Client Involvement
At Connection Support we invite people who use (or have used) our services to get involved in shaping our work. We strongly believe that the knowledge and experience our clients bring can help us make better decisions for the organisation.
Taking part has all kinds of benefits for clients, it provides opportunities to get out of the house, meet new people and learn new skills for the future. We're pretty sure that anyone who takes part will have some fun along the way - so we hope!
Engagement Activities
Our client involvement team offers a range of activities for clients to try out. Often we find this is an effective way of getting to know people who might be interested in further activities. Below, you'll find some examples of the kinds of activities people can get involved with.
Fishing
We run monthly fishing trips in Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes for our current clients. These are a great opportunity to unwind in nature, and we usually catch a few fish too!
Arts and Crafts
Our arts and crafts group have participated in local markets in Oxford, selling home-made and donated items to raise money for Connection Support.
Seasonal Events
We regularly organise a variety of summer and winter parties for clients to coming along to, giving them a chance to enjoy social time together.
Ways our clients have their say
We try to involve our clients in as much as possible, from taking part in our recruitment processes, right through to consulting on our organisational strategy. Their input has also been used to help shape one of our recent marketing campaigns!
Recruitment Panels
We take steps to involve someone who has used our service on every recruitment panel for new members of our paid staff team. This covers all roles - from new support workers to senior positions, as well as business support posts such as HR and finance. Empowering clients to share their voice in the important decision of who to hire provides an extremely useful insight.
Client Consultations
From time to time we invite people with experience of using our service to give their views on important aspects of our organisation’s work. For example we held three client sessions to offer input into our organizational strategy, Prevention First, and consulted clients on the Theory of Change document that goes alongside this.
Brighter Futures Group
In 2025 we started up what was initially called a Client Advisory Board, but was swiftly renamed by its members to be called the “Brighter Futures Group”. Brighter Futures is made up of 10 people wo use our service or have done in the past, from across the geographical regions we work in. They meet every other month to help work with our project management team on new initiatives, such as ways to get our name out there, shaping our 30th Birthday campaign and fundraising ideas. Members sign up to take part for one year, so we welcome new members to express an interest for the next recruitment round.
Spotlight on: Peer Mentoring
We provide training and support for people who have received help from Connection Support in the past, so that they can assist others who are earlier on in their journey. We call these Peer Mentors.
Peer Mentors are volunteers who act as role models and provide a listening ear for those in need of support. Taking part is a fantastic opportunity for people to use their own experience to help someone else, developing skills along the way.
"I went to my first fishing trip and it was really easy going with good conversations - everyone was lovely. You can also be left alone for peace and quiet in nature. For me, I struggle with mental health so just sitting there - staring at the water, the fields - I can process the stuff I don’t do on a day-to-day basis. I recommend it to anyone for a bit of peace and quiet, and to socialise as well. The trips are good for people struggling with stressful situations."
- AJ
"Taking part in involvement activities has been massively beneficial for mine and my partner’s mental health. It’s made me feel motivated again to think about the future, and my partner has gained confidence to meet new people and become more independent."
- Tina*
*Pseudonym used
"I really enjoyed taking part on the interview panel. It really helped me see what makes for a good interview answer which is beneficial for me as I am looking for work at the moment."
- P
If you have any questions or comments about client involvement at Connection Support, please contact our Client Involvement and Volunteer Manager, Rachel Ruscombe-King at rachelruscombe-king@connectionsupport.org.uk