Our Board of Trustees
As you all know, WIGO became a charity in July last year and we have been busy establishing our new Board of Trustees. We have been very fortunate in attracting some brilliant people to work with us in shaping and growing WIGO and I am delighted to introduce you to them. They are:
Mary Reed
Mary is the CEO of the Wiltshire Centre For Independent Living (Wiltshire CIL). The Wiltshire CIL is working to ensure that people are able to live a good life of their choosing in welcoming communities. Mary had a number of different roles within the CIL before being appointed CEO 3 years ago. She started as their Development Officer in 2014 before being appointed Business Development Manager in 2016.
Mary has a background in research, working for the University of Exeter as Associate Research Fellow from 2012 to 2013 and as a researcher for the University of Bath from 2004 to 2010.
Dr Mervyn Eastman
Mervyn has spent over forty years in and around Social Care and following his retirement as a Director of Social Services led the Government’s Better Government for Older People Programme. In 2010 he co formed Change AGEnts an older adults multi stakeholder Co-operative. Presently he is one of the Directors of the Later Life Audio and Radio Co-operative, and Chair of the Third Sector Safeguarding Network (UK).
Author and writer he has challenged both civic and civil society with regard to ageism and especially “compassionate ageism”, but includes older adults themselves. He continues his work of over 30 years in the area of social care and especially focused on older adult issues.
Julie Stansfield
Julie has over 30 years experience in health and social care sectors. Julie studied at Huddersfield university business, management and leadership with a strong particular focus on managing change. She was able to put theory into practice, managing considerable change in social and health care commissioning and provider arrangements, covering a variety of disability and health sectors and organisations.
Julie is rooted in her passion for inclusion and enabling people to have the support they need to lead an ordinary life.
In 2003 she was the co founder of the national charity “In Control Partnerships”, which instigated self directed support and the personalisation agenda in health and social care policy and practice. Enabling people and their families to be more in control of their health and social care provision.
In 2020 she founded the “Be Human” movement encouraging the concentration of 7 key principles she developed and is one of the convenors’ of “Social Care Future”
Julie received the People’s honour British Citizen Award in January 2023.
Launching the new 3 year plan
After lots of brilliant discussion and wise contribution from the Trustees and Advisory Board we are pleased to launch our 3 year vision and plan. The three main elements of the plan are summarised in this graphic:
Introducing OOPS and our new weekly blog
Angela and I have been talking for some time about my writing a weekly personal blog: an insider’s account of getting older, with all its joys, challenges and frustrations. We have called the blog series OOPS – or Outspoken Older People Subverting – and the first blog was published last week OOPS Blog #1
This blog series, to be any use at all, should be more than my voice and so we are looking for guest bloggers. If you are interested in trying your hand at a blog (they can be very short!) then let me know at sian@wigo.org.uk
Meeting for Independent Professionals who advise
- Are you an independent professional advising older people in England, with any specialism including social care, therapy, health, advice, law, finance?
- Do you want to co-create better ‘advice’ experiences and options, especially for people considering ‘care’?
WIGO are working with BASW (the British Association of Social Workers) to build a network of independent professionals who offer advice to older people so we can share learning, support each other and enhance options for people who pay for and manage their own care (self-funders).
Come to our free meeting on the evening of March 31st to find out more and connect with others. Contact info@wigo.org.uk for booking information.
Consumer law project. Please help
WIGO is partnering with the lovely folks at Access Social Care https://www.accesscharity.org.uk/ a charity that provides specialist legal advice and training on social care. Alongside specialist lawyers they run AccessAva, a 24/7, free online service that offers personalised guidance to anyone considering their social care rights.
WIGO is excited to announce a consumer rights project with a focus on social care. We need real stories of real people who contracted with a social care provider and felt the service received fell short of what was promised. These stories can be really short and should be anonymised. They will give the lawyers examples on which to base the development of legal guidance. Please send your stories or a request for a conversation if you would prefer to info@wigo.org.uk – snippets are fine!
We Need to Talk About Care – event in Swindon and wider Wiltshire
A couple of weeks ago WIGO was proud to work in partnership with Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living (CIL). Almost 40 people in the room, bringing really diverse personal perspectives and an enthusiasm for care conversations. People considered what care and support they would actually choose to buy and how this differed from the services actually on offer to them locally. We will use the results of the amazing conversations to develop a ‘Citizen-led Market Position Statement’. We also have lots of plans for future work together with Wilts CIL. Get in touch if you want to learn more or do something similar in your area.
Ageing without Children (AWOC) Survey
AWOC has launched a survey for people who identify as AWOC. It’s quite short, totally anonymous and due to close in March – it’s on their Home Page and can be found via this direct link https://awoc.org.uk/ageing-without-children-survey-2026/