Lee Hughes: Chair.

Solicitor

After studying law at Sheffield University Lee completed the Bar Course and was called to the Bar in 2006. He started his own business in 2008 which operated successfullly for 18 months. After four years in legal aid practice, he decided to cross-qualify into a strong Manchester-based firm that provided further opportunity to develop his skills and legal knowledge. He cross-qualified as a Solicitor in 2009.

As well as advising clients in a free community legal advice centre at University, his commitment to pro bono and charity work has been demonstrated throughout his career. He has worked with; aggrieved members of the community through neighbourhood mediation; children in care; and indigent defendants on death row in the USA.

Through his work Lee recognised the need to assist young males trapped in the criminal justice system. When provided with the opportunity of trusteeship for Survivors Manchester it was apparent that there was a similarity between his thinking and the charity's founder. Many men were not getting the help they needed and were entitled to.

Working with Survivors Manchester involves Lee in prioritising men's health and psychological well-being in a city which has previously failed to address the lack of services for such a clientele. The support and promotion of survivors' needs and rights is as important as any other cause he has and could put his name to.

Why did you choose to become a board member of Survivors Manchester?

It was a huge honour to be asked to be part of Survivors Manchester. It chimed with thoughts I was having at the time about helping young men trapped in the criminal justice system and conversations I was having with another Board Member, Paul Campbell. We were starting to look at ways to help young men caught up in offending behaviour, just when Duncan got in touch. We realised that we could help a lot more men through Survivors Manchetser, not just those in the criminal justice system.

Duncan also told us just how much of a problem the silence surrounding sexual abuse is. Just highlighting the "official" statistics was enough to make me realise that nobody was doing the kind of work Survivors Manchester does, and more importantly, nobody was reaching the people that Survivors Manchester intends to. It was too large a number to go quietly. I wanted to be part of the organisation that gave those men a voice.

What would you like to see Survivors Manchester do in Manchester?

First and foremost we were set up to help male survivors of sexual abuse, who live in Greater Manchester, find their voice and speak out about what happened to them. We want to empower those men, perhaps for the first time in their lives. I would like to see a framework created for dealing with the legacy of sexual abuse and raising awareness of the issues surrounding it, not just amongst those who are abused, but amongst everyone in Greater Manchester. We're not just about empowering survivors as individuals, but about dispelling negative stereotypes or assumptions that sometimes attach to survivors and their families.

Educating non survivors will make survivors more comfortable about discussing what's happened to them and the issues they've faced. Once we've heard their story, we can start to tailor our services to the types of things we've heard men need. There are those who have been directly affected by the silence but armed with that information we can start to ensure that non-survivors start listening to our message too.

Once Survivors Manchester has achieved a degree of success in Manchester, there's no reason we cannot start to help men in other cities with exactly the same framework of services.

Do you have a message for Greater Manchester residents?

We're here to help you. Please do not be afraid to contact us and ask for our support, as a survivor or if you know a survivor. We have an idea as to the number of people affected by sexual abuse in the Greater Manchester area. We know how many people we've helped. We therefore know that many men are yet to get in touch. Please break the silence. It stops with us. We also need support too. If you can think of any ways to help us, either through direct funding or by offering other support services, please do get in touch.

Survivors need Manchester's support. Manchester needs Survivors Manchester.

What's your favourite thing about Manchester?

Having lived and worked in Manchester for most of my adult life, I'd love to kop out and list a whole number of things. I'm a fan of the independent bars, the restaurants, any number of bands...

However, if I've got to opt for just one thing synonymous with Manchester, it's got to be Manchester City.