About me
I used to have a perfectly nice website with lots of information on but then it stayed static for years — so I deleted it. I’m wondering whether a medium post will suffice!
I’m 26 and feel like I have already lived a full, impactful and dramatic life. I’ve also noticed that after turning 21, if I have to recall my age I have to stop and work it out. Age used to be incredibly important..
I was born in Liverpool and have spent most of my life there — growing up in North Liverpool.
I was always fearlessly independent — with one of my primary school teachers recently reminding me that at age 5/6, I asked her to sit on the floor so I could lead the class instead — she obliged.
My memories of early teenage years are mainly around struggling with understanding my sexuality. As a deep thinker, it was all around — why does this feel wrong/abnormal, why will I not have a ‘normal life’ like everyone else and would I be able to have children.
At 18, barely a few months in, I was elected to Liverpool City Council, becoming the youngest politician in the UK in 2011.
During that time I served on many council committees, was promoted by the Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson to be Mayoral Lead for Looked After Children and worked for then-Shadow Secretary of State Maria Eagle MP as a Parliamentary Assistant at 19.
As well as all the community work, which I absolutely loved doing — and motivated me to work more in the charity sector, my time as a Councillor was notable for two key areas of work.
Defibrillators
Following the death of 12-year-old Oliver King from a sudden cardiac arrest in Wavertree, where I was just about to become a Councillor, I heard a call on the radio phone-in show from a tearful teacher appealing for funds for a lifesaving defibrillator in the school. I contacted the producer and said that I would supply this through the Councillors neighbourhood fund and to pass on my details.
After meeting Oliver’s parents — Mark and Joanne, along with their family friends — I helped them set up as a charity, with the aim to see a defibrillator in schools across the UK.
Within 12 months, every school in Liverpool (well over 120) had a lifesaving defibrillator and we reached over 100,000 signatures on an e-petition to trigger a parliamentary debate.
I continued to work closely with the charity up until 2018, with over 30 lives saved and thousands of defibrillators out in the country.
I specifically led on the Parliamentary side, with over 250 Members of Parliament signed up as defibrillator champions in their constituency, having met each one and told them about what we do.
Social isolation
I regularly attended community bingo sessions in my area, to get to know local residents more and find out about issues in the area.
I was saddened to hear from many of the attendees that they had no plans on Christmas day, many would be alone and they were all disappointed that this was the case.
Straight away, reaching out to contacts throughout the city, we set out to hold a Christmas day event.
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In 2013 we had 100 guests and helpers in attendance in the local pub and it was a fantastic event.
A year later, we moved to St George’s Hall and had over 500 people, with taxi drivers picking people up and dropping them off, mostly for free, and plenty of community spirit in action.
They were incredibly special events, and something I’d be very happy to support and be involved with again.
Working in the charity sector
I began volunteering at 15, working with a disability charity in Liverpool supporting young people with autism with accessing mainstream youth services.
As a City Councillor I was invited to visit many charities working on issues such as homelessness, mental health and community centres.
In April 2014 I launched an appeal for Liverpool bridges to donate their wedding dresses for Gift of a Wedding, which raised over £150,000 for the charity in just two months — so that they can organise weddings for terminally ill people. An inspirational charity.
I have worked for a number of charities over the years, and particularly enjoyed working at Mind in Cambridgeshire, focussing on community resilience and suicide prevention — firmly putting mental health on the agenda and working to support people in the community.
I now work as Chief Executive at Citizens Advice Wokingham, another inspirational charity which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year.
The thing I love about Citizens Advice is that we deal with everything and anything. We do not turn people away. Whatever their problem, we will help them find a way forward. If the situation is unfair, needs challenging or fixing — we do that too, on a local and national level. We campaign for change and we empower people to be able to deal with their problems, by providing advice and information related to their situation.
This gives a really good opportunity to get stuck in to areas right across our communities. We all have problems, we all have different abilities to deal with them — or resilience levels. Sometimes we see people who are looking for reassurance that their course of action is right, sometimes we see people who are in a lot of debt, they cannot understand the letters they are receiving and it is getting worse. We handle all situations with care and passion to help them through it.
Next steps
I am proud of the work I have been able to get involved with, to champion or start up.
I spent all my teenage years curious as to where life would take me, what I would be able to do, struggling to identify that single career path we are told we will go on.
All I can say is, I am as passionate as ever, and hopeful to continue making a difference — in whatever capacity that is.
I am a firm believer that the charity sector is here to disrupt. To shout loud. To make a difference and help people live a fulfilled life. To tackle injustice, champion equality and ensure that no-one is left behind.
One thing that is also really important to me is our support for people with mental health. I encourage you to take a look at my video here and make changes in your work place. I’d love to hear of anything you may do.
I’m off
There’s not much more to write about, and may not be much of an audience! But I sure like the medium platform and its easiness for writing.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/EiJake
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmorrison92/
