Many of you will be aware that, HVN hosted a free event in April with that aim of bringing together a wide range of people and organisations concerned with the current paradigm of pathologising and labelling human experiences and understandable reactions to trauma and adversity.
At the event we promised three things. These were:
- To collate feedback and participant’s notes to form a report of the event
- To distribute this report widely (as the event was overbooked, lots of people were unable to join us on the day)
- To host a follow up event to take the next steps towards collaboration between those of us who believe it really is time for real change.
The April 2015 Event Report
We rare excited to share our event report with you. Please feel free to download and distribute the report with anyone you think may be interested.
Download and distribute: Time For Real Change Event Report
Many thanks to Claire Powell, Eoin Kelly, Ruth Forrest, Dr Rachel Freeth, Nicky Forsythe, and Janice for sharing their notes and reflections from the day which form the main part of this document. Huge thanks to Gavin Bushe, Mark Evans, Samantha Hunt, Eoin Kelly and Claire Powell, for volunteering their time to help us run the event.
Initial conference notes by Claire Powell. Photos by Cheryl Prax.
Quotes from participants:
‘I appreciated being here and meeting everyone. I feel like I have a voice. Thank you very much!’
‘I appreciate the way HVN takes leadership and call for HVN to take leadership of the campaign’
‘This is fucking cool. We need to make effort to translate stuff and share knowledge.’
‘I have a bigger perspective on what is known and how I am going to work in services and how to make society a place we can live in’
‘Being here has confirmed everything I have done on my own in mental health research. Because I am a patient I have lost trust in psychiatry. My health is due to my own research’.
Next Steps: Working Group (26 September 2015)
Whilst HVN does not see itself the lead of this initiative, we agreed with attendees of the event that we would host the first working group to ensure that we build some momentum. As such, the first campaign working group will take place on Saturday 26 September from 1.00 – 4.30pm at Freedom From Torture (111 Isledon Road, London, N7 7JW).
This meeting has limited space so we ask that those attending are:
- Inspired by some of the discussions from our April conference.
- Committed to working alongside us, and our allies, to build on our last event to plan a campaign.
- Willing to put time, effort and passion into making this happen.
Book your place: www.realchange2015.eventbrite.co.uk or email info@hearing-voices.org
Download and distribute: Campaign Working Group Invite
