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The Peer Hubs and Peer Advisor Network (PAN)
Drive Change for Individuals, Communities and Organisations
Our Aim
We believe that people who have overcome adverse circumstances and situations themselves – referred to in the sector as lived experience – hold the key to positive change in others. We enable people with lived experience to provide advice & guidance services which help other people and their wider communities. Our aim is to embed this approach into all local services and support.
The Peer Advisor Network (PAN) and Peer Hubs
The PAN connects other likeminded organisations who share our vision of leading sector change which puts people with lived experience at the centre of services and decisions. Leading by example, we want demonstrate the impact this has on individuals, communities and society.
Support from The National Lottery Community Fund has enabled us to develop a national network of Peer Hubs helping people in disadvantaged local communities transform their own lives and help others. This is the first time that lived experience has been developed and supported at this scale.
Find out more on the Peer Hubs here.
Impact
Since the NLCF-funded programme began in 2019, we have trained over 60 Peer Advisors though the Peer Hubs and they have helped hundreds of other people in their local communities. Nearly half of the peer advisors trained so far have moved on to paid employment. Read evaluations into the work here.
How to become a Peer Advisor
We offer our peer advisors a structured and quality-assured programme of training, voluntary placements, supervision, assessment and support. This includes the opportunity to gain a Level 3 NVQ in Advice & Guidance, to deliver services in communities, and get support to work towards employment or other training or education. If you’d like to find out more about becoming a peer advisor, get in touch with one of our hubs.
How you can partner with us
Our Peer Advisors can enhance your organisation in numerous ways. These include increasing diversity, bringing professional skills, living experience and help in addressing frontline pressures. We can also help advise on processes and policies to enable people with lived experience to thrive in your organisation, and provide training and support to existing volunteers and staff.
If you are interested finding out more about partnering with us please contact us here.
Meet the Peers
People who train as Peer Advisors come from all walks of life. However, most agree that training through the programme has given them and others around them life changing opportunities. Read about them here.
