Melanie + Stop Twickenham arms fair + stop ECT + Katie + Helen + Phobe + Katrin + Sanchita + Charlie +Hannah + Kirsten + Carlyn + Lauren + Phil + Vankshita + Prina + Dave + Omar + Areeba + Will +
Another world is not only possible
she is on her way
on a quiet day
I can hear her breathing
Arundhati Roy
Katie + Helen + Phobe + Katrin + Sanchita + Charlie +Hannah + Kirsten + Carlyn + Lauren + Phil +
Vankshita + Prina + Dave + Omar + Areeba + Will +
Help Stop the Twickenham Arms Fair
Number of autistic people in mental health hospitals: latest data
'Barbaric': Hundreds with learning disabilities kept locked up for years
Problem linked to local councils + housing? - Wendy
Have your say – Barnes Hospital site
Dispatches : hospital undercover Are they safe?
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/hospital-undercover-are-they-safe-dispatches
NO THEY ARE NOT
We have published the latest data set showing human rights abuse within the Mental Health system – please see below + the website for further details
Revealed: Housing associations urged ministers to let them increase rents
Tax Haven Money in London Real Estate
community land trust – housing affordable
Healthy foundations: integrating housing as part of the mental health pathway
community powered NHS – animation
The real Tragedy of the Commons
We can reset the paradigm
We can move away from hyper-individualised accounts of people 'out for themselves' and work on creating the societal conditions for a community led approach
including Tolworth
A community-powered NHS: making prevention a reality
LBRUT should follow Hartlepool’s lead?
Camden Health + care citizen’s assembly
LBRUT should follow Camden’s lead?
Achieving food security through land reform
Learning from other countries – energy
NHS paying £2bn a year to private hospitals for mental health patients
We could do so much with that money – Wendy
Inquiry investigates deaths of 1,500 NHS mental health patients in Essex
Not just Essex? - Wendy
“Where we are born into privilege, we are charged with dismantling any myth of supremacy.
Where we are born into struggle, we are charged with reclaiming our dignity, joy and liberation.”
“Solidarity does not assume that our struggles are the same struggles, or that our pain is the same pain, or that our hope is for the same future.
Solidarity requires commitment, and work, as well as the recognition that even if we do not have the same feelings, or the same lives, or the same bodies, we do live on common ground”
Can randomly selected citizens govern better than elected officials
The law in 60 seconds – legal aid for inquests video
Hillsborough law – duty of candour - would this help with our Freedom of information requests
Cannabis, ketamine and speed to be decriminalised in London by Sadiq Khan
A shorter working week for Europe
Children imprisoned on remand – the stark reality of racial bias
Combatting Structural Racism and Classism in Psychiatry: An Interview with Helena Hansen
Suman Fernando’s book Institutional racism in psychiatry + clinical psychology
Mental Health Act reform: race and ethnic inequalities
How Western Psychology Can Rip Indigenous Families Apart: An Interview with Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn
People deprived of liberty due to misapplication of Mental Health + Capacity Acts
As a result of the Bournewood case the Mental capacity act came into being
The mental capacity act
Assume capacity
Best interest
Least restrictive
People can make what others would consider unwise decisions
Supported decision making
Capacity can easily be assessed
Can someone make a decision
Can they communicate the decision (not necessarily verbally)
Can they remember the decision
-Wendy-
Restraint, segregation and seclusion review: progress report
Half of people with a learning disability and autistic people reluctant to provide feedback on care
The authority gap: why women still aren’t taken seriously
Women disproportionately affected by soaring Mental Health Act detentions
Pathologized Since Eve: Jessica Taylor on Women, Trauma, and “Sexy but Psycho”
Report Finds Monitoring of Electroshock Treatment Unsafe
New Study Finds ECT Ineffective for Reducing Suicide Risk
We can STOP ECT with lasting power of attorney
Provide Tapering Strips for People Who Want to Withdraw Safely from Psychotropic Drugs
NICE Guideline Update Acknowledges Severe Antidepressant Withdrawal
NHS statistics show continuing rise in antidepressant prescribing
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions
How universal basic income can tackle anxiety + depression
Long-term antipsychotic use linked to breast cancer
Government review finds 10% of drugs dispensed in England are pointless
Sedated, How Modern Capitalism Created our Mental Health Crisis - James Davies +
CRACKED – why psychiatry is doing more harm than good
Coronavirus and depression in adults, Great Britain: January to March 2021
“Almost 4 in 10 adults earning less than £10,000 a year experienced depressive symptom compared with around 1 in 10 earning £50,000 or more”
The data shows what we know to be true: struggling with your mental health doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Why not Diagnose Social Conditions Instead of Individual Symptoms
Council of Europe Releases Report to Promote Voluntary Mental Health Treatment
The WHO Calls for Radical Change in Global Mental Health
Emotional CPR: Heart-Centered Peer Support
How do we pay for a basic income
Welsh basic income pilot has been published
In a statement from Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice
The pilot will be targeted at care leavers
All young people leaving care that turn 18 over a 12-month period starting this summer will be invited to participate
That is expected to be about 500 people
Participants will receive the payments for 24 months starting from the month after their 18th birthday
A £1,600 a month basic income will be paid each month
Extending Welsh Universal basic income pilot to heavy industrial workers
VOTE FOR THIS EVEN IF NOT IN WALES
Twickenham repair cafe – 3rd Saturday of each month 10:30 to 13:30
£1 Concession Tickets for Kew Gardens
As part of their new 10-year strategy, Kew Gardens is committed to ensuring that cost is not a barrier to accessing their gardens in both Kew and Wakehurst.
