Vanessa has been in contact with mental health services for a lot of her life, facing a number of challenges and working hard to increase her confidence and grow as a person. This lived experience has given her a natural desire to help people, and makes her very passionate about what she does, in particular providing a voice for those who are unable to speak out.
Vanessa has led the service’s user representative forum on a weekly basis, starting it from scratch, and helping to increase the membership and providing a safe space for people to contribute and share ideas and feedback about the service.
Colleagues have said Vanessa is great at challenging herself and did a great job recently when she spoke at a celebration of success event in front of commissioners and colleagues.
Vanessa leads a gardening project and supports volunteers with a painting project. She is described by her colleagues as a “kind and caring person” and is always willing to help without being asked or prompted.
When Vanessa was recognised for her kind and supportive nature with our Inspired by Possibility Award, she said: “I just want to thank you to all the people at Slough Turning Point for being really friendly since I started as a volunteer. I’ve always been welcomed and feel like part of the family now.”
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