I am Social Change Manager at Barnwood Trust overseeing and managing six Change Programmes aimed at improving opportunities for disabled people and people with Mental Health Conditions in Gloucestershire. My role is to use insights gathered from our work to influence individuals and organisations within the voluntary and public sectors through changes in practice, increasing knowledge of disability and barriers to disability, and changing policy. I am currently project managing an ambitious project around our Short Breaks work; combining the research I undertook in my previous role with a substantial funding offer to test ways of overcoming barriers to accessing these opportunities. Before this I was a lead researcher at Barnwood Trust, conducting largely qualitative research, I have been looking at the experiences of disabled people and people with mental health challenges in relation to housing, opportunities, communities and influence. My recent work has included a situation analysis on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disabled people in Gloucestershire (Our Changing World) and a listening exercise mapping the community response to Coronavirus (Resourcing Resilient Gloucestershire) Over the past few years I have also been studying for a masters in inclusion and special needs as a continuation of my BA in Education Studies. Disability, special educational needs, inclusion and mental health are areas I am particularly passionate about.