They have introduced a new admission price of £1 for anyone on Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Visitors just need to present proof of their benefit on arrival to be eligible for the new concessionary ticket
All-in-one-hub
SPEAR – St.Mungo – CDARS – We are with you – MIND – CAB - DWP
every Thursday 11am-1pm
Richmond library annex
quadrant road
Richmond
TW9 1DH
New London cultural spaces to be excited about in 2023
Fly into 2023 with Big Garden Birdwatch
Your Grow Your Own news for January
Community based organisations + community recommended organisations
Letter from Ron Bassman, Executive Director of MindFreedom International – 23 July 2022
Dear Psychiatric Survivors, Advocates & Friends
I write this letter of resignation today knowing full well that there is a great deal more work that needs to be done.
I hope that my tenure as executive director of MindFreedom International has been meaningful and has laid the groundwork for future advances of the work and vision begun by the amazing David Oaks and my good friend and Board president, the extraordinary Celia Brown.
I wish also to acknowledge the selfless dedicated work and support of our office staff, Sarah Smith, and Kelli Williamson.
During my time as E.D.
I have had the honor and privilege of meeting and making new friends, initiating new programs and addressing the many rights violations coming into our Shield program.
I am most proud that we have made substantial progress in establishing cross-disability alliances.
56 years ago, I was involuntarily hospitalized and labelled with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
The horrendous treatments I was subjected to over the next 6 months – 40 insulin comas coupled with electroshock – resulted in the almost complete loss of my memory, along with being deprived of my personal agency.
The ensuing journey of transformation centered around a vow to myself to not only recover but to do whatever I could to prevent others from being forced to undergo similar harmful “for your own good” interventions that masquerade as treatments.
Although I will not be representing MFI, I will continue to actively engage in the programs in which I think I can make a positive contribution.
I strongly believe that those of us who have been doing this work for a long time need to inform and help mentor a diverse group of young and BIPOC people to take on leadership roles.
I have been most fortunate and grateful to collaborate with many talented, compassionate, dedicated people who bravely fight to protect our rights while ignoring the risk and personal cost of speaking truth to power.
My last day of work as Executive Director of MindFreedom International will be at our Board of Directors meeting on August 18, 2022.
I appreciate all of you and I hope that MFI continues to expand its important work in activating a Nonviolent Revolution of freedom, equality, truth and human rights that unites people affected by the mental health system with movements for justice everywhere
Podcast with Dr Ronald Bassman
Create, Debate and Imagine a different local democracy
CITIZENS: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us
Bring your ideas to Notwestminster 2023
18 February 2023
F.E.E.L. - Friends of East End Loonies
A Caring Mind | A blog for carers of mental health
Poverty eradication organisations + self-expression
The Community Power Act in full
Joseph Rowntree foundation (JRF)
A bleak winter for struggling households and more
including events
Stark rise in people living in very deep poverty
From disability to destitution
Social justice in a digital age
The Invidious Hand: Social justice in the age of control
Making a house a home: Why policy must focus on the ownership and distribution of housing
New project launch: Talking about housing
NICE Guideline Update Acknowledges Severe Antidepressant Withdrawal
Why the Chancellor shouldn't cut Universal Credit
Including Economic (in)justice explainer video – A redesigned economy
Why we need a new conversation about social security
A Minimum Income Standard for the United Kingdom in 2021
The biggest overnight cut to the basic rate of social security since the Second World War
People living in social housing claiming Universal Credit are struggling to afford the essentials
Why we must #KeepTheLifeline and what you can do to help
House prices see their biggest annual rise in decades, and rents are up too
New analysis exposes impact of planned Universal Credit cut
Rashford targets a win on Universal Credit
what's causing structural racism in housing
it's going to be a “very difficult winter” for low-income families
less than a week for the Government to #KeepTheLifeline
Biggest ever overnight cut to social security makes a mockery of levelling up
Invest in social housing for almost 1 million families paying private rents they can't afford
Millions of low-income households pulled under by arrears while living costs rise
A tale of two Budgets for low-income families
A just transition to net zero is necessary, and key for maintaining public support
Paving the way for good jobs through participatory co-design
Including Navigating power dynamics within participatory projects + Where next for social security after recent Universal Credit announcements
Winning hearts and minds for decent, affordable housing
Families furthest below the minimum income standard excluded from social security gains
Inflation is pushing people deeper into poverty
Including housing ideas
Elections Bill could disenfranchise millions of voters
600,000 people pulled into poverty by Spring Statement
JRF welcomes Chancellor's cost of living measures
Anxiety nation Economic insecurity and mental distress in 2020s Britain
Autumn Statement won't keep low-income households afloat as anxiety rises
addressing poverty with lived experience (APLE)
Allow all people to work flexibly if they want to – PETITION
Sign the petition: We need an emergency budget that boosts Universal Credit now
Why the design of Universal Credit is driving the need for food banks
What drove Steve to use a food bank
“We are receiving an increasing number of referrals from people who are struggling after the unexpected happens, for example if someone’s car breaks down.
