OUTCRY
Conference Report
The Conference
Report is now online. You can also download the it in Miscrosoft
Word format (you can find this in the resources
section). If at any point you want to return back to this introduction
page then just click on the 'conf report' button on the left hand
side of the page.
Disclaimer
The
individual speeches and speakers comments do not necessarily represent
those of PAB (Protest Against the Bill) who organised the Outcry
conference. Where comments reference individuals, permission was
gained from the speaker to reproduce those comments here. Unfortunately,
it was not possible to record all the comments made from people
attending the Outcry conference, the breadth of comment is however
represented.
The
Speakers
Diane
Hackney
Lynn
Harrison
Lynn is survivor of mental distress from Coventry, she has experienced
depression intermittently for all of her life but most severely
for the past five years since she worked at Coventry’s acute
inpatient unit as an advocate – perhaps the mental health
system can make people ill? Lynn has been involved in campaigning
locally, regionally and nationally for real improvements in the
care and lives of fellow users and survivors. She has been a member
of organisations such as NO Force, Protest Against the Bill Group,
Krysalis (Coventry User Group), Coventry Users and Survivors,
Users in Partnership, Siuk, Self-Harm Alliance and she is an elected
member of Mindlink’s national advisory panel. She has experienced
acute distress on many occasions and, following the suicide of
her closest friend, was sectioned in 2001. However, with help
from her friends, and despite herself sometimes, she battles to
remain in recovery and currently works as a Recovery Guide Coordinator
Rachel
Studley
Rachel is a 25 year old Mad Woman, who feels so strongly about
the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act that she’s
getting involved in campaigning for the first time in her life.
She has set up, and manages, a website MadNOTBad (www.madnotbad.co.uk)
which shares experiences, opinions and creativity in mental health
in order to combat stigma, isolation and to provide a source of
support. She is involved in mental health awareness training with
a service user group called PLUS+, although she still needs a
lot of support herself. She aims to turn her experiences (including
hallucinations, self harm, depression, anxiety and the mental
health system) to positive use whilst beginning to make sense
of them herself.
David
Tombs
Dave spoke as a guest on the platform and came from an angle of
human rights violations.
Chris
Wright
Chris originally trained as a State Registered Nurse, but has
been very active in the mental health user/survivor movement for
over fifteen years; with a particular interest in advocacy, user
empowerment and involvement. He is an independent mental health
trainer and consultant, and Associate Consultant and Trainer with
ARW, and has done work with The Mental Health Foundation, Sainsbury’s
Centre for Mental Health, UKAN and National MIND, and until recently
was on the Mindlink National Advisory Panel. He has been a full-time
Advocacy Worker and continues to advocate for people who request
it. One of his projects was awarded the Mind South-East ‘Provision
of Exemplary Advocacy Service’ in 1996.
NEXT:
Part One - The 'Daft' Mental Health Bill
Lynn Harrison (Part 1)
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PAB (2003) All Rights Reserved
