Hello! My name is Sally Drinkwater and I am the Community & Young People’s Engagement and Development Lead for the Trauma Informed Programme. I started my role at Volition, Forum Central in August 2022 and I am keen to engage with organisations across the networks at Forum Central who work with communities, babies, children, young people and families particularly those communities of interest who face inequalities.
My current role forms part of a programme team of colleagues from across Health and Care and it sits within the Compassionate Leeds: Trauma Awareness, Prevention, Response Strategy (soon to be launched). My role is essentially to be the bridge between the health and care system and the communities, families, children and young people. I will help the Trauma Informed programme hear the voices (focussing on unheard voices) of the children and young people and this may be via organisations such as yourselves. This is a very new role to a very new programme so there will be learning and reflections along the way and I am hugely grateful to those who have helped me already on my journey!
Another part of my role will be to support the grant holders of the ‘Trauma Informed in the Communities Fund’ who were awarded these grants from Leeds Community Foundation in October 2022. I will also be looking at how to share the learning and impact of these projects with the programme and third sector networks. There were 8 successful grant holders: Basis, Fall Into Place Theatre, Building Futures Together, Health for All, Let’s Do More, Circus Leeds, Women’s Health Matters and Shine Bright CLC. Voluntary Action Leeds kindly hosted our welcome event for the grant holders and partners on Thursday 19th January and it was inspiring to see the grant holders connecting and sharing ideas. You can follow their journeys using #LeedsBecomingTraumaInformed.
I am very much looking to connect with all community organisations across Leeds to ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard. I am looking to hear from all organisations who work with children and young people, not just organisations that specialise in mental health and wellbeing.
If you would like to hear more information or have any further questions on the Trauma Informed Programme, Penny Netherwood (Clinical Psychologist in the Trauma Informed Practice Integrated Resource Team) and myself will be presented to the Young Lives Leeds network on Thursday 8th March 2023. Please contact Ann Crossland ([email protected]) for attendance details.
Looking forward to working with you,
Sally Drinkwater
0113 242 1321
