The Oxford Influence Group (OIG)
is a small group of people each of whom originally came to Citizens Advice for support. A coordinator of the ‘Stronger Together Partnership’ at Citizens Advice wanted to recruit people who could come together to use the power of their own experience to achieve change. She invited individuals who had self-identified as being concerned about their community to come together to participate in a collaborative dialogue with the people in charge of support services in Oxford (especially housing, benefits, employment and mental health). The aim of the OIG is to ensure that the voices of service users are heard in policy design and to empower those voices. Each group member has her/his own story to share. They have produced a newsletter and have their own website.
www.oxfordinfluencegroup.uk (also at www.citizensadviceoxford.org.uk)
The group has:
They are currently attending training on ‘campaigning’ run by the Children’s Society and are also earning about how to use local data.
It is work very much outside of the comfort zone and experience of the individuals in the group. Careful facilitation and mutual ecouragement have been essential. There has to be a strong ethos of friendship and mutual support which underpins and strengthens the group’s activism.
If policy makers are really to make a positive difference to our communities then listening to the voices of those most affected by policies is crucial. Working together to empower the voices of those struggling most and listening to them should be what we should all be striving for.
is a small group of people each of whom originally came to Citizens Advice for support. A coordinator of the ‘Stronger Together Partnership’ at Citizens Advice wanted to recruit people who could come together to use the power of their own experience to achieve change. She invited individuals who had self-identified as being concerned about their community to come together to participate in a collaborative dialogue with the people in charge of support services in Oxford (especially housing, benefits, employment and mental health). The aim of the OIG is to ensure that the voices of service users are heard in policy design and to empower those voices. Each group member has her/his own story to share. They have produced a newsletter and have their own website.
www.oxfordinfluencegroup.uk (also at www.citizensadviceoxford.org.uk)
The group has:
- Addressed meetings on poverty
- Addressed the City Council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee
- Attended the County Council’s ‘co-production festival’
- Contributed to the ‘Age-Well Campaign’
- Spoken on BBC Oxford about Universal Credit
- Attended national meetings of organisations that work in co-productive ways
- Helped to re-design the reception area at Citizens Advice
- Met with others wanting to set up similar groups in other parts of the country
They are currently attending training on ‘campaigning’ run by the Children’s Society and are also earning about how to use local data.
It is work very much outside of the comfort zone and experience of the individuals in the group. Careful facilitation and mutual ecouragement have been essential. There has to be a strong ethos of friendship and mutual support which underpins and strengthens the group’s activism.
If policy makers are really to make a positive difference to our communities then listening to the voices of those most affected by policies is crucial. Working together to empower the voices of those struggling most and listening to them should be what we should all be striving for.
