To mark World Mental Health Day our campaign is organising two marches for mental health. The marches will demand decent and high-quality services in both counties. If you care about mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk and you want to highlight to those in power that something urgently needs to be done to improve things, please join us marching (see flyers below). The Norwich march is on Saturday 8th October, 11am Chapelfield Gardens followed by the Ipswich march on Sunday 9th October, 11am Ipswich Town Hall.
We will have some placards ready but please do bring your own if you can. If you do not want to carry a placard you could pin your slogans or what you are marching for to your chest and/or back. Some suggested slogans are:
- Safe Mental Health Services Now!
- Too Many Deaths: Public Inquiry Now!
- Resource Our Mental Health Services
- ‘Inadequate’ Mental Health Services = Devastated Lives
- 10 Years of Harm: enough!
- 4 Failed CQC Inspections: 2,500+ Deaths
- Therese Coffey: Act Now. Enough is Enough!
Be as creative as you wish.
We have found that it helps people in power to be reminded of personal stories and the impact that failing mental health services have. You may wish to march for someone you love. In which case you can make a heart placard for them (being mindful of their privacy) (see photos of examples below). If you have lost someone and wish to march in memory of them you might want to add a photo.
Please support us by sharing the leaflets (email [email protected] if you want electronic copies of the leaflets to circulate or wish to distribute paper leaflets).
Social media is an important way of reinforcing our messages. We will be using the hashtags NSFTcrisis and LostLivesNSFT on social media. Please send photos of your placards or the march to us using our Facebook and Twitter DMs or email them to [email protected] or post them yourself and tag @NSFTcrisis. We want people to attend the marches but realise this may not be possible. if you cannot attend and want to participate please put your placard/poster at an NSFT site or in your window and send us a photo.
A campaign spokesperson explains why we are marching:
“This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 is ‘Make Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority’. Unfortunately for too long people in mental distress in our region have not been a priority. We have experienced sub-standard and dysfunctional services and the Government and NHS England have failed to act effectively to safeguard patients and service users across the 2 counties. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has failed the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) 4 times and the Trust has been in special measures for 6 out of the last 8 years. This unacceptable situation cannot continue and that is why we are organising these marches”.
Please do whatever you can to spread the word and support us in fighting for the high quality mental health services the people of Norfolk and Suffolk deserve.
The Norwich march is on Saturday 8th October, 11am Chapelfield Gardens followed by the Ipswich march on Sunday 9th October, 11am Ipswich Town Hall.
