Join the Rethink Mental Illness Lived Experience Advisory Board
We want our Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB) to be a diverse, supportive, inclusive forum for people who have lived experience of mental ill health, are passionate about supporting mental health and want to help us make a difference in mental health policy and services.
We’re really excited to be recruiting new members to our LEAB!
What does LEAB do?
Established in 2017, LEAB is a driving force of lived experience involvement at Rethink Mental Illness. From developing training and resources, supporting our involvement practice, to shaping our campaigns, there is always something to get involved in.
LEAB meets six times a year and members can to get involved in additional opportunities in addition to LEAB meetings. Most LEAB meetings are held online, with two in-person meetings per year but there is an option to join these in-person meetings online.
Rethink Mental Illness reimburses members for any costs incurred from their involvement. This includes organising and reimbursing travel to the in-person meetings, which are usually held at our London offices.
Here are some of the Rethink Mental Illness activities that LEAB members have been involved in recently:
- Shaping key campaigns, such as our Christmas fundraising campaign
- Advising us on how best to involve people with lived experience of mental ill health in all we do as a mental health charity.
- Being involved in the recruitment of staff to the charity.
- Helping to shape our policy influencing work on mental health by advising us on the key issues that need to be addressed to improve mental health support.
What do you get from being a LEAB member?
As a member of LEAB you will:
- Connect with other people with lived experience of mental ill health
- Have your voice heard and be able to make a difference
- Help shape Rethink Mental Illness’ campaigns and service delivery
- Receive support, training and development opportunities
- Be valued, respected and rewarded
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“It [LEAB] makes a difference in how the charity itself works on the frontline. Also, to the wider world as we make suggestions to shape policy and make change. The fact that we are helping to lead the organisation in their involvement work is huge. Us being successful in that can help other organisations push forward with engaging in involvement themselves too, which can only be of benefit to organisations and those who access their services.”
Zoe, LEAB Member Zoe, LEAB Member
Who can become a member?
LEAB is open to people who have lived experience of mental ill health, who are 18 years of age or over and who live in England. If you are under 18 years of age but want to get involved with Rethink Mental Illness, please do still get in touch, and we can let you know about other opportunities.
As an inclusive and anti-racist organisation, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to the involvement of people from all mental health perspectives. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates we have identified as being underrepresented on the Lived Experience Advisory Board.
These include people from the following communities:
- Black, Asian and ethnic minoritised communities
- People identifying as LGBTQIA+
- Younger people
- Older people
- People living with a physical disability
- People with parental responsibility for children under 18
- People from a range of faith and belief backgrounds
How do I apply to join LEAB?
If you are interested in applying to be a member of LEAB, please complete the Expression of Interest and Diversity Monitoring forms.
The deadline for this round of expressions of interest to LEAB is Friday 1st December 2023
The Expression of Interest form asks for some basic information about you, your areas of interest, why you’d like to become a LEAB member and what you think you would bring to LEAB. The Diversity Monitoring form will help us know who we are reaching and will also help LEAB be as diverse and representative of the communities in the UK we serve.
Please submit your completed forms to:
Email: Involvement@rethink.org
Post: Rethink Mental Illness Involvement Team, Laura Abbott, Head of Involvement, Rethink Mental Illness, 28 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7GR