about
how you are going to explore
how you can incorporate lived
experience storytelling in your
work.

41. Lets Make Things Happen!
Thanks for listening and keep in touch!
@sounddelivery @expertcitizens
Share your tips on #charitystories

42. The power of human stories:
how to be an authentic storyteller
28 February 2019
London
#CharityStories

43. Visit the CharityComms website to view
slides from past events, see what events
we have coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk