Want your views on our mental health services

I AM a mental health service user and local campaigner interested in supporting others to get their voices heard.

In 2014, following a mental health crisis, I decided to set up a local 38 Degrees group. I had no experience or interest in campaigning previously but was increasingly frustrated at feeling that my voice was not being heard.

I found that it was all too easy to have my legitimate concerns about the mental health services I was accessing from being dismissed as a symptom of my illness. It’s difficult enough to be a lone voice as it is, without having a mental health diagnoses to boot.

Based on my experiences, I realised that, to be heard and to affect change, people need to come together. I therefore joined the national grassroots campaign group 38 Degrees and decided to set up a local group. 38 Degrees Loughborough was born.

Since then, 38 Degrees Loughborough has grown to over 80 members, has three local organisers and we have run as well as contributed to member led campaigns including the hospital bus campaign, the ongoing Plastics Pledge campaign and Saving the Glenfield Children’s Heart Unit.

Four years on, I find that I am still frustrated by access to and standards of mental health services and I doubt that I am the only one.

I am interested in hearing from other local mental health service users to find out if there are issues that we feel need to be addressed and to support each other to make sure our voices are heard.

If you would like to give your views or are interested in campaigning on this, please contact 38degreeslboro@gmail.com.

Tahlita Sinfield