Living in a rural area such a Rutland means having a car is not a luxury, it's a necessity; so, you must pay out for the car to be fixed otherwise you can’t take the kids to school, or drive yourself to work, however this can mean there is just no money left for the food.
People are having to make very, very difficult decisions day in, day out – just to survive.
When people who are working full-time jobs still can't feed their families, it really highlights that income levels are not matching the rising cost of living.
It's not just price rises on fuel, or electricity and food but every which way you turn prices are going up, but if wages or benefits don’t increase accordingly how can people possibly be expected to cope”
Dee Burton – volunteer Rutland Foodbank
everyone should be able to afford the essentials – EMAIL MP
a letter to the Prime Minister
Food banks see busiest ever April to September
Autumn Statement: Benefits will increase, but April is too long to wait
Government debt drives people to food banks
Paying your energy bills: help is at hand
A Marshall Plan for People and Planet Starts with Africa’s Green Recovery
Communities in Africa trek for weeks to survive drought
National Survivors User Network (NSUN)
NSUN is a great organisation with a great newsletter …
You can sign up to it here….
NSUN's strategic direction: redistributing power and resource in mental health
Launch of Synergi project and Small Grants Fund – 4 – 29 January
NSUN also has a directory page here
Extracts from the newsletters …
NHS trusts are still using harmful mental health practices, secret reviews show
report – funding grassroots mental health work
Hold The Huntercombe Group/Active Care Group accountable for the harm of patients - PETITION
Call for a Statutory Public Inquiry into Psychiatric Units Throughout the Whole of the UK - PETITION
Fighting for Justice - Families calling for a Statutory Public Inquiry into MH Services – PETITION
MH reform must go further : MPS + Peers are told
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
support for user-led plan to replace universal credit .. + treat all claimants with respect
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
free our people now new campaign + network
Simone Aspis - Free Our People Now Project Manager on
simone.aspis@inclusionlondon.org.uk
or 07749 892 843
over the Ting initiative
Please contact Chuks Agu for dates/times of meetings - chuks1111@yahoo.com or 07360149283
Video series by Decolonising Economics on racial hierarchies, collective healing, disability justice, and economics of queerness
state violence + distress – the false separation between migrant justice + mental health
Blog by Rose Ziaei via NSUN
why health inequalities need to be addressed for the specific community
Blog by Sukhjeen Kaur via Shaping Our Lives
trauma-informed care left me more traumatised than ever
Blog by Wren Aves via Psychiatry is Driving Me Mad
the police failed my cousin – Gaia Pope – 5 years on, others like her are still at risk
Article by Marienna Pope-Weidemann via The Guardian
DWP dismisses 300 pages of evidence linking its actions with countless deaths
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
help us document evidence of welfare – related death
Barriers to Mental Health Support for People of Colour and Migrants
Article by Micha Frazer-Carroll via NSUN
Mental Health and the Politics of Exhaustion in the UK Asylum Process
Blog post by Tianne Haggar via University of Oxford's Border Criminologies
New podcast – lived experience work: anti-racism & mental health
E158 Rianna Walcott: The Colour of Madness
Podcast by Surviving Society
Community accountability peer support hub (CASH)
Are you in groups that are trying to move away from punishment as a way of dealing with problems in society
Do you think that it’s important for your group to deal with harms that happen to people within the group
It can feel easier to hope for a neat solution, in the form of a person or people, who can parachute into a situation and 'fix' it for us.
While this might be understandable — this stuff is hard — this treats community accountability like a service that can be provided for us rather than community-led and community-created processes or a set of shared values and practices that we build together.
Join us to talk about the impetus to “outsource” community accountability work, why this should be resisted, and how we all can integrate community accountability into our everyday organising.
