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Lynne Elwell


Job title: National Co-ordinator, Family Leadership

Description:  Developing and running training and resources for families

Areas of work: designing and running family leadership and information courses including; Partners in Policymaking, Sharing Knowledge, Kindred Spirits, Sharing the Challenge, Tomorrow's Leaders


I worked as a photographer until having my children. When Nicola, the second of my five children became disabled at the age of eight months, I made the decision to stay at home to support and educate her. It was through Nicola that I became aware of the traditional response to disabled people from society and services. I found the responses to our requests for help didn’t fit or work for Nicola. All I had were my instincts and emotions but these weren't  enough to change things. I decided to learn more.

For more than twenty years  I have taken part in and led training, designing and developing work on helping disabled people to develop social networks through Circles of Support and Citizen Advocacy.  I have also renewed my interest in photography, working with people who have disabilities to produce positive images of disabled people.

Over the past twelve years I have co-ordinated and supported thirty citizen leadership courses - mostly Partners in Policy making courses in the north west of England. I've also supported course graduates to run courses in their local communities across the U.K. and Ireland.  Partners is an innovative leadership training programme for parents of disabled children and disabled adults. It is designed to educate and empower its participants in order for them to achieve system change at local and national levels.

I have been instrumental in ‘spreading the word’ about the Partners. The course is now running in several different areas in the U.K. And in Europe. Following the success of the Partners course, I was commissioned to design a course aimed at parents of disabled adults and disabled adults. This course is called ‘Sharing the Challenge’. We have run the course in Lancashire, Cheshire, Oldham and Essex.

Other courses followed. Kindred Spirits, which was designed specifically for Sefton. Born out of a desire to provide services and supports in a more inclusive and empowering way,
Kindred Spirits is an opportunity to bring everyone together who loves and supports disabled children at a time when attitudes towards disability and difference have been challenged.  The course tries to  enable service providers and families to work in partnership.

I was part of a team that designed an innovative course (Tomorrow’s Leaders) for adults who have learning difficulties. This has made an impact on developing and strengthening the self advocacy movement.

The philosophy and ideas in the courses developed draw on my experience of bringing up a child who had significant support needs due to her disability and also on the knowledge and support of colleagues who have shaped my thinking. 

I would like to thank in particular: Colleen Wieck, John O Brien, Connie Lyle o’ Brien, Judith Snow, Marsha Forrest and Herb Lovett from the USA; Heather Anderson Paul Taylor, Gary Nield, and all the Partners graduates.


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