Our last report was in September 2010 .Since that AGM we have struggled hard to maintain some services in an increasingly difficult economic climate and with dwindling resources.
Our newsletter for members has continued although shrinking resources have meant this has been reduced to two monthly. The content of this newsletter reflects the nature of much of the news, especially as it relates to mental health and how its provisions are being affected by cuts which are felt both directly by service users and indirectly by the general population which will become increasingly at risk of mental ill health.
Mental Health Today continues to give us space for a monthly column. This has become a good vehicle for us to spread the views of members of SPN who are so determined to ensure that the social model of mental ill health is not lots in the moves towards personalisation.
Our collaborative work with other voluntary, statutory and service user organisations has continued but we recognise that this has mainly been through our project work. It has been challenging to retain our lobbying activities when our own resources are so limited. Some organisations, for example NMHDU, with whom we had close links, have themselves been closed and staff moved to other responsibilities.
The Power up! Project has gone from strength to strength. Raza Griffiths has worked hard on this project and will tell members of its progress and the most recent conference at this meeting. Power up! was funded for two years only and this funding ends in February 2012.It is with regret that this work is unlikely to be continued by SPN unless there is some miracle funding.
PMHCWN has continued, albeit by using telephone conferences and email systems. There is no longer a paid coordinator for this network as funding came to an end in March 2011 and it too is therefore struggling. The good news is that we can tell you there is likely to be a journal arising out of the work of this network.
The Executive Committee has not been very active this year. This is in part because of lack of funding to help pay for travel and attendance expenses. As it has been a year of relatively little activity, some members of the committee have contributed to thinking and planning, especially for Power Up! by email. Our thanks go to them.
have continued to meet regularly and have had to make hard decisions about the finances of SPN and how this would impinge on staff and future development. These have been difficult meetings and have not readily come up with the solutions to the financial problems that we know we would all wish for. Nevertheless, we would like to thank them for their concern, hard work and contribution to SPN and to the future of mental health in these turbulent times.
issues have been the saddest part of the SPN difficulties. Tayo Richards and Vicki Nicholls left employment with SPN during his period as we had no contract or grant funding. Daisy Bogg tried valiantly to access many different grant aiding bodies but to no avail so she too is no longer employed by SPN. These members of staff were hard working and totally loyal to SPN work and its values and we thank them for their commitment and long term support. Jean Healy has been giving us some administrative help for which we are grateful, and Kate Summerside continues to manage the newsletter. These activities are now both under extreme risk.
for SPN is bleak. We have no obvious source of funding after February 2012 and have not managed to obtain any contract work. The entire third sector is struggling with the challenges of the economy .We have had considerable discussion with Mental Health Foundation and it is one option for us to fold into their organisation rather than work in partnership with them. We share many values and would have something to bring to the table.
It is for this meeting to consider all the options for the way forward for SPN.
Whatever the result of these decisions, we would like to emphasise that the potential work of SPN continues: there is still a need for social models to be understood in policy making and in service provision: there is still a need to champion the real involvement of service users in their own care and in planning for delivery of care; there still remains the need to overcome obstacles faced by those groups who experience discrimination.
At a time of economic difficulties and consequent cut backs, advocates for good mental health mental health still need to be heard.
SPN Co Chairs
Jayasree Kalathil
Alleyn Wilson
Dec 2011
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