Simon Blake

CEO

Stonewall

I first met Mike when I was a student in the early 90s and working for a local charity. He was the Honorary President and co-founder of the HIV charity Cardiff Body Positive.

Mike was passionate about raising awareness of HIV and spoke publicly about his own HIV status at a time before treatment advances – doing so in Wales at that time was not easy. There were huge levels of stigma and discrimination, yet Mike was (with others) at the vanguard of HIV and LGBT+ activism, raising awareness and campaigning for change.

Mike moved to London and worked in the HIV sector, then in the dementia sector and later at Directory of Social Change. There he trained charities that address a range of social causes.

Through all the years I’ve known him, the common thread has been Mike’s compassion for those who are marginalised in our society.

He brings that same passion and creativity to his work as a freelance Trainer, Facilitator, Consultant and Coach.

Mike has always supported marginalised people to raise their voices. Be this through neighbourhood facilitation and renewal, delivering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training or working with disabled people and people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.

Mike is committed to ongoing development. As the former CEO at Mental Health First Aid England, I was delighted when he trained to become a Mental Health First Aider

It was no surprise Mile was featured in the inaugural “Difference Makers” by the agency, Four. They called him “The relentless advocate for change.”

Mike truly lives his INSPIRE values with determination, verve and hope.