Transforming Lives Through Shared Experiences.
Our vision: we want to educate, awaken and motivate a generation to transform lives, make positive choices, find value in themselves, and reduce offending.
Our mission: to engage and empathise with young people in order that we can educate and empower them to be the best version of themselves.
Our impact in numbers
6100
Young adults directly spoken to
1100
Inmates spoken to in sessions
10000
Books sold and distributed
As Lived Experience Speakers we have reached over 6,100 young adults in high schools across the Yorkshire region and beyond. We deliver Prevention & Intervention workshops that focus on the consequences of drug use/addiction, gang affiliation, and knife crime. Our speakers specialise in workshops centred on the British law of Joint Enterprise, raising awareness among young people about its implications.
We have the support and collaboration of some prisons, enabling us to use real-life stories (anonymised) in school workshops. These stories, accompanied by photographic evidence, powerfully convey the stark realities of prison life and the long-term consequences of poor choices.
In addition to our mainstream schools we have also engaged with smaller groups in Alternative Provision schools, connecting with more than 200 students over the past year alone.
Our speakers have facilitated sessions with over 1,100 inmates across various prison settings, including adult males and females, youth offenders, and serious child offenders as young as 14. These experiences provide valuable insights that inform their work in schools and other settings.
We have also contributed to professional development by holding sessions with year heads, senior management teams (SMTs), and even spending a day engaging with all the headteachers from a district in Yorkshire, sharing expertise and fostering understanding of the challenges faced by young people today.
Our team
Tim Haigh
CEO
Tim is the CEO and founder of Lived Experience Speakers, using his personal story of overcoming adversity to inspire and empower young people. With a focus on transformative change, Tim leads the organization to create impactful programs and provide real-world insights for positive social change.
Donna Haigh
COO
As COO of Lived Experience Speakers, Donna Haigh ensures the smooth operation and growth of the organization, overseeing program delivery and strategic initiatives. Her expertise in project management and community outreach plays a key role in supporting both staff and clients.
Phoebe Mayner
Communications and development
Phoebe works in Strategy & Development, where she leads the organization’s long-term planning and growth initiatives. With a strong background in strategic development and program expansion, Phoebe focuses on driving impact through innovative solutions and fostering key partnerships to support the organization’s mission.
