I’m Oliver and I’m a campaigner for Changing Faces. Over the last year, my fellow campaigners and I have been hard at work to promote acceptance and inclusion for people with visible differences, which has only been possible thanks to your generous support.
I became a campaigner after being told I was “scaring the customers” at a restaurant because of my appearance. This blatant discrimination shocked me, and I knew I needed to share my story to stop this from happening to others in the future.
My story garnered the attention of the world’s media, and I have been very fortunate to have been featured in several notable editorials and guest starred on some influential podcasts. I have also become somewhat of a content creator on Instagram (@bromleyo), sharing my experiences in videos and live sessions.
Oliver at the media training day in March
Since becoming a campaigner, I’ve taken part in Face Equality Week where my face became a Monet masterpiece, I’ve been involved in training sessions to improve my campaigning skills, and I’ve joined an incredible community. Meeting the other campaigners in person at a media training day was so heart-warming. It made me realise just how many people I have around me who understand what I’ve been through.
You might also have seen my fellow campaigners on TV, heard us on the radio or read about us in the press too, with 306 pieces of media coverage achieved, reaching 157 million people.
We’ve shared our stories on Changing Faces’ website and social channels alongside other members of the visible difference community. In fact, 54 people shared their real-life experiences with the world, gaining over 85,000 views.
Of course, we’ve also been involved in standout campaigns such as A Face for Radio, which encouraged brands to feature more people with visible differences in their marketing materials.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming campaigns, where we’ll continue to shout about the importance of positive representation in all settings, from TV and film to the workplace.
Our goal is to create a society where visible difference is normalised, and our community can exist without judgment and stigma.
The visibility that Changing Faces creates through its campaigns work is vital. When people see better, they do better, and that’s why we need greater representation across society.
I’m so grateful to have found my voice and platforms that I can use to stand up for the visible difference community. We often don’t get a look in when it comes to conversations around diversity, so I like to think that I’m helping to reduce stigma and normalise difference through my advocacy work. It’s been an amazing journey and long may it continue!
Changing Faces’ support services do amazing work to help people struggling with the emotional impact of their visible difference. 1,955 people accessed the charity’s wellbeing services over the last year, showing just how important access to support is. A huge 89,283 people also accessed the advice and guidance content on Changing Faces’ website.
However, with more acceptance of visible differences, the less people will need to use these services. Our goal is to create a society where visible difference is normalised, and our community can exist without judgment and stigma.
With your donations, we can make this dream a reality, so that people like me can be free to be ourselves.
