Stockport Advocacy: Double Award Win, Later Life Care Talks

Stockport Advocacy, the community benefit society that helps people be heard in decisions about their care and treatment, is starting a series of public information sessions after taking two prizes at this year’s Stockport Business Awards.

It won both The Stockport Award and Best Not for Profit at the ceremony in October, the only organisation besides Coffee Block to win twice. All 13 winners are listed here.

The first of the new sessions is called Understanding Later Life Care. It runs on Tuesday 10 November and again on Tuesday 19 January, from 6pm to 7.30pm at Prospect House in Heaton Moor, and places are booked through Eventbrite.

“A real buzz”

Mary Edwards, chief executive of Stockport Advocacy, said: “The awards have given the whole team a real buzz! We hope this recognition helps put advocacy on the map, highlighting the value of supporting Stockport residents to have their voices heard and their rights upheld within a legal framework.

“Advocacy also offers a wonderful career pathway and the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing people across the borough.”

She also looked ahead. “Looking ahead, it is crucial that Stockport continues to recognise the value of small, local organisations and the local knowledge, networks and well-established relationships they bring to the whole community,” she said.

The organisation has worked across the borough since 2004. It says the awards are a chance to thank the staff and volunteers, past and present, who have shaped it over more than two decades.

What an advocate does

Independent advocacy is not widely understood, the organisation says, though it can matter a great deal to someone in a difficult spot. In its own words, questions about care, treatment and support “can feel overwhelming, particularly when people are unfamiliar with the services involved or unsure of their rights.”

An advocate takes time to listen, works out what matters to the person and helps them put their views across. That might mean preparing for a meeting, making sense of the options on the table, or asking questions the person has not felt able to raise. “At the heart of advocacy is the belief that people should be involved in decisions about their own lives, with their wishes listened to and taken seriously,” Stockport Advocacy said.

Most of that work happens out of sight, in one-to-one conversations and support that runs over time. The organisation hopes the awards will introduce it to people who have never come across it.

Its website lists the kinds of advocacy it provides, including Care Act advocacy, independent mental capacity advocates, independent mental health advocates and help with NHS complaints.

Sessions on later life care

The information sessions are meant to make rights, choices and support easier to understand. Understanding Later Life Care is aimed at people facing those questions themselves, and at anyone supporting a relative or friend. Stockport Advocacy describes the setting as “relaxed, plain-English”.

The aim, it says, is for people to feel better informed and more confident about asking questions, weighing their options and taking part in decisions. People do not need to be in the middle of a crisis to come along: the sessions are also for those “simply thinking ahead”.

The two dates are Tuesday 10 November 2026 and Tuesday 19 January 2027, both 6pm to 7.30pm at Prospect House, 70 Derby Road. Tickets are £35 per person and places are limited, according to the booking page. The price includes a drop-in surgery from 5.30pm to 7.30pm the following Tuesday, for one-to-one questions. The workshop covers mental capacity, Lasting Power of Attorney, Care Act assessments and when advocacy can help.

A new base in Heaton Moor

The awards came soon after a move. At the end of the summer the team left its old base on Middle Hillgate for Prospect House, 70 Derby Road, Heaton Moor, SK4 4NF. It still covers the whole borough from there and is building links with its new neighbours, it said.

The organisation’s motto sums up the approach: “By their side. On their side.”

What it means for you

• If you or someone you care for is facing decisions about care or treatment, Stockport Advocacy can be reached on 0161 480 8979 or through its website.
• For the later life care sessions, book on Eventbrite for 10 November or 19 January. Tickets are £35 and refunds are available up to seven days before the session.
• Interested in the work itself? Stockport Advocacy advertises volunteering and jobs on its site.