Hi, my name is Rish (Rich/Richeldis).
My pronouns are She/They. I am of mixed Guyanese/Chinese/Welsh heritage.
My lived experience of social care has been through mental health and physical health services personally, professionally and as a carer for others. I have been a lived experience representative on local and national NHS and government policy development and implementation groups for mental health in Wales. I have also advised and undertaken national research with the NHS Delivery Unit.
I self-define as disabled, mad and as a carer.
I am currently a national member of the Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum, which aims to influence government, policy and healthcare within mental health across Wales.
I got involved with CARE and the LEC to hopefully make a difference to and show how good PPI can work. I want to influence and be part of changing research cultures to be more thoughtful, inclusive and accessible for all who take part in research, especially others from marginalized groups. I want to help embed the work the LEC does in supporting researchers to think carefully about how and when to involve people throughout the whole research process and develop more meaningful ways of working that can lead to real world changes for people.
In other lives I am a PhD student working from lived experience perspectives, an auntie, friend and general physics and cosmology nerd. I enjoy weightlifting and creating things when well enough including food, mixology and crafty things. I am a gamer and hopefully soon an assistance dog human.