Posted: 6 May 2026
Bringing together students, professionals, and communities to explore how lived experiences shape cultural awareness in health, social care, education and community practice, the University Campus North Lincolnshire’s Through Their Eyes: Lived Experience and Cultural Awareness in Practice conference provided a day of true insight and transformation.
Through engaging talks, personal narratives, and reflective discussions, participants were able to garner an understanding of complex issues such as honour-based violence and forced marriage, FGM, gender identity and the challenges faced by refugees, amongst other topics.
Leading on these threads were a pool of keynote speakers, each offering incredible respective knowledge of the wide-ranging subject matters.
Adopting a message of ‘See the world differently. Every story teaches. Every voice matters.’, the conference offered an opportunity to listen, reflect and engage with voices that are not always heard in traditional discussions.
Voices such as Dame Jasvinder Sanghara, a survivor of forced marriage turned advocate, she is an internationally respected humanitarian and social justice leader with over 30 years of impact, dedicated to empowering others and breaking the silence on forced marriage and honour-based abuse as the founder of Karma Nirvana.
Throughout the day, attendees also heard from Hibo Wardere, an internationally recognised campaigner, educator, and speaker who has dedicated her life to combating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Bea Wood, a disabled trans woman that has found a way to thrive in life despite being a full time chair user with Tourette syndrome, autism and ADHD, and many other inspiring presentations.
Gillian Reid, Director of School for Health, Education, Wellbeing and Sport at DN Colleges Group, said: “The conference brought lived experience to the forefront in a powerful and authentic way, creating a space for honest conversation and shared learning.
“With outstanding speakers and overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, it’s clear the impact of these conversations will continue well beyond the event, helping to shape greater understanding and meaningful change.”
Kev Heath and Emma Busby from the North Lincolnshire Youth Justice Partnership, commented: “We’ve talked about looking behind children’s behaviour and focusing on their identity, and have looked at that through the lense of exploitation and adultification – to really understand their lived experiences, how this may influence their behaviour and how we respond to that, through the use of the ‘Child First’ principle.”
Joe, a Level 6 Counselling student, added: “It’s been absolutely eye-opening to listen to all of the accounts of the speakers. The accounts that people have been sharing have been incredible.
“If you get the opportunity to attend an event like this; jump at it, because it’s been brilliant.”
