Guest guest Posted August 28, 2004 Report Share Posted August 28, 2004 > <office > Sat, 28 Aug 2004 00:48:48 -0500 > CC: TezBeulah > NEWS: UK Advocacy Network IN DANGER of > defunding > > > NEWS: Your Mind & Freedom - 27 August 2004 > http://www.MindFreedom.org - please forward > > UKAN IS IN TROUBLE! > > And there's an easy way for you to e-mail your > support! > > The UK Advocacy Network (UKAN) networks many > groups of people labeled with a psychiatric > disabilities in UK. For years UKAN has been a > Sponsor > Group in MindFreedom International. > > Below is an alert that long-time psychiatric > survivor > activist Jan Wallcraft has issued. Please act on > this, and > spread the word! > > For more information, see contact information below. > > > ~~~~~ > > > Jan Wallcraft - Jan.Wallcraft > > UK Advocacy Network under threat > > > The future existence of the UK Advocacy Network is > under threat as sources of national funding they > can apply for seem to be drying up. This has > already led to the redundancy of one of the > 3 workers, and will probably lead to a further > redundancy soon, leaving only one member of staff, > able to provide only a minimal service to its 260 > member groups. > > This should not be allowed to happen at a time > when the right to have an advocate is coming > onto the national agenda in a way that UKAN have > consistently campaigned for for the past twelve > years or more. > > Clearly there is a need for change in the world > of advocacy for there to be enough sufficiently > well trained, professionally networked and > supported advocates in place when the new Mental > Health Act comes into force. > > But UKAN should be part of the process towards > achieving this. We need more than ever a national > network of service user-led advocacy to continue > to uphold the principles of independence and > the central role of service users in defining > good practice in advocacy. > > If there was no survivor/service user led advocacy > organisation, we would have to invent one, and > why do that when we already have an organisation > which has provided standards, guidance, training, > networking and support for many years, despite > receiving only minimal funding? > > Yes, we do need a body of professionally trained > and paid advocates available once a person has > been assessed under the Mental Health Act, but > advocacy needs a wider basis in the community, > so that people can access an advocate at any stage - > not only when immediately under threat of section. > > If UKAN goes, who will be there to defend > community-based local advocacy projects set up > and run by service users for service users? > > UPDATE FROM JAN: " Things are moving forward, there > is a new sense of unity in the movement now and we > will seize the opportunity. " > > ~~~~~~~ > > A C T I O N * * * A C T I O N > > If you support the continued existence of UKAN, > please send a message of support. > > E-MAIL YOUR SUPPORT TO: > > Jan.Wallcraft, > patrickwood, officeukan, > TezBeulah > > ~~~~~~~ > > For further information on what is happening > and what support UKAN needs call or email Patrick > Wood, on patrickwood, (44) 114 272 > 8171 > > Please also spread the message to your contacts. > > It's time for the survivor/user movement to begin > acting together, with or without funding, to ensure > we have a place in our own right in the future of > mental health. > > PS - the latest news on funding from Sainsbury > Centre > for Mental Health (SCMH) for a > steering group of survivor/user organisations is > that we will hear in September, but I am assured > the will to go ahead is still there. I am really > sorry > it's taking so long. > > - Jan Wallcraft - Jan.Wallcraft > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > FORWARDED by MindFreedom International > http://www.MindFreedom.org > > To get alerts from MindFreedom, e-mail > to office. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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