MIND should include side effects in their research surveys - PETITION
alternative support resource list – Asylum
rainbow of promise: Poetry book
Call to action – catalyst 4 change
Unpicking the complex dynamics of racism, anti-Blackness and class within mental health services
Article by Mental Health Today via LinkedIn ft. Mary Sadid from NSUN
The Communication and Restraint Reduction Study
Blog by Colin King via NSUN
Why don’t they ask us The role of communities in levelling up – Institute for Community Studies
Provide Tapering Strips for People Who Want to Withdraw Safely from Psychotropic Drugs
NICE Guideline Update Acknowledges Severe Antidepressant Withdrawal
Petition to Scrap Care Charges Inclusion London
Coronavirus and depression in adults, Great Britain: January to March 2021
“Almost 4 in 10 adults earning less than £10,000 a year experienced depressive symptom compared with around 1 in 10 earning £50,000 or more”
The data shows what we know to be true: struggling with your mental health doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
The state of disability benefit assessments and the urgent need for reform - #peoplebefore process
Guidance on community mental health services: Promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches
World Health Organisation (WHO) – NSUN’s response
Lived Experience Practioners Revolution - New Website
universal credit: what needs to change to make it fit for children and families
Mental Health Act: Call for "unequivocal commitment " to improve access to advocacy
Disability Benefits Research 2021 – Survey
Update on FOI Requests: Who's Ballin' & Who's Stallin
To Solve Britain’s Mental Health Crisis, We Must Fundamentally Change Society
Article by Mark Brown via Novara Media – Listen to the piece here
Blog by Akiko hart via Charity so White
Graceful resolve: Attitudes for navigating a psychological crisis
Article by Amy Pollard via Centre for Mental Health
Blog by MiserySquid via Mad Covid
Podcast with Rai Waddingham via Mad Tunes Podcast
Disability strategy is unlawful, court confirms… and denies DWP permission to appeal
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
Sometimes I want to be unreasonable
Blog via Mad Covid
Free advice – for upholding adults' Health and Care Act rights
Loneliness – themed photo project on show in Wakefield
Article via Amateur Photographer
Secret DWP report reveals unmet needs of disability benefit claimants
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
A Philosophy of Madness’ Book Forum: Part One
Book review by Jeremy Spandler via The Polyphony
tokenistic “service user” involvement must be addressed
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
Caught in a Trap: Psychiatric Sabotage
Article by Liam Kirk via Asylum Magazine
Magical thinking and moral injury: exclusion culture in psychiatry
Follow-up blog by Dr Chloe Beale & Ellen Thomas via Cambridge Core Blog
Article by Jenni Ajderian via Recovery in the Bin
New concerns over equality watchdog as it scraps disability committee
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
Write to your MP to fix the cost of living
Willful Subjects*: Decolonizing the Psychiatric Institution
Panel discussion viaBarnard Center for Research on Women
Government bows to pressure over accessible versions of Human Rights Act consultation
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
Report: We're just numbers to them – The DWP failure to investigate death and serious harm
Write to your MP to fix the cost of living – turn2us
Understanding Why Using The 'Real Men..' Approach In Men's Mental Health Is Harmful
NHS trust to stop filming mental health patients in their bedrooms
What is trauma and how do we decide to disclose or not disclose
DWP: deaths, cover ups, and a toxic 30 year legacy – an investigation
Article via Disability News Service – based on evidence compiled by John Pring and the Deaths by Welfare project
Do you know of any groups, networks or individuals who do hospital visits for people on mental health wards?
If you know of anyone, or have any thoughts on this as an idea, please contact Wendy at
wmicklewright@yahoo.co.uk with details (including whether the people you know of are region-/hospital-specific).
Please also copy in
if you wish
Many thanks
Mental Health Act young people's survey
Help disabled people survive surging energy bills – WRITE TO MP
A basic interpretation of the models of Disability
Blog by Dave Lupton aka Crippen via Disability Arts Online
E166 Fazana Khan : community led healing
Podcast by Surviving Society and Farzana Khan via Surviving Society Podcast
truly shocking figures expose disabled people’s precarious financial situation
Article by John Pring via Disability News Service
Critical Perspectives Seminars Spring 2022 Recordings Critical Voices Network Ireland and others
Seminar 1: 'Yes, but where do you really come from’ ‘Race’, racism and mental health – Messages from the racialised others
Seminar 2: ‘Can you help me get out’: Ethical, political and methodological struggles in doing survivor research in mental health
Seminar 3:‘And the activists tell us that meds are evil’: Polarised mental health politics and the struggle for ambivalence
Seminar 4:First Do No Harm: Iatrogenic Harm in Mental Health
Balancing advocacy and academia during escalating inequities
Blog by Shuranjeet Singh via the Mental Elf
+ Jobs + Funding + MUCH MUCH MORE
Build Back Fairer in Greater Manchester: Health Equity and Dignified Lives
Survivor Researcher Network (SRN)
Tell your MP to restore Disabled people’s rights
Protect Everyone Bill – EMAIL MP
Take Action and abolish the tax on disability – EMAIL MP
Government rule changes on social care cap hits poorest hardest – EMAIL MP
UNCRDP Westminster Government civil society shadow report sign up
URGENT – Email your MP to help avoid catastrophic care costs
Help Disabled people survive the cost of living crisis – write to your MP
latest including why participatory budgeting works
Could you write for Disney or the BBC?
