CAPITAL Connections Episode 5🎙️: Amplifying Lived Experience with Jo Ball from Stonepillow

At CAPITAL, we know that some of the most powerful insights come from people with lived experience. When individuals are given the opportunity to share their stories, perspectives and ideas, it can lead to better services, stronger communities, and meaningful change.

In the latest episode of the CAPITAL Connections Podcast, Sara, CAPITAL’s Lived Experience Lead, speaks with Jo Ball, Community Inclusion Coordinator at Stonepillow, about the importance of elevating lived experience voices and creating opportunities for people to be genuinely heard.

Creating Space for Voices to Be Heard

Jo’s role focuses on community inclusion and ensuring that people with lived experience have opportunities to contribute, influence and share what they have learned.

As Jo explains:

“Giving people opportunity to be heard and, you know, whatever that might look like, whatever they have to say, just supporting people for that to happen.”

This commitment to listening and participation sits at the heart of both Stonepillow’s work and the aims of the Voice of Lived Experience project.

Why Lived Experience Matters

The Voice of Lived Experience project was commissioned through the Community Funds programme to ensure that people with co-occurring conditions are not only listened to but are actively involved in shaping the decisions and services that affect their lives.

The project aims to:

• Elevate and validate lived experience voices
• Strengthen connections between individuals and services
• Support people to become advocates and community leaders
• Drive meaningful and lasting system change

By creating opportunities for participation, projects like this help challenge assumptions and ensure that support services are informed by real-world experiences.

Supporting People Facing Multiple Challenges

Stonepillow works with people who are experiencing homelessness or are vulnerably housed, often alongside a range of other complex challenges.

Working across the Chichester and Arun districts, the organisation supports individuals to access practical help, build connections, and develop opportunities to influence services through their lived experience.

Jo highlights that meaningful involvement requires more than simply asking for opinions—it requires time, trust and genuine relationships.

“It’s so important to connect in that meaningful way. And that takes time.”

The Challenges of Meaningful Participation

One of the themes discussed in the episode is the challenge of creating space for genuine engagement.

Whether working one-to-one or with groups, meaningful involvement requires dedicated time and resources. Jo reflects on the reality that while organisations recognise the importance of lived experience involvement, making the time to support it can sometimes be difficult.

Funding is another challenge. Like many community projects, sustaining successful initiatives beyond initial funding periods requires ongoing investment and support.

Despite these challenges, Jo remains optimistic about the future and the continuation of the work already underway.

Looking Ahead

The conversation highlights something that both CAPITAL and Stonepillow strongly believe: when people are trusted, included and supported to share their experiences, everyone benefits.

By creating opportunities for lived experience voices to shape services, communities become stronger, more inclusive and better equipped to meet people’s needs.

We would like to thank Jo for joining us on the podcast and for sharing her insights into the importance of community inclusion, participation and lived experience leadership.