Speaking Up
Founded in 1996, Speaking Up supports and empowers people with learning difficulties, disabilities and mental health problems to speak up for themselves. It is one of the largest providers of advocacy in the UK. In April 2010 it merged with another leading advocacy organisation to become AdvocacyPartnersSpeakingUp.
Speaking Up enables people who experience learning difficulties, mental health issues or other disabilities to find their voice and shape their own lives by creating positive choices for disabled people, helping organisations to understand their needs and representing their views or supporting them to speak up for themselves.
They lead society towards recognizing disabled people as equal and valued citizens with the same choices and opportunities as everyone else.
Speaking Up have a proven business model and have shown considerable growth over the last few years. In 2008/9 Speaking Up reached over 3,000 people through its advocacy services and over 5,500 people in total. Twenty per cent of Speaking Up staff are disabled or former users of its mental health services.
Growth Challenges
As the organisation scales the organisational structure and communications become critical. Further challenges include the expansion of established regional operations, replication of services in new areas and building social impact measurement capabilities.
Breakthrough Support
- £175k in unrestricted grant to be used for core capacity building including:
- Social impact measurement capabilities
- Recruitment of a new Director of Income
- Regional operations management
- Development of earned income capabilities within Active Voices
- Management support from the Breakthrough team and specialist consultancy from Permira
- Networking from Breakthrough contacts
The Results
- Supported the recruitment of a new business development manager
- Reviewed strategic options and supported Speaking Up pre and post-merger to become AdvocacyPartnersSpeakingUp
- Provided marketing and communications support on positioning and messaging
For further information visit www.speakingup.org