Susan Vickers, broadcaster, therapist, author, lecturer and keynote speaker, has been named a finalist in three categories at the Walsall Business & Community Awards 2026: Start-up of the Year, Female Entrepreneur of the Year and Mentor of the Year.
Public voting is open now and closes on 6 November 2026. For Susan, the recognition is not about a moment in the spotlight. It is about the people her work exists for. Everything she has built is grounded in her own journey through the care system, and in the belief that lived experience, when it is met with real understanding, can change the direction of a life. That belief led her to found the Susan Vickers Foundation, the only UK charity built by and for care-experienced people. Its team is 100% care-experienced.
They have lived through the challenges they now help others face, and that shared understanding shapes every service the Foundation offers, from trauma training led by care experienced trainers to family therapy, peer support groups, mentoring and monthly coffee mornings where people can simply be heard.
In the awards, Susan is listed in Start-up of the Year / Start-up Founder of the Year (Susan Vickers, Author, SVF Foundation), Female Entrepreneur of the Year (Susan Vickers, Broadcaster, Author, Founder) and Mentor of the Year (Susan Vickers, Broadcaster, Therapist, Author).
“This nomination means a great deal because it is not just about me. Everything I have built comes from my own journey through the care system, and from every care experienced person who has trusted me with their story. If these awards help one more person believe their lived experience has value, then that is the real prize.”
Susan Vickers
The three nominations reflect different parts of that work. As a founder, Susan has built a charity from the ground up. As an entrepreneur, she has shown how a personal story can become a force for change. As a mentor, she walks beside care-experienced people as they find their own footing, because she knows how much it matters to be guided by someone who truly understands.
Voting is open to the public from 30 October to 6 November 2026. Everyone who believes in the power of lived experience is warmly invited to take a moment to vote before the deadline at:
https://walsallawards.co.uk/vote/susan-vickers-therapist-author-lecturer-keynote speaker-susan-vickers-foundation-2
Every vote is a way of saying that care-experienced people, and the work they lead, matter. To find out more, vote, or support the Foundation, visit susanvickers.com. About Susan Vickers Foundation
The Susan Vickers Foundation is the only UK charity built by and for care-experienced people, with a team that is 100% care-experienced. The Foundation provides trauma training courses led by care-experienced trainers, family therapy with a care experienced informed approach, monthly coffee mornings with care-experienced counsellors, peer support groups and personal mentoring from care-experienced mentors.
It also offers vicarious trauma training for professionals, educational talks for schools and organisations, help with jobs and apprenticeships, and campaigns for fair representation of care-experienced people.
Learn more at susanvickers.com.
