We’re extremely pleased this week to have the noted social entrepreneur Craig Dearden-Phillips MBE, the founder and CEO of Speaking Up, talking about his journey so far on our Talent blog. Craig founded Speaking Up in the mid-1990s as a charity dedicated to giving physically and mentally disabled people in the UK a strong and confident voice. Today, it helps over 4,000 people a year and employs 135 full-time members of staff across the UK. A commentator and spokesperson for the third sector, Craig is a mentor to five young social entrepreneurs and CEOs and was short-listed in 2008 for `Britain’s Most Admired CEO’.
James Callander, managing director of FreshMinds Talent
I have been a CEO in the not-for-profit sector for about 15 years.
It all started when I worked in social care for disabled people. I noticed how poor the outcomes were when set against the colossal sums spent on people’s care and support. What I also noticed was how much better the outcomes were for disabled people who had the ability to represent themselves effectively. Have a voice. Speak up. So one day I made a decision to start a new organisation dedicated to just this. Speaking Up.
My journey began as a start-up with me as the only employee. Unpaid of course - I was 25 so money didn’t matter. It is a great time of life to take risks. I got the start-up funding after a year, and my second employee was a disabled man. Today I lead 150 people up and down the UK, a mix of disabled and non-disabled people.
In 2009 the mission stays the same: we still exist to support people with disabilities or mental health problems (and, occasionally, both) to control their own lives. We do this through mentoring, advocacy and self-help activities. Our strapline is Voice, Action, Change. One leading to the next. We work with 4000 people a year and are becoming a well-know charity and social business.












