Ian Callaghan

Lived Experience Programme Manager - Rethink Mental Illness.

Ian has been a judge for the National Lived Experience Awards since they first began in 2013, following his discharge from a medium secure service. His involvement journey began while he was in hospital; after volunteering for three years to help organise the Recovery and Outcomes Network, a national network of involvement groups for people in adult medium and low secure services, he started working for Rethink Mental Illness in 2015.

Since then, Ian has been helping to organise and facilitate involvement and co-production projects for a variety of commissioners, including Provider Collaboratives, the Care Quality Commission, and the Department of Health and Social Care. He has spoken in Parliament about his experiences and remains passionate about improving care for everyone affected by mental illness.

In his spare time, Ian enjoys long walks, attending local music gigs, and is currently learning the bass guitar (very slowly!).

Waldo Roeg

Senior Peer Consultant - Imroc (Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change)

After several years of accessing secondary mental health services in Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) in 2009, Waldo completed a User Employment Placement in Westminster Community Day Services in London, UK.

He was introduced to the concept of co-production when he played an active part in co-producing CNWL's Health and Wellbeing plans and played a key role in initiating the Trust’s Peer Support Worker and Recovery College programme. He completed an accredited level 4 Peer Support Training programme through Sheffield Hallam University and Imroc in 2011, and in 2012 completed a level 4 qualification in adult education.

Waldo was one of the first Peer Support Workers employed in the Trust. He played a key role in starting the third Recovery and Wellbeing College in the UK and was employed as the first Peer Recovery Trainer in CNWL when the College opened in 2012, going on to become a Senior Peer Trainer. He took an active role in co-developing and co-delivering the courses until 2024, when he retired from the NHS.

As an Imroc Consultant, he played and continues to play a part in developing and delivering the Imroc Peer Support Worker and Peer Supervision training in England and has just finished developing the Imroc national level 3 award in Training for Peer Trainers. On behalf of Imroc, he has delivered presentations and training across the UK and internationally for the last 16 years. He is a member of the International Community of Practice, looking at how Recovery Colleges across the world can come together and learn from each other, and co-facilitates the Imroc Recovery College Learning Set alongside Dr Rachel Perkins. He has contributed to several publications looking at Recovery Colleges, Peer Support, and Co-Production.

Emily Reynolds

Lived Experience Consultant and Trainer - Together for Mental Wellbeing

Drawing on her own lived experience of distress, Emily has worked with a number of national and local organisations, including Mind, the British Association of Social Workers, YoungMinds and many more, helping facilitate co-production and involvement. She was a trustee at the user-led charity NSUN for six years and is an associate visiting lecturer at UCL.

Underpinning all of Emily’s work is a belief that communities and individuals understand themselves better than anyone else and should have the power and resources to make decisions about their own lives.

Marsha McAdam

Ambassador, Peer Consultant and Vice Chair - Mental Health Network

As an Expert by Experience, influencer, and ambassador, Marsha is committed to bringing about positive change within the mental health sector.

After receiving life-changing mentalisation-based therapy (MBT), and with the support and recognition of those working with her, she embarked on a venture to use her living experience to inform policymakers and clinical staff and support service transformation in both physical and mental healthcare. Having the opportunity to help others enables her to remain positive and is essential to her wellbeing.

Philippa Mariani

Board member - Sussex Housing and Care

Philippa joined the team at NLEA as a Head Judge in 2025. She is deeply committed to lived experience and co-production at the heart of social care and mental health services and support, having spent time in leadership roles in a user-led disabled peoples' organisation, in residential care and supported housing, and in local communities. She was previously Chief Executive at Mind in Croydon and most recently at Think Ahead, where she championed the Think Ahead Lived Experience Partnership and advocated for person-centred mental health specialisms as an essential part of national social work qualification and training programmes. Philippa is currently a Board member at Sussex Housing and Care, providing affordable housing, support and care services for older people in Sussex.

Esther Onyeka

Public Affairs and Policy Manager - Caribbean and African Health Network

Esther loves reading and travelling. To her, the National Lived Experience Awards is such an inspiring event; she is always reminded of how incredible everyone is and can guarantee she will learn something.