Matthew Clarke honoured at Liverpool John Moores University

Matthew Clarke our Founder and former Chief Executive, was awarded an honorary Fellowship by Liverpool John Moores University at the degree ceremony in the Anglican Cathedral in July 2007.

A former teacher and social worker, Matthew’s latter career was driven by his commitment to improving the lives of people with severe learning disabilities or enduring mental health challenges: people marginalised by contemporary society. Thanks to his visionary leadership Alternative Futures Group is helping to improve the lives of vulnerable people and their families across the North-West.

After attending Quarry Bank School, Matthew trained as a teacher, but realised he was in the wrong profession when he was told that he seemed to be more interested in the welfare of the children than in their education! He then trained as a social worker. At the ceremony Matthew spoke passionately about his time in the 1980’s working as a senior social worker at Rainhill Hospital. At that time, many vulnerable people with learning difficulties and mental problems had been incarcerated in large institutions for many years. They had neither dignity nor hope.

Matthew's party at the Anglican Cathedral flanked by service users Michael and Nicky, Chair Tom Cleator and Honorary Life President, Mrs Anita Samuels (lower right).

Matthew set out to demonstrate that things could be different and that people with complex and challenging needs could live in the community, provided that:

• Supportive environments, tailored to the needs of the individual, were created;
• Risks were identified and properly managed, not avoided; and
• Care staff and professionals, including psychiatrists, nurses and psychologists, worked as close teams.

Matthew took the opportunity to challenge the audience on their own attitudes to those with disabilities. He spoke about the founding principle of unconditional positive regard, where everyone has value and is to be respected, challenging the graduating students, and indeed their families, to have an enlightened attitude to others in our society and particularly to those with disabilities and disadvantages. It was a momentous occasion. Matthew, replying to the award, also joked that, as a life-long Everton supporter, it was a good job JMU’s robes were blue!

So Matthew has been rightly honoured for his huge contribution to so many service users, tenants and their families. Under his leadership, Alternative Futures Group developed with a strong sense of values and with a focus on the quality of life for service users and supported living tenants. We are all very proud of him indeed!

Doug Haynes
Trustee

This article was published in TAGMAG in December 2007