The Involvement Leaders are about making change. We work with the ICB to make mental health hospitals better. Being an Involvement Leader means I can get my voice across and speak up for other people.

I like being part of the group because people listen to me. In hospital, nobody listens, and other people decide what is best for me without asking. The only person who knows what’s best is me.

I want people to understand what being in hospital is like. Some people end up staying there for a very long time. I think people should get the right help, so they don’t end up stuck in hospital for years.

Being an Involvement Leader helps me feel like I have some control and that my voice matters. It is important to me that people listen to lived experience and hear from people who have been through the system.

The group is also important because of the people in it. The group feels like a family to me. We support each other, understand each other’s feelings and know what each other has been through. It feels safe to talk.

Being an Involvement Leader has helped me make friends, get better at talking and feel like I matter. What I’ve been through might help other people too.

We have done work about stopping restraint and stopping people from going into hospital when they don’t need to. I think this work is very important. People should be supported, listened to and respected. People should be supported in the community. You don’t have freedom in hospital if they say you can’t go out you can’t go out. You have no choice.