Thursday 1 February 2018

February Newsletter - Time to talk... about CRDP - Convention for the Rights of Disabled People

Dear Friends,

Today some people might be taking part in the "time to talk day", where everyone is encouraged to talk about mental health.I wonder how many will touch issues such as the abuses, damages, coercion and neglect (see the TORTURE in these) that many people with mental illnesses or other severe difficulties are still experiencing under psychiatric care, primarily offered in this advancing 21st century.

With the online UNCRPD (United Nation Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities) course taught by Tina Minkowitz, Esq (a Human Rights Lawyer and Survivor of Psychiatry) that will start in March, a group of us is planning to hold regular monthly reading/study meetings to discuss the course material crpdcourse.org
People interested in the topics are welcome to joining in, even if not intending to enroll to the course.
We are meeting on Tuesday, 6th Feb 6:30-8:30pm at LARC Centre  62, Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel E1 1ES for an initial planning meeting.

Our regular monthly  FEEL meeting will still take place on the 19th of February as usual.
Last month Dr Rose McGranahan introduced us to the NEON Study (Narrative Experiences Online), a large-scale research study running from 2017-2022 that is looking into collecting people's experiences of mental health to make them available online to help others. People willing to share their stories can find out more on www.researchintorecovery.com/NEON  or email wolfson-neon@qmul.ac.uk

To conclude it must be stressed once again that FEEL was never intended to run as a support group. We invite people requiring specialist or supportive help to refer to local social services, mental health team or peer supported circles (run a search online to find one near you, if no familiar with any one; have also a look at the resources here in our blog).

Creating a little list of contacts you trust and helpful strategies to have handy, if fearing to reach extreme emergency states is great self-help.
Some suggested contacts to remember could be The Samaritans ( phone 116 123; email jo@samaritans.org), The Spiritual Crisis Network or, if you are local to us in Tower Hamlets, The Lifehouse meets every Tuesday from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at The Bromley by Bow Centre, St Leonard’s Street, London E3 3BT for face to face support (for more info reach on 07926 886372 or nickwaller30@gmail.com).

We apologise for not being able to offer further practical help, other than meeting at our monthly gatherings; so please be gentle with yourselves when difficulties strike, and with us, as some are already struggling with chronic life challenges.
Please find below a listing of forthcoming events, including the Solidarietea/MHRN event (tonight), The NHS march (Sat 3rd Feb) and more.


SolidariTEA/ MHRN event at The Field - FREE
The Field, 385 Queen's Road, New Cross, London SE14 5HD
Thurs 1st Feb 2018 Starts 7pm til 10pm (doors open at 6.30pm)'An Evening with ... Tara Fleur, Woman of Bones', with divine friends (made of bones) 'Thomas Gillies Smith', 'Marika Josef' 'Tom Bland' & 'Cathy Flower'. Incredible performance poet and digital artist Tara Fleur is going to take us on a round trip of her poetry and digital art, from the point of view of both a survivor artist and a psych nurse newly returned to work in the NHS. 
Searing truths, biting satire and rich in passion, Tara will leave you flabbergasted and knocked for 6.
Website www.mentalhealthresistance.org 
Email hello@mentalhealthresistance.org​​

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NHS in Crisis: Fix It Now!  Emergency Demonstration
END THE WINTER CRISIS, FUND #OURNHS
Saturday 3 February; Assemble: 12pm, Gower Street Central London WC1 (near UCLH), March to Downing Street
Organised by the The People's Assembly Against Austerity and Health Campaigns Together.
The #NHSWinterCrisis has now descended into a perpetual year round crisis. A crisis that has brought staff to their knees and patients languishing and even dying in overcrowded waiting rooms and hospital corridors. When headlines report there is a "third world" crisis in the 6th richest country in the world, let's be clear and call this what it is: an entirely manufactured political crisis by the Tories www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/nhs_fix_it

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Spirit Influence on Mental Health
Is 'spirit' intrusion an important overlooked factor in hallucinatory disorders?Regent's University London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NS
Saturday 4 February 2017, 9:30 - 17:00, £55:00 (£45:00 for members of SRF and unwaged) Lunch and Refreshments: Tea and coffee will be provided in morning and afternoon. Buffet lunches are available in the university canteen  www.spiritrelease.org/conference.php​

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Effect of Childhood Brain Injury in Adulthood - FREE
Headway West London - Evening Support Group
Fulham Broadway Methodist Church, 452 Fulham Road, Fulham SW6 1BY
Tuesday 6th February 2018, 7-9pm
Gerard Anderson, Regional Child and Family Support Coordinator, London who will lead a session on "The Impact of Child Brain Injury on Adult Life"
For further information please either email us at info@headwaywestlondon.org.uk or telephone us on 07562 341 460 www.headwaywestlondon.org.uk

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Melancholy and Raving
The Ship pub (the upstairs room) , 68 Borough Road, SE1 1DX
8pm – 10pm on the last Monday of the month - next is on the 26th February
Melancholy and Raving is a free monthly mental health inspired Variety Night in London, organised and hosted by community comic and former service user Kym Winstanley www.melancholyandraving.com

 









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National POD Conference (Peer Supported Dialogue)
Regent Hall, 275 Oxford St, London W1C 2DJ
Wednesday February 28th, 9.30am -5 pm
If you would like to reserve tickets for yourself or anyone you know - friends, families or colleagues - please respond to Katya (katya.vasco.od@gmail.com) and tell her how many you need. POD students and alumnus are admitted for free. You can also book places on www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2018-national-peer-supported-open-dialogue-conference-tickets-37362821204

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National Day of Action to #StopandScrap Universal Credit
March 1st 2018More details to follow but there will be a national day of action to call for Universal Credit to be scrapped on March 1st. We hope local groups will be able to support this and please send us details of any planned events to mail@dpac.uk.net. Please save this date to take action against this vile Tory creation and beware the IDS of March.

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Action Against Austerity!
Presented by BASW London and the Austerity Action Group
The Hall at St Margarets House, 21 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, London , E2 9PL
Tuesday 6th March 2018 at 6.30pm (refreshments from 6pm)
Join social workers in the fight for social justice and learn about ways of campaigning, big and small, from speakers including: Jane Tunstill (Emeritus Professor of Social Work); Roger Lewis (Disabled People Against Cuts); Tom Griffiths (People’s Assembly Against Austerity); Social workers from the Boot Out Austerity march; Psychologists For Social Change; and through film, poetry and song. www.basw.co.uk/event/?id=1125





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