Making Waves UK

Lived Experience Network

Julie is a survivor, reflector, activist, and researcher based in Nottingham.

30 years experience of working with lived experience, including her own, has acted to encourage organisations in provision of  fair and compassionate services and support to people living with mental diversity, difference or distress. Co-working with mental health service users across Europe, Africa and Asia, has produced a wide range of academic and service partnerships and resulted in various accessible publications and media productions. The award of Honorary Doctorate DSocSci was presented by Nottingham Trent University in 2013 for a contribution to international social work education, based on her ‘unique perspective on power and discrimination’.

Activism has included advocacy with and on behalf of people in secure psychiatric wards and residential care facilities for older people, welfare rights support to disabled applicants and community action with mental diversity rights groups around the world, including capacity building with groups of learning disabled citizens and co-production with groups of people living with dementia. Present appointments include associate lectureship at the University Of Nottingham, School of Health Sciences and research fellowship at the  Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham, including advisory group member of its Centre for Mental Health and Human Rights. A committed co-organiser of the Mental Diversity Law conferences, she has contributed to a significant lived experience input, including the hosting of a Mad Space and a strong lived experience representation from individuals and groups promoting mental wellbeing and justice in the UK and Ireland.