4/04/2025
By Sammy Everard FIEP, Founder and CEO at the SAMEE Charity
When Laura Davies from BASE suggests that you enter for an international award, you start to consider whether the charity and the program will be good enough, and the imposter syndrome sets in… But this wasn’t about me or the team at SAMEE, but the interns that we work with and support. This was a golden opportunity to demonstrate the hard work that they had put in to develop themselves and their futures and, more importantly, becoming role models for other young disabled people wanting to make a positive change.
Fast forward to the “you have reached the finalist stage”. The thought that we had been selected from 522 nominations across 92 countries was incredible. The interns were also excited as they had helped co-create the program, and the SAMEE team were in awe.
Then we had the big news on the International Day of Disability in December that we were an awardee for the Zero Project. An award that proved our program met two of the UN Sustainable Goals and the UNCRPD. We were so excited and then had to choose who was going to Vienna. That was a simple answer – me!
The Zero Project awards were incredible but the opportunities they brought were even better. From afternoon tea with a British Ambassador, to a round table with Austrian Government officials and employment organisations wanting to replicate our program, to the Zero Project conference itself. I also had the chance to meet IEP Fellows from around the world to talk about the work they do alongside the conversations we had about Scott Parkin FIEP – well… what is said in Vienna, stays in Vienna! All good, Mr P, all good!
It just goes to prove that applying for awards and sharing information about an employability program offers amazing opportunities for organisations. It is not about ‘keeping your cards close to your chest’ in case anyone copies you – it is about increasing your network, sharing best practice and, more importantly, having the honest conversations about what is really happening in the world of disability and employment/self-employment.
My final thought, after my trip to Vienna, is that so much more needs to be done and we need more opportunities to meet as a Sector, in whichever country, to make social change for marginalised groups. Most importantly, we need to keep sharing best practice, talking about what we do and creating opportunity for those who need our help.
About the author
Sammy Everard FIEP is the CEO and Founder of the SAMEE charity and a PhD student for the Centre of Seldom Heard Voices at Bournemouth University. Sammy has worked in the disability and self-employment field for the last 25 years, co-creating programs with the disabled community in order to ensure that every person can access the self-employment and holistic support they require.
