Listen Up

Speaking Up empowers people with learning difficulties, mental ill-health or other disabilities to have a voice and control their own lives.

Speaking Up delivers a range of services for disabled people including life-coaching, person-centred planning and professional advocacy. It funds itself through delivering consultancy, training and publications.

In 2002, Speaking Up was a struggling local voluntary organisation with 20 staff and a turnover of just £500,000. Then it started to trade using a social business approach and built up a successful advocacy services business, which provides consultancy and training to primary care trusts, local authorities and independent sector care homes across the UK. Speaking Up now works with 3,000 people a year.

www.speakingup.org

Click below to read "Listen Up" their newsletter.

• Listen Up Winter 2008