On March 12, 2025, EUCOMS hosted the “Heiloo Declaration on Peer Leadership” webinar, bringing together voices from across Europe to share insights and experiences around lived experience leadership in mental health.
This webinar was born from the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE) and EUCOMS’ shared commitment to empowering peer leadership. It followed the impactful gathering of 30 peer leaders from 12 countries in Heiloo, The Netherlands, in June 2024—an exchange that led to the co-production of the Heiloo Declaration.
Key Highlights of the Webinar
🎼 Music to Set the Tone
The session opened with a moving live music performance by Fiona Doornbos, setting a reflective and inspiring atmosphere.
1st song: ‘Ik ben niet mijn verleden’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEiw11zqbJ4&t=85s
2nd song: ‘I am’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAv1YQDpp8
💬 Voices of Experience
Opening and closing reflections offered deep insights into the importance of embracing lived experience within mental health services.
🎤 Key Presentations
The following thought leaders shared their insights and reflections:
• Martina Rojnic Kuzman: Set the stage with opening remarks and later concluded the session, emphasizing the power of collective learning.
• Sean Russell: Discussed the Global Leadership Exchange and the evolution of the Peer Leadership Network.
• Lisa Androulidakis: Shared insights on the Heiloo Declaration, highlighting the process of co-producing this foundational document.
Canva Link to Lisa’s presentation (click).
Their presentations offered valuable perspectives on how lived experience can shape mental health leadership.
📜 The Heiloo Declaration
The Heiloo Declaration represents a significant milestone in promoting peer and lived experience leadership. It reflects the collective wisdom from the Heiloo match and addresses essential questions:
• What is Peer/Lived Experience Leadership for?
• How do we do it?
• What do we need to make it happen?
We invite you to explore the full Declaration to understand its vision and purpose.
💬 Engaging Discussions and Reflections
The webinar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where participants posed questions to our speakers.
🔄 Watch the Webinar Recording
If you missed the live session or would like to revisit it, the full recording is available here:
👉
🙏 Thank You to Our Speakers and Participants!
We extend our deepest gratitude to all speakers, participants, and contributors for making this webinar a success. Your insights and engagement continue to shape the future of peer leadership in mental health.
We look forward to seeing how the Heiloo Declaration inspires further actions and conversations in our community.
