Involving people with lived experience in your work
In week 2 in our post about NPC’s State of the Sector 2024: Ready for a Reset report we found out that charities are less engaged in strategic conversations with their users, hence charities are missing out on the benefits of lived experience. This week we will be taking a look at involving people with lived experience, coproduction and how this all fits in with the funding landscape today.
Since 2022 many funders have committed to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) standard which involves collecting data to see how funding supports groups that experience structural inequity. This has helped funders ensure their funding is promoting social justice, fairness and tackling inequality in the projects they fund and, in the organisations, they fund at a leadership level. Click here to see a list under “Who’s involved” of funders signed up to the DEI standard.
As highlighted in week 3 The National Lottery Community Fund is Lewisham’s largest funder in terms of the amount of grants provided. In their National Lottery Community Fund Strategy 2023-2030: Strategy Overview they state that will support community led missions that include:
- enabling people from all backgrounds to shape the future of their communities
- helping children and young people shape the decisions that affect them and their communities
- increasing opportunities for community participation to shape better health services
- Supporting communities to build from their strengths
- Supporting what matters most to different communities
Involving people with lived experience and embedding coproduction, at the heart of projects and organisations, takes steps towards to breaking down structural inequalities, challenging existing power dynamics. This approach also empowers communities, amplifies diverse perspectives and works towards social justice. Lived experience and coproduction embodies working together in equal partnership for equal benefit.
Thanks to the Coproduction Collective for part one of our involving people with lived experience posts where we focused on Coproduction Collective’s The Value of Co-Production Project report. The Coproduction Collective is an organisation that conducts research to support co-production in health research, innovation and practice.
Here’s our summary and findings from Coproduction Collective’s The Value of Co-production report which explains why organisations should consider using coproduction.
Delivers outcomes that actually matter to people. Diverse perspectives are encouraged where the community and people with lived experience have been genuinely involved and heard throughout.
See page 9 of the report
Is more efficient in the long run. Better, more relevant and innovative decisions are made with increased engagement in your service or project because of coproduction.
See page 9 of the report
Works towards social justice. Challenges existing power dynamics and hierarchies and relies on diversity where peoples lived experience is highly valued.
See pages 10 – 11 of the report
Empowers people involved and builds capacity for informed decision making. Develops learning, professional development and enables people to recognise their own capacity to create change.
See page 11 of the report
Connects us as humans working towards shared goals. Builds trusting relationships between organisations and its communities and supports wellbeing through connection and the satisfaction of making a difference.
See page 12 of the report
Our three featured funders of the week are
The National Lottery – Reaching Communities Fund
Provides medium sized to large grants to a variety of organisations, including constituted community and voluntary groups and CIC’s to fund projects that:
- support places, people or communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination
and - support people and communities to shape the decisions that affect their lives.
Please visit the website for more information about this fund and other available funds.
Green Hall Foundation
Provides grants from £1,000 to £10,000 to UK registered charities that work to sustainably improve lives: among the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged particularly in the UK
Please visit the website for more information.
The Mrs Smith and Mount Trust
The Mount Fund provides small and large grants to UK registered charities in the areas of
- Therapeutic Interventions in Mental Health
- Homelessness
- Community Youth Services
- Refugee and Asylum Seekers
Please visit the website for more information.
Whilst we make every effort to ensure the information is correct, we advise you to check details on funders websites yourself
Have you involved people with lived experience in the work your organisation. Would you be happy to share your experience? Please let us know what you think and if you have any comments about this post by completing the short survey below.
If you missed last week’s Fundraising News please click here to view