Swindon Advocacy Movement -
An Example

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A VOLUNTEER ADVOCATES STORY : "When I first met my advocacy partner we hit it off straight away. We are both Swindon Town supporters so that gave us lot to talk about. I think just talking about that and our families helped him to trust me. The best experience for me was when he moved into a new home. I remember visiting him there for the first time and he was so happy. He had been really unhappy where he’d lived in the past. I supported him in meetings where he had to tell his carers that he wanted to live somewhere else and it felt as if he had really achieved something. A change of place can make a real difference to someone. I have learnt a lot by seeing what people with learning difficulties have to face when they try to be more independent. They want to have more control over their own lives and it’s been great to enable someone to overcome problems."