A project to learn about the everyday difficulties for those with a hidden disability or illness and then develop public understanding, needs funding votes.
HIDDEN Stories has the chance to get £45,000 from The Big Lottery Fund to take the project into a further nine locations across the South and publish a free book. But it’s down to a public vote.
The Big Lottery Fund’s People’s Projects have listed Hidden Stories by Brighton-based organisation Root Experience in their regional final five, to get a share of £3 million in funding.
Hidden Stories needs at least 3,000 votes to secure money to enable them to bring their workshops to towns including Chichester to gather real stories. The stories will then become part of an illustrated book, a manual for change, freely distributed to help people understand what it’s like for a person living with an invisible illnesses, such as depression or ME.
There will also be details in the book on where help and information for the various conditions can be found. Voting is now open.
Hidden Stories is about understanding how it feels to navigate the world with an invisible disability. The project began with creative workshops, where a group of individuals were invited to explore how life is for one another.
Robbie Stedman (45) from Eastbourne, who deals with anxiety and other mental health issues, said: “I found out about the Hidden Project through the Terrence Higgins Trust and it has greatly helped me increase my confidence. I’ve also made new friends and I feel part of something important, something that can help so many other people who may be feeling alone in dealing with their condition.”
Simon Magnus, Artistic Director, Root Experience, added: “Although knowledge is growing about what people may be dealing with behind the scenes, we’ve learnt through the project that these people need help in sharing their voice. We need thousands of votes to be awarded the £45,000 we need to continue our already successful project and as most people know someone living with an invisible illness, we really hope that we will get the votes we need.”
Voting is open now and closes on April 30.
To vote online, click here: It will take just 20 seconds of your time!
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