Campaigns, conferences, co-production, and more
Conference speaker notes, copro resources and more
Including EMAIL MP
Diverse City guest blog, Disability History Month, + more
Don't get angry, get politically active
Z2K – fighting poverty – EMAIL MP
Z2K has caseworker to help people
We need your help
Nearly half of all people in poverty in the UK are either disabled themselves or live with someone who is disabled
EDM 19 disability benefits assessments – CONTACT MP
Homelessness + renter organisations
Awaab’s law - to prevent any more children dying from damp and mouldy social housing - PETITION
New guidance for housing management teams
Housing First England Newsletter – New Survey Alert
Housing First England Newsletter – Minister responds to funding request
Housing First England Newsletter – Join our call for a national Housing First programme
Housing First England Newsletter – Commissioning Housing First through RSI budgets
including setting out core milestones along someone’s Housing First journey
Housing First 2022 year-end update: A year of progress
Guidance on transferring Housing First providers
Housing First for Women: valuable lessons
Scotland's Housing First Pathfinder evaluation
2022
More than 95,000 households are living in temporary accommodation in England right now
1 in 4 households were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless because of the loss of a private tenancy
3,405 households in the private rented sector were evicted by bailiffs between April and June – up 39% on the previous quarter
Here’s the statistics:
24% of private renters have had to borrow money to pay their rent
18% have cut back on food or skipped meals to pay their rent
12% have cut back on heating their home to pay their rent
Our research shows the true scale of the problem.
That 3.2 million people from across the country have been forced to live in dangerous or unhealthy privately rented homes because they fear complaining will trigger a retaliatory eviction.
That's 39% of all private renters.
Too scared to complain for fear of losing their home, the effects of insecure tenancies and 'no-fault' Section 21 evictions hang over every renter's head.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Demand better from renting - PETITION
Meet Krystalrose – she's fighting for change
Today, 1 in every 52 Londoners is living in temporary accommodation.
This is costing huge amounts of money and doesn’t provide the stability or security families need to thrive.
Let’s build a better future: Call on the government to build social housing - PETITION
What happened to ‘Everyone In’
23% left without any move on accommodation and may be at risk of returning to the streets or forced to turn to insecure arrangements like sofa surfing 22% remain in emergency accommodation
23% of those still in emergency accommodation have No Recourse to Public Funds and are stuck without access to homelessness assistance or housing benefit, meaning it is hard for them to move on to a secure home
45% of England’s private renting adults – that's 3.7 million people – have been the victim of illegal behaviour from a landlord or letting agent.
Michael Gove: New Housing Secretary of State – SIGN OPEN LETTER
Fix renting
Build social housing
Help people at risk of sleeping rough
Are letting agents refusing you for being on benefits
Next step contact the property ombudsman (TPO)
London Assembly Unanimously Passes Motion on Affordable Housing for Care and Support Workers
A good Home is a human right
Level Up Housing
On the 2nd Feb 2022, the government released its plans to ‘level up’ the country.
It included three very important announcements on housing:
Build more genuinely affordable social homes ✔
Give tenants of social homes more protection ✔
Bring forward a national landlord registry, improve standards in privately rented homes and strengthen the rights of renters ✔
Gove ‘ashamed’ of Social Housing conditions
send a letter to the press :renters stories are powerful
Cold weather advice: How to help someone sleeping rough
It isn’t always easy to know how to help if you meet someone sleeping on the streets. Here are four things you can do:
Say hello and ask if they'd like help
Sleeping rough can be a lonely experience, so a chat or a friendly 'hello' can make a real difference
Tell street link
https://www.streetlink.org.uk/
Ask if they'd like you to contact StreetLink to connect them to local services and emergency support
If they require urgent medical attention, call 999
Ask if they would like expert advice.
Visit
https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help
to find advice on how they can get help from the council - or show them how to get in touch with our advisers
Ask if they need anything
You could offer warm clothing or some blankets, or to buy food and a hot drink
Just check they're happy to receive the items first
I’m being evicted – EMAIL MINISTER
octopi have three hearts and produce their own ink yet humans call octopi violent for throwing seashells underwater
humans also medicate confined creatures for 'zoochosis' - that antipsychotic medication first tested on animals gave us our 2 heart-attacks as 'side-effects'.
bleak humour is proven to aid survival. heartfelt is about reframing narratives & learning to grow. a game of competitive empathy will be played; psychiatry will be reduced to firewood; edible-love-poetry will be offered to all.
have a heart, & come watch this wildly inventive disability-led solo theatre show
Don't leave young people out on the streets – PETITION
If a rent freeze had been in place...I would have been able to stay in my home
We beat my landlord. Now let’s take on the system.
Be a part of challenging 'Right to Rent' in court
Contact rowan@leighday.co.uk
We're campaigning to make sure councils #SideWithRenters
increasing regulation of landlords, expanding landlord licensing and hiring more enforcement officers
reducing attempts to move people out of the borough and reducing use of “intentional homelessness” decisions
campaigning for rent controls
setting stronger targets on social housing and standing up to developers
Is your landlord trying to put your rent up You’re not alone
landlords and estate agents are using the cost of living crisis as an excuse to push up rents
members have been reporting rent rises of 30% or 40%
One member was even asked to pay 70% more rent
Some housing associations are talking about putting up service charges
It is a shameful attempt by people who already make huge profits from the housing crisis to squeeze renters and boost profits
Many of us now face eviction or being left without enough for basic essentials this winter
10 November 2022 – the average rent increase being reported by LRU members is £3300 per year
New data reveals Foxton's rent rises
Evicted after 47 years – PETITION
Safe, secure and affordable homes for all: A renters’ blueprint for reform
The White Paper: Generation Rent's Verdict
CAMPAIGN UPDATE: National Register of Landlords
Ask your MP to back the Renters Reform Bill
Private renters in nine London boroughs face paying half of their income or more on rent, analysis by campaign group Generation Rent has found.
