Learning disability charity scoops three awards in three weeks

The charity which operates in Newcastle and South Tyneside has been recognised for its work helping people with learning disabilities, autism, mental illness and other challenges to speak up for their rights.

In the space of weeks, Your Voice Counts won a National Advocacy Award for working with people who use the charity’s advocacy services to co-design how these services will be delivered in future.

The charity then received the Charity Governance Award for its approach to supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental ill health to sit on its Board of Directors so that their views and experiences directly influence how the charity is run.

Finally Your Voice Counts received a third award – a Weston Charity Award in recognition of its work to support people who lack capacity to make their own decisions and the community services it provides such as drop-in groups, welfare rights advice and job coaching to help vulnerable people.

Lisa Kelly has a learning disability and is the Co-Chair of the Your Voice Counts Board. She said: “I am passionate about giving people who use services the chance to have their say about how these services are run. People with learning disabilities have a right to have their voices heard and it’s fantastic these award wins celebrate the work we do to make this happen.”

In addition to prize money, the Weston Award connects the charity to a team of business experts that will work with the charity over the next year to provide strategic consultancy services.

David Woolley, Chief Executive of Your Voice Counts, said: “Our fantastic team supports people on a daily basis, helping at times of crisis, developing people’s resilience and ensuring that people who struggle to advocate for themselves are able to have a voice and be represented in decisions about their lives.

"We have ambitious plans to grow and develop our charity so we can carry on meeting this demand and championing the rights of all people to have a voice at all levels of society, and these award wins provide us with a springboard to move forward to help even more people stand up for what they want and need.”