In a blog post for UK Disability History Month 2024, our Volunteer Coordinator Sam Pidgeon talks about the history of Citizen Advocacy. He looks at how it started and how it is part of what The Advonet Group does.

What is Citizen Advocacy?

A volunteer advocate is paired with an adult with a learning disability to advocate for them over a long period of time. This advocacy partnership can be much longer than other types of advocacy. This is because the matches only end by mutual agreement from both the Citizen Advocate and their partner.

History of Citizen Advocacy

Dr Wolf Wolfensberger believed that people without a learning disability had a duty to advocate for people who did have a learning disability. Dr Wolfensberger founded Citizen Advocacy Offices.

The Citizen Advocacy Offices found volunteer Citizen Advocates, made long lasting matches and supported those matches over time. Starting in 1969, several Citizen Advocacy offices were set up first in the United States of America. Then, they made their way to the UK and other countries across the world.

Citizen Advocacy and The Advonet Group today

Citizen Advocacy has always been offered by Asking You! and The Advonet Group. Our longest standing match has been running since 2008. That’s 16 years!

We offer support for the duration of the match for both the Citizen Advocate and the match. Citizen Advocates support their match with a variety of issues such as employment, pensions, health, transport and care.

Citizen Advocates spend one or two hours per month with their match. They work through lots of issues like employment, pensions, transport, health and care.

Our Citizen Advocates also provide a listening ear and an independent view on the events that are going on in their match’s life.

Become a Citizen Advocate

If you want to be a Citizen Advocate, please email [email protected] or call 0113 244 0606 and ask for Sam.

Please note, to be a Citizen Advocate, we require a minimum commitment of 1-2 hours a month for at least a year. The Advonet Group will provide all necessary training and support.