Three Years of Direct-Experience Campaigning in Action

Today, we publish our first full impact report - three years of evidence on what happens when people with direct experience of injustice are given the strategy, connections and infrastructure to lead national campaigns.

The results speak for themselves: 16 campaigns backed. 14 national laws and policies changed. 16,000 people moved to act. Over 13.8 million lives affected.

All of it delivered by a team of three, in one of the most difficult political moments in a generation.

What's in the report

This isn't just a list of numbers. It's the story of the campaigners who lead them and the lives that will be changed.

We share examples of Breakthrough-backed campaigns from Zelda Perkins's fight against NDAs to Kwajo Tweneboa's work on the housing crisis, Esther Ghey's campaign for phone-free education, and Sistah Space's continued fight for Valerie's Law, among others.

We've also included what we've learned, working independently with Impact Consultant Danny Hutley, about what it actually takes for direct-experience campaigners to win. Two things have to work together: campaign capacity - the strategic clarity, skills and self-belief that make sustained action possible - and campaign momentum - the media, relationships and mobilised support that let a campaign seize the moment when it arrives. The report sets out a new framework for understanding both, built from three years of working alongside campaigners on the ground.

Why we're sharing this now

This report comes at a time when social justice and the rights of marginalised communities are being increasingly challenged in the UK, as the political environment has become increasingly more polarised. We believe direct-experience leaders are often best placed to respond to this moment. They cut through online because they are authentic. They connect with communities because they are part of those communities. But to sustain, to win, and to keep going without burning out, they need support. We hope this report adds to the growing body of evidence of why we should and how we can support these leaders to succeed.

The wins in this report belong to the campaigners. We're proud to have stood alongside them, and we wanted to put their stories, and the evidence of their impact, in one place.

Read the full report here. (opens in a new tab)

If you're a funder, a campaigner, or simply someone who believes the people closest to injustice should be the ones leading the change, we'd love to hear from you.

Get in touch: katherine@breakthroughimpact.org