SIAA’s member CAPS Independent Advocacy was awarded the Inspiring Volunteer Awards 2021 for their Lothian Voices group.
Lothian Voices is a project bringing people together from across Lothian to give their views about mental health services. The group makes sure that their voices are heard at a decision-making level.
Every year Lothian Voices organises the People’s Conference with support from CAPS. The People’s Conference is an annual event for people with lived experience of mental health issues who live in the NHS Lothian area. Last year the conference happened over Zoom and focused on ‘Experiences of Lockdown’.
This year the Lothian Voices group won one of the Inspiring Volunteer Awards made every year to people volunteering in the City of Edinburgh. The awards reflect the range of organisations and individuals working in the city’s vibrant charity and non-profit sectors. CAPS Independent Advocacy is very proud of all the work that the Lothian Voices group has done over the past year, including work with the Cross-Party Parliamentary Group of the Scottish Parliament and their very successful online People’s Conference.
This year the People’s Conference takes the topic of ‘Meaningful Involvement’. It will include discussions, workshops, some fun creative activities and entertainment in the form of poems and songs. They welcome people who live in the NHS Lothian area and have lived experience of mental health issues to this event. The conference will take place on Wednesday the 29th September 2021 from 11am to 4.30pm. If you’d like to know more about the Lothian Voices collective advocacy group or the People’s Conference please contact Ele at ele@capsadvocacy.org or 07948 740 158.