Rent on the typical two-bedroom home costs 45% of a full-time salary in London.
Campaigners say this pushes families into poverty and financial stress, and makes it harder to save or to start a family.
Paying more than a third of your income in rent is considered unaffordable.
Generation Rent is calling on the next Mayor of London to lead a campaign to demand powers from the government to reduce rents.
Measures would include freezing rents within tenancies, to give tenants more certainty, a rent control system that aims to reduce rents overall, and tough penalties for landlords who break the rules, overseen by a city-wide Rent Control Board.
In March 2020, the rent on the median 2-bedroom home in London was £1450 and the median full-time salary was £38,592.
That would mean that a single-earner family with a baby would be spending 45% of their earnings on rent.
The situation is worst in inner London, Newham and Haringey where this figure is above 50% and reaches 76% in Westminster.
The most affordable borough is Bexley, with median rent worth 33% of the median full-time salary.
However, affordability has improved over the last five years, with just five boroughs – Camden, Greenwich, Havering, Redbridge, and Westminster – becoming less affordable since 2015.
Alicia Kennedy, Director of Generation Rent, said: “High rents force people into poverty and make it almost impossible to save towards the future.
No one should have to spend more than 30% of their income on rent, yet this is a reality for most Londoners who are stuck in the private rented sector.
“Londoners urgently need bold action to make renting more affordable. Investment in housebuilding is needed to make renting more affordable long-term, but rent controls would offer immediate protection and relief.”
Join our Day of Action - #RentersAreWaiting - PETITION
Since March 2020, 8% of private renters who responded to a Survation survey had received a Section 21 notice from their landlord, which would represent 694,000 private renters across England.
Nearly a third of those surveyed (32%) said they were concerned about the possibility of their landlord asking them to move out this year, which would represent 2.78m private renters across England.
The survey was commissioned by Generation Rent, with results published this week.
We need a COVID Rent debt fund - PETITION
Join us in preventing a homelessness crisis – PETITION
A new report, 'A safe place to call home: Ending unfair evictions for good'.
The report sets out the changes the Government must make to ensure every renter has access to a stable home where they can put down roots and thrive.
You can read all about the report here.
We are calling for:
Open ended tenancies
More time to find a new home
Compensation for a blameless move
No excessive rent increases to force an eviction
No mandatory evictions for people in rent debt
Close the holiday let tax loophole – PETITION
Renters are being forced out of their homes to make way for more lucrative holidaymakers.
We have been able to get the research done to prove it
In the last two years rental listings in Wales and South West England have halved and rents have gone up by around 25%.
That's one of our findings that have been reported in today's i newspaper
In North Devon there are 2,591 short-term holiday lets but just 21 private rental listings on Rightmove and 30 on Zoopla.
In Gwynnedd, Wales, there are 4,007 holiday lets but just 99 homes for private tenants.
The collapse in the supply of homes to rent are pricing renters out of their local communities – away from their family and friends.
Renter reform coalition – EMAIL MP
Campaign win Government to require landlords to register
tell your MP to get renting done
Are you eligible for the Warmer Homes scheme
"It was like living in a sewer" - watch Kyron's video
Foxtons: ripping off renters with illegal fees. Help us stop them – PETITION
Helping rough sleepers – PETITION
Close the eviction loophole – PETITION
You can sign a petition without making a donation
Cardboard Citizens: Survey for Members
Cardboard Citizens' Inclusivity & Equality Agenda
In recent years movements such as Black Lives Matter and #metoo have prompted shifts in our society and highlighted the work that needs to be done to address social inequality.
As a result Cardboard Citizens Staff, Board of Trustees and Member Representatives have completed a course of training over the last six months with Fearless Futures
This focused on understanding and unpicking systems of inequity (the behaviours and processes which have a harmful or negative impacts on marginalised groups), reflecting on our own practices as individuals and an organisation.
Through these sessions we have explored:
Privilege
Intersectionality
where different categories overlap such as race and gender resulting in multiple forms of oppression
Gender-norms
Racism and Anti-Racism
Colonialism
Calling people in’
i.e., challenge prejudices or narratives that reproduce inequities
Social justice is at the heart to Cardboard Citizens’ work in the theatre and beyond.
We continue to learn, striving to create inclusive environments and challenge oppressions in society.
This is a key area of focus for the company and we would love to involve some more Members in these conversations.
If you’re interested being part of this and for more information, please email Bonny: Bonny@cardboardcitizens.org.uk
Access Free Energy Bill Support
for next term 26 January – 20 April 2023
Groundswell partnership | Chris speaks to Streetwise Opera | Resistance Theatre audio plays
Northern Stage's I, Daniel Blake – 25 May – 10 June 2023
community check in every Friday 11am
supporting rough sleepers in cold weather – what the public can do …
WATCH: Eight brand new short films about social housing
Severe Weather Emergency – Glass Door update
Creative + nature + advocacy
Dragon cafe have hosted laughing therapy + wire sculpture activities in the past
Groundwork is a federation of charities mobilising practical community action on poverty and the environment across the UK.
