My social media timelines are full of two very contrasting sets of stories today: the stories about people coming together, as Shared Lives organisations celebrate Shared Lives week, and images of distraught children being taken off their parents at the US border. There could hardly be a starker contrast: our capacity to unite and to divide.
People who choose to share their lives with people to whom they have no legal or family obligation are doing something both natural and radical. They are making a choice to build their whole lives around the idea of bringing people together. They send us a powerful message: one which feels more important now than ever, so we are fortunate to be able to take their messages into parliament tomorrow, for our annual parliamentary reception. It is a truly cross-party event, this year hosted by Liz Kendall MP, last year by Alistair Burt MP. Norman Lamb MP will be speaking alongside Kit Malthouse MP. We’re going on a day when politicians will once again be debating Brexit and bitter divides will be laid bare. Our stories of people supporting each other to live life to the full could be seen as light relief by the parliamentarians, but I hope they feel the power of those stories, their radicalism and how much we need people who bring people together right now.
The choices that our members make are very personal, but as feminist Carol Hanisch said in 1970, “the personal is political”. So this year, we are celebrating the personal stories of Shared Lives as usual, but also calling on politicians of all parties, locally and nationally, to value Shared Lives carers, ensuring they have the training, back-up and fair pay they need to carry on making their very personal contributions to the future of our health and care system, and to building stronger communities and a more unified society in these divided times.
Escaping the invisible asylum 