March for Mental Health: Save the few remaining beds in West Norfolk: Saturday 23rd April 2016, The Walks, King’s Lynn, 12 p.m.

FINAL Mental Health Demo COLOUR PHOTO cropped
Community campaigners, concerned citizens and service users will be taking to the streets of King’s Lynn on Saturday 23rd April to protest at the closure of the Fermoy Unit, the only local in-patient, NHS facility for mental health in the area.  Starting at twelve noon at the Bandstand in the Walks, the event will include both local and regional speakers and a march through the town centre, culminating in a rally in the pedestrian area outside the cinema.  Organiser Jo Rust says “enough is enough.”
Campaigners commit to carry on the campaign to defend their mental health services.  While the news is good that the Fermoy Unit has reopened for new admissions, the fight goes on.  The Unit has 25% fewer beds and there is no guarantee that it’ll remain open, the wording is clear “for the time being”. Anonymous reports have made it clear that the intention was to close the unit for good.  We vow to fight this battle to the end to safeguard these vital services for the future.
It was campaign pressure which reopened the Fermoy Unit and it’ll be campaign pressure which keeps it open.

Explaining further Jo says, “since I began campaigning in our community over 6 years ago I’ve seen the local services in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk eroded to the point of non existence, I just don’t know how much more people can take. The announcement of the closure of the Fermoy is the nail in in the coffin of a long line of cuts to services our area, which really started with youth services back in 2010.  We now see the closure of the County and Family Courts, the closure of the Arts Centre, threats to jobs at CITB, a second rate transport system with improvements pushed further and further back, constant fights to retain fire, police and health systems. It’s time to take to the streets and make our voice heard and our concerns acted on.”

The rally is open to all and is cross party. Anyone who is worried about the increasing cuts should attend and make their voice heard.

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