Leighanne and Karon's story

Leighanne, 16, had been excluded from school for almost three years; Karon, in her mid-40s, has a serious medical condition and is confined to a wheelchair. Conversations for Change created a safe space in which they could talk about their experiences, listen to people they would not normally engage with, and begin to understand each other.

Leighanne  and Karon are from Ashington, North-East England, a town with many disaffected young people and tensions between older and younger generations.

As Karon described the name calling and spitting she suffered, Leighanne thought, I do that. My mates do that.  As Leighanne spoke, Karon learned the implications of being excluded from school, like being excluded from the local swimming pool and being branded as a 'hoodie' and 'bad'.  

Inspired by the workshops, Leighanne brokered a meeting between Karon and her friends in the Pupil Referral Unit so they could hear what it is like to be someone with a disability.   Leighanne has now enrolled on a nursery nursing course, reversing her relationship with formal education.

As a local councillor, Karon was greeted by a range of negative responses from fellow councillors at her first meeting.   With the help of the Tutu Foundation, she has been able to challenge these attitudes to encourage a listening community.  The councillors are now establishing a forum to represent the view of residents from all parts of the community. Having learned from Leighanne, Karon has ensured that those voices will include the excluded young people too.  

As a result of attending Conversations for Change, Leighanne and Karon have bridged a divide that has changed their lives forever and shaped their community for the better.