Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Changing Our Lives
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Contact us Donate
Menu
  • About us
    • Who we are
      • Our vision and values
      • Our brand
      • Our team
        • Staff
        • Associates
        • Trustees
    • What we do
      • How we work
      • Annual report
    • Our history
  • Our work
    • Areas of our work
      • Young people
      • Learning disability and autism
      • Mental health
      • Health inequalities
      • The arts
      • Research
      • Safe places
    • Where we work
    • Testimonials
    • Best practice
  • Our stories
    • Ordinary life stories
    • Hospital to Home
  • Our blog
  • Training and development
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • History
  1. About us
  2. Our history

History

Changing Our Lives is a rights based organisation, that has its origins in the self-advocacy movement. The journey started in 1996 when a small group of people with learning disabilities in Sandwell, just outside of Birmingham, met weekly to learn about their rights. At the time, all across England many groups of people with learning disabilities were talking about equality and what it meant to stand up for their rights as a self-advocate. By 2001 Jayne Leeson MBE and CEO of Changing Our Lives was supporting group members and together, energised by national debate, they decided they wanted to develop their own independent organisation, and so the charity was born in 2002.

 

There were 8 founding members all with learning disabilities, who worked alongside Jayne in the early days. Some of those individuals are still around today, but the initial driving force undoubtedly came from Frances Painter and Darren Selman, who worked alongside each other for years and eventually lived together as a couple. Sadly, both Frances and Darren passed away in the organisation’s early years. Frances Painter was a powerful woman with a learning disability who had lived most of her life in hospital settings. This made life in her own home with Darren so much more precious and her campaigning spirit second to none. Darren Selman was a man who refused to be held back and limited in any way by disability. At an early age, Darren was told he had a learning disability and was on the autistic spectrum. Darren understood this meant he struggled to do some things and needed more support, but this only made him more determined to succeed. Frances and Darren’s passion for equality, determination and drives still flows through everything we do.

Over the years Changing Our Lives’ work expanded to include not only people with learning disabilities, but all disabled people and people with lived experience of mental health difficulties. We also expanded geographically and by 2007, Changing Our Lives was working across many areas of England, as well as in the West Midlands.

Although the organisation has evolved, our core values have altered little. Things that were important to us in 2002 are still important to us today: employment for disabled people and people with lived experience of mental health difficulties; working locally and thinking nationally; developing innovative ways to tackle injustice led by people themselves; walking a fine line between positive challenge and partnership working and people no matter what label or diagnosis having the right to an equal life and ordinary life where they prosper.

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 1st February, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • One Small Change

    One Small Change

  • Barbershop Stories

    Barbershop Stories

    Interested in changing the narrative?

  • Birmingham Stories

    Birmingham Stories

    This collection of stories describes three people’s unique journey from hospital to home.

  • Hospitals are not homes

    Hospitals are not homes

    Professor Rosie Harding - Trustee

Most read

  • Our vision and values

    Our vision and values

    Changing Our Lives is a rights-based organisation. We work alongside disabled people and people experiencing mental health difficulties, of all ages, as equal partners to find solutions to social injustice and health inequalities.

  • Beth's Story

    Beth's Story

    Beth is on the journey to independence in her own home

  • What is postural care?

    What is postural care?

  • David's Story

    David's Story

    Lockdown or no lockdown, with a direct payment and effective personalised care, David lives his life to the fullest.

  • Where we work

    Where we work

  • Safe places

    The Safe Places scheme is based on the belief that everyone has the right to feel confident and safe going out in their local community. Lots of people feel unsafe at times in the local area; this might be because they have experienced crime or because they simply feel unsafe. For disabled people, older people and others who feel vulnerable this often means they don’t go out at all. The Safe Places scheme enables people to feel more confident, access their local areas more and know what to do.

  • Jayne Leeson, MBE

    Chief Executive Officer

  • Our brand

    Our brand

  • Common Ground

    Common Ground

  • Katy's Story

    Katy's Story

    No one's too disabled, or too affected by mental health difficulties, to lead an ordinary life.



    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility
  • Login
  • Log out

Changing Our Lives is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under number 4404093 and registered as a Charity number 1093883