My Why: From Being Unheard to Leading Change

Growing up in care, there were many moments when I felt unheard, silenced even. Before entering care, I lived in a home where dysfunction and secrecy were normalised. Adults around me, whether family members or professionals, often believed they knew what was best. When I tried to speak my truth, it was dismissed, ignored, or misread. Over time, that taught me to hide parts of myself; to keep secrets, to survive.

As children, we are never responsible for the actions of adults. Yet too often, children are made to carry the emotional weight and consequences of those actions. My experiences in care were marked by trauma, and I developed unhealthy patterns to fill the voids that trauma had left behind patterns born from a desire to feel in control, when in reality I often wasn’t.

The labels and assumptions adults placed on my behaviour became self-fulfilling. They reinforced shame and resentment, and that secrecy followed me into early adulthood, manifesting as mental health challenges, fractured relationships, and struggles in navigating independence.

But somewhere within all of this, I found purpose. Every challenge, every misjudged moment, every experience of being unseen taught me something powerful, what happens when systems fail to listen, and what becomes possible when they do.

And that’s why I founded Who Cares Consultancy CIC. It was built on one belief: when lived experience leads, real change happens.

Through my work in supported housing, youth work, project management and co-production, I witnessed how transformational it is when young people are seen and heard, when professionals stop doing for and start working with. I saw how trust, empathy, and honest conversation could change trajectories.

At Who Cares Consultancy, we’re creating spaces where care-experienced and vulnerable young people can share their stories safely, shape the support they receive, and lead change across systems. We design tools and training that help young people build confidence, life skills, and self-belief, while equipping professionals to understand and engage differently.

My why is simple, no young person should ever feel their voice doesn’t matter. Their experiences are not deficits, they are sources of strength, wisdom, and leadership.

By embedding lived experience into every conversation, service, and decision, we are not just helping young people heal; we are rebuilding systems that truly see them.

Because when we listen, really listen, young people don’t just find their voices. They find their power. And that’s where real change begins.

Mana Gondolora