We’re passionate about creating a future where every neighbourhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny and no-one is held back by their background or circumstances.
START THE NEW YEAR WITH A WARMER HOME
Charities unite to urge for a green and resilient response to the gas crisis
Apply for a One Stop University Scholarship
From The Ground Up – Empowering communities through environmental action
Stop gambling suicides – publish the gambling act white paper – PETITION
No more Gambling Act whitepaper delays. Write to your MPs now
Everton FC: Don’t use our shirt to advertise gambling products
Me and You and a Global Pandemic
Medicating Me: Personal Impressions of Psychiatric Medication
reflections on advocacy during Covid
National Development Team for Inclusion
Leeds Autism AIM: #PowerOfPartnership
NAC – Guidance regarding emotional enrichment
Staying mentally well this winter
Audit of MH services – PLEASE COMPLETE
This resource helps mental health services think about how to provide a good service to autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
There’s more information about it at Green Light Toolkit – NDTi
People organised + information
Connected Kingston – including providing information about Legal drop-in clinic + welfare benefits information
Calling the police on someone in distress IS a threat of violence
"How Big Pharma & Psychiatry Gaslight Us"
Man Arrested in Mistaken Identity Case Locked in Hawaii Mental Health Hospital for Two Years
Open Letter Re: Shooting Death of Orlando Taylor
What We’re Still Getting Wrong About What Happened to Orlando Taylor III
Justice for Miguel Estrella: Event & Statements + More
Statement on the Tragic Shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs
hearing voices family + friends group
The First LGBTQIA+ Peer Respite in the Country
The Hearing Voices Approach - Get Involved
Mad in the Family Monthly Newsletter
This week’s newsletter here
Changing Narratives: Reflecting on Mad in America’s Mission and Work
Ten Years of Rocking the Boat: Reflecting on Mad in America’s Mission and Work
Mad in America’s 10 Most Popular Articles in 2022
Consumer Advisory Board Chair: NYC Mayor Adams Did Not Consult With Us on New Mental Health Policy
The Bipolar Rollercoaster: Looking Beyond the Labels
disturbing references to ECT – Wendy
Dubious Science: Downplaying the Risks of Antidepressants in Pregnancy
Psychotherapy: Less Expensive and Better Than Pills, It’s What the Patients Want but Don’t Get
Pathologized Since Eve: Jessica Taylor on Women, Trauma, and “Sexy but Psycho”
Catherine’s Story: A Child Lost to Psychiatry
Call for Teen Art in All Media
Art and Transformation: Creating Justice in Mental Health
Negatively Charged: ECT and the Truth I Could Never Forget
And Now They Are Coming for the Unhoused: The Long Push to Expand Involuntary Treatment in America
research in Manchester – UK – shows 80% of people on Mental health wards were homeless – Wendy
What Psychiatry Has Done for Me
Jim Flannery – sorry it is not funny
Is Service-User Research Possible in Mental Health An Interview with Diana Rose
David Healy – Polluting Our Internal Environments: The Perils of Polypharmacy
Lithium Use Leads to Chronic Kidney Disease
Mindfulness as Effective as Lexapro for Anxiety
Higher Psychosis Rates in Transgender Population Likely Due to Minority Stress and Clinician Bias
Voice-Hearers Unfairly Perceived as Unreliable Reporters of Their Own Experiences
Feel Hopeless About Reforming a Broken System Incremental Change Is Still Change
In Andrew’s Honor: Attorney Elizabeth Rich’s Fight Against Unjust Commitments
Meaningless Distractibility, or Meaningful Mind-Wandering
A Return to Dignity from Psychiatric and Childhood Abuse
Why We Urgently Need New Approaches to Mental Health
The Spravato Controversy: A Row Over the Drug’s Efficacy Compels a Reassessment of its Approval
Breaking Academia’s Silence on Inpatient Psychiatry: An Interview with Researcher Morgan Shields
The Serotonin Zombie: Authors of New Study Try to Breathe New Life into the Dead
Laura L: A Troubled Teen With a Pocket Full of Lithium and Nowhere to Go
Racism and Coercion in First Episode Psychosis Treatment Fuels Loneliness and Mistrust
Iva Paska: Are We Witnessing the Emergence of a New Paradigm
Charlotte Beale: 6 Good Things That Happened When I Stopped Believing in ‘Mental Health’
Lithium Use Leads to Chronic Kidney Disease
I Had No Idea That Gabapentin Could Do This…
do not worry – you will be fine
Top 10 Myths About the Critics of Psychiatry
Mad Parenting: On Becoming an Unlikely Family Man
The Mad in the World Network: A Global Voice for Change
A Therapist Tried to Explain CBT When I Was 11 Years Old, Ineffectively
Michael Scott: The Phobic Avoidance of Attending to Real World Mental Health Outcomes
No Better Outcomes After Testing for Antidepressant Drug-Gene Interactions
