Sharing Your Lived Experience with the Independent Panel
The closing date to register to provide your testimony was Thursday 1 May 2025. The Independent Panel is no longer able to accept new registrations.
If you or a loved one has had an experience with a Mother and Baby Institution, Magdalene Laundry, or Workhouse in Northern Ireland, we wish to hear from you.
As well as anyone with direct experience with these institutions, we also wish to hear from the relatives of individuals who were impacted by the institutions or their pathways and practices, and anyone with experience of working in or with the institutions. All testimonies are of equal importance to the work of the Panel.
We understand that recalling your lived experience and giving your testimony can be traumatic and very difficult. If you choose to give testimony, we will ensure that you are supported before, during and after the process, and that the protection of your privacy will be prioritised throughout.
Some people who have shared their lived experiences with us have given us permission to share their feedback below.
Participant 1: “I just want to say again that you were wonderful and made a potentially difficult situation not so difficult. So, thank you….I guess being listened to meant so much.”
Participant 2: “You both made it easy to give my testimony. I wish you well with this important work. I will be reporting back to my Adoptee Group on the positive experience it was.”
Participant 3: “Thank you for giving me my voice and that of all the girls and women who have had to endure the regime and cold place. Yes, I was tired but a bit relieved that our story is being told…. and that there were specially trained people to listen.”
Participant 4: “Can I take this opportunity to thank you on a personal note for your professionalism from first contact to present, your warm felt welcome and your comforting nature [and] making me feel so at ease…in this monumental moment to me.”
Hear From Our Testimony Facilitators
Hear from two of our Testimony Facilitators Dr Megan Kelly and Dr Olivia (Livi) Dee about what the process of giving your testimony to the Independent Panel looks like.
If you can’t find the answer to your question or want to learn more about the process, you can fill out the contact form below and one of our Testimony Facilitators will be in touch.
Alternatively, you can contact our Testimony Facilitators by:
Email: testimony@independentpanel.org.uk
Phone: 028 9052 0263 (Please note: the closing date to register to provide testimony was Thursday 1 May 2025 and the testimony phone line is now closed. However, the voicemail remains open. If you registered before the closing date, please leave a message and a member of the testimony team will call you back.)
Post:
Truth Recovery Independent Panel
4th Floor
Equality House
7-9 Shaftesbury Square
BT2 7DB
The only people who will see your correspondence are:
- Leanne McCormick, Independent Panel Co-Chair
- Sean O’Connell, Independent Panel Co-Chair
- Beverley Clarke, Independent Panel member
- Patricia Canning, Independent Panel member
- The Independent Panel Testimony Facilitators
- The Independent Panel Administrators
Find out more about how we process and protect your personal information.