Community Champions story – Disability Stockport and Seashell

Disability Stockport and Seashell are organisations ensuring that disabled people in Stockport have a voice and that their lived experiences are heard. The organisations as a whole is part of the Stockport Community Champions scheme, and has been helping to facilitate connected conversations around Covid-19 and health and wellbeing issues.

They recently ran an event, called ‘A Voice After Lockdown’: an unscripted conversation by disabled participants to allow them to share their experiences of Covid-19, any issues around staying safe and how they saw their lives moving forward post-pandemic. 

As an organisational champion, Disability Stockport and Seashell have been engaging colleagues that deliver services in conversations around Covid-19 and recovery from the pandemic. Everyone gets to have a conversation with a champion, as they are locked in as key members of the community. 

Stephen Pearson, Community Engagement Officer at Seashell, explained: “Nationally, 1 in 5 people have a disability, and there’s evidence where you see a higher proportion of disabled people living in more deprived wards in Stockport. Through our work as community champions, we have been able to start those conversations around Covid-19, to learn what our disabled residents have found most challenging and allow them a space to make their voices and lived experiences heard.”

Gavin Jones, Community Engagement and Armed Forces Lead at Disability Stockport, added: “The advice I would give other people thinking of signing up to be a champion is that you just need to do what you’re already doing, but with more of a focus on Covid safety. We’re running two more events in the run up to Christmas, and hoping to tailor one to the armed forces community.”

“I’d recommend doing what you see needs doing for the community you represent, sharing your current knowledge of your community. Your lived experience is invaluable!” 

Sign up to be a Stockport Community Champion, either as an individual or an organisation, by emailing communitychampions@stockport.gov.uk or sign up to the initial training on Eventbrite.