There’s been a real buzz across St. Christopher’s Service over the past few months and it’s all thanks to the development of our Advocacy Council. With the rollout of the Guidelines for Advocacy Structure, we’re proud to say our advocacy council was developed.
At St. Christopher’s Service, we believe that everyone’s voice matters especially the people supported by our services. That’s why the idea for an Advocacy Council was born, to create a space where service users can speak up, influence decisions, and help shape the services that affect them.
The idea for the Advocacy Council grew from listening sessions, feedback forms, and one-to-one conversations with the people who use our services. Time and again, we heard a common theme: “We want to be heard, and we want to be part of the decisions that affect us.” In response, we started looking at ways to bring service users together in a more structured and impactful way. We didn’t want to just create a council; we wanted to co-create it. That meant involving service users from day one.
We wanted the council to reflect the diversity of our service users. So, we opened nominations to everyone, no experience needed, just a passion for speaking up and helping others. We were thrilled by the level of interest! So many people stepped forward, ready to be a voice for change. With only 15 places available, we’ve introduced a ballot system, giving service users the chance to vote for the people who will represent them. We held the ballot over two days across all our day services, and the elected candidates were proudly announced in June 2025
To everyone who nominated themselves, gave feedback, or supported the process, thank you. We’re excited to see what the Advocacy Council will achieve and even more excited to keep listening, learning, and growing together.