As part of the dedicated team of Lived Experience Consultants, I work closely with colleagues to create more inclusive and effective programmes. I contribute to strategic decision-making by providing insights shaped by my professional and advocacy expertise. I collaborate with team members to enhance policies, improve service delivery, and ensure that diverse perspectives are represented at all levels of the organisation. My work spans key areas such as fundraising, recruitment, policy review, public engagement, and communications.
As someone who has been through the hardships of the immigration system, I know that the role of a Lived Experience Consultant helps me find deep connections within communities. My expertise comes from firsthand encounters with challenges, giving me a unique ability to foster empathy and drive meaningful change. I find a strong sense of purpose and belonging in this role, surrounded by others who share their commitment to advocacy and improvement.
Being a Lived Experience Consultant for Breaking Barriers comes with many meaningful benefits, both personally and professionally:
- I can drive change by influencing policies, services, and initiatives that are more inclusive, effective and impactful.
- I can empower others by sharing my journey with those facing similar challenges.
- I connect with like-minded people who value lived experience as a powerful tool for transformation.
- Breaking Barriers’ recognition of lived experience has contributed to my professional growth, and I have enjoyed training, leadership, and career development opportunities.
Community as a Superpower
Community, to me, is the invisible thread that weaves people together. It’s the shared laughter, the quiet acts of kindness, the resilience in the face of hardship. It’s where people find strength, not just in themselves, but in each other. The superpower of a community is individuals lifting one another up, not just offering support but giving it instinctively. Its superpower is its ability to transform isolation into belonging, fear into hope, and struggle into solidarity.
Community is important for refugees because it is often their first lifeline. Imagine arriving in a new country, stripped of everything familiar: home, language, culture, and certainty about the future. A strong community offers not just practical support like housing and employment but something even more vital. A sense of belonging.
For refugees, community means safety, a network of people who help them navigate a new world, offering guidance and reassurance. It’s where trauma meets healing, loneliness is replaced by friendship, struggles are met with solidarity, and fear is replaced by hope. Communities remind refugees that they are not alone, that their stories matter, and that there is hope beyond displacement.
A welcoming community can transform a refugee’s experience from surviving to truly thriving. At its best, a community is a force for change – challenging injustice, championing hope, and proving that kindness is contagious.
Looking to the future
I hope for a future where people have opportunities to thrive, and communities are welcoming and inclusive. A world where refugees and displaced individuals can rebuild their lives with dignity and where employment and education empower people rather than limit them.
On a practical level, I hope businesses continue to provide funding to Breaking Barriers so that it can continue to provide support to the refugee community. Many grassroots organisations are facing a significant problem with funding. I hope that those who are already helping continue to donate, and people who are thinking of helping the community take the step, because the little things that you do make a huge impact in people lives.
