At Changing Lives we've recently established three co-production volunteers, who bring invaluable lived experience to help us assess and deliver the best possible services with and for the people we support. During Volunteers Week 2026, they told us their stories.
Hi, I’m Grace! I’m delighted to have joined everyone at Changing Lives and look forward to contributing wherever I can, while sharing my experiences to help create positive change.
As we all know, adult life is rarely straightforward, and mine has been a bit of a bumpy ride. Along the way, though, I’ve learnt a huge amount, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to turn some of those difficult experiences into something meaningful and positive.
I’m incredibly passionate about raising awareness of domestic abuse and helping people better understand the many ways it can impact our lives. My hope is that by sharing my experiences, I can help services become more trauma-informed, compassionate and accessible, while perhaps helping someone else feel seen, heard or supported during difficult times. If you’d ever like to talk to me about anything in this area, please do reach out.
Outside of championing change and waving the flag for survivors, I work in marketing and communications — although my career took a break while I focused on rebuilding life for myself and my children. I was also recently diagnosed with ADHD, which was quite a WOW moment - and totally makes sense! It’s been interesting to learn so much about neurodiversity and I’ve enjoyed understanding how my brain works.
Most importantly, I’m mum to two brilliant girls and one very loved four-legged friend. Here’s Hugo and I enjoying the simple things in life — because sometimes those moments really are the most beautiful.
