Sandwell Advocacy held its Annual General Meeting on 27th November 2025. This was an ideal opportunity for Trustees, volunteers, staff, and supporters to come together, reflect on the past year, celebrate achievements, and look ahead to the future.
The meeting highlighted that 2024–2025 was a year in which demand for advocacy and support remained high. Our new Chair, Gurdeep Hanspaul, expressed thanks to staff, volunteers, and funders for their commitment in delivering our range of projects, including: Sandwell Advocacy Voice Empowerment, Advocacy for Young Carers, Sandwell Together Telephone Befriending Service, Advocacy Feedback Support Service, Parent’s Advocacy Guidance & Empowerment, Voices & Choices and Birmingham Bereavement & Well-Being Service.
The AGM reaffirmed that Sandwell Advocacy is more than a charity fulfilling a formal obligation, it is a continued commitment to rights, dignity, and empowerment. In a borough where social care, health services, and wider community support are often stretched, the presence of an independent organisation ensuring that individuals’ voices are heard is vital. This principle continues to guide our work and will remain central to our values in the years ahead.
Looking forward, our priorities for the coming year include:
- Maintaining our mission to make advocacy accessible to those experiencing exclusion or marginalisation: including older people, people with health or care needs, young carers, those with mental health issues.
- Launch of our new Housing Advocacy Support Service (HASS): this service offers independent advocacy support and guidance provided by a qualified independent advocacy practitioner with a background knowledge of local housing related issues and legislation.
- Sustaining volunteer engagement and recruitment: offering training, peer support and diverse opportunities, so we can respond to growing demand.
- Looking to grow, sustain and strengthen our work: building solid foundations so that more people can move forward and thrive in their life choices.
Sandwell Advocacy gratefully acknowledges the financial support of all our funders, without whom our vital work could not be delivered or sustained.
For more information on volunteering, donating, or referring someone to Sandwell Advocacy please contact our office on 0121 520 8070 or visit our website www.sandwelladvocacy.org