Reducing Involuntary Psychiatric Admissions in Norway
Study Contradicts Diathesis-Stress Model of Psychosis
Nobody Knows What “Serious Mental Illness” Means
Neoliberal Values Connected to Increased Stigma and Suicidal Ideation
How Diagnostic Interviews Translate Situational Behavior Into Pathology
State Sponsored Biomedical Psychiatry Impedes Movements of People with Psychosocial Disabilities
Trauma Survivors Speak Out Against Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Away From Psychiatrization: Towards Socio-Ecological Wellbeing in the Community
Loss, Grief, and Betrayal: Psychiatric Survivors Reflect on the Impact of New Serotonin Study
Psychiatry, Fraud, and the Case for a Class-Action Lawsuit
Inside A Forensic Psychiatry Unit: Where I’ve Come From and Where I’m Going
How Grief Became a Disorder and What This Means About Us: An Interview with Kaori Wada
Psychiatry Textbooks Are Filled with Errors and Propaganda
The Parts Within Us: An Interview with Richard Schwartz, Creator of Internal Family Systems
Andrew Scull—Desperate Remedies: Psychiatry’s Turbulent Quest to Cure Mental Illness
Exercise Associated with 25% Lower Risk for Depression, Researchers Say
The Powerful Allure of Psychedelics in Today’s Disenchanted World
Books Under Review: Summer 2022
Psychiatry’s Failure Crisis: Are You Moderately or Radically Enlightened
Response to Criticism of Our Serotonin Paper
No Evidence Low Serotonin Causes Depression
Are People with Psychosocial Disabilities Welcomed in Public Spaces
Addressing Racism-Related Stress and Trauma in Psychotherapy
Treatment Pathways for Psychosis Vary by Race
How Does Spiritual Voice Hearing Compare to Psychosis
The Transformative Potential of Psychosis
a diagnosis + it’s damage – Schizophrenia
Laura Van Tosh: The Life of a Psychiatric Survivor Activist
Pollution’s Mental Toll: A Talk with Journalist Kristina Marusic
Psychology’s “Winning Streak” Is a Failure of Science, Not Success
Industry Sponsorship of “Cost Effectiveness Analyses” Produces Biased Results
Pharma’s “Evergreening” Patent Tactics Mean High Costs and Low Benefits for Consumers
Nothing At All: How Antidepressants Failed Me
The UK’s IAPT Service Is an Abject Failure
Less Than a Quarter of Those with Depression Respond to Treatment in Real Life
Doctors Renew Campaign Against Overdiagnosis and Overmedication
Coercive Psychiatric Practice Goes Beyond Seclusion and Restraint
Researchers: Study of Schizophrenia Held Back by “Cult-Like” Belief System
Does Humanistic Psychology Support the Capitalist Status Quo
Psychiatric Drugs Do Not Improve Disease or Reduce Mortality
Pharmaceutical Industry and FDA Use Mob Tactics to Silence Whistleblowers
Peer Values Versus Violence: A View from Lived Experience
Treating Grief with Addiction Drug Jeopardizes Social Connections
Antidepressant-Induced Serotonin Syndrome a Danger for the Elderly
Social Interventions for “Serious Mental Illness” Show Promise But Face Resistance
Can Secure Attachment Reduce Death Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsions
Why Some Therapists Consistently See Better Results with LGBTQ Clients
Open Season on Mental Patients
Psychedelic Therapy Will Not Save Us
Grief, Intense Feelings, and Pathologization: Can We Conceive a Different Approach
The Answers Are in Our Weak Spots
Health Risks to Babies When Antidepressants Used During Pregnancy
Long Term Antidepressant Use Associated With Increased Morbidity and Mortality
Jock McLaren – The Biopsychosocial Model is a Mirage, Time for a Biocognitive Model
Psychiatry’s Nightmarish 2022 & Its Hysterical Defense Against Criticism
open season on mental patients
Industry Corruption in Systematic Review for Injectable Antipsychotics
Racism, Poverty, Inequality: Social Ingredients for Psychosis, Depression & More
Psychiatry’s Medical Model: How It Traumatizes, Retraumatizes & Perverts Healing
Behaviourists Must Confront Psychiatry’s Pseudoscience
Tara Thiagarajan: Mental Well-being Better in Venezuela than in United States: Why
The Shady World of Shock Treatment
A Different Psychiatry Is Needed for Discontinuing Antidepressants
The Failings of “Mental Health”: How a Seemingly Benign Concept Might be Dangerous
A Blood Test for Suicide Not When the Cases Overlap with Healthy Controls
A Hopelessly Flawed Seminar in “The Lancet” About Suicide
The New York Times Comments Section: A Literary Rorschach Test for the Masses
Depression Stigma May Be Decreasing; Psychosis Stigma Increasing
Mainstream Psychology Slow to View Police Brutality as Systemic Racism
Does Psychiatry’s Buzzword “Flourishing” Reflect the Real World
The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Upcoming NICE Depression Guidelines
New Tools to Support New Moms: An Interview with Jennifer Barkin, PhD
Peer Support Research: Is It Time Yet
Bringing Integrative Community Therapy to Pittsburgh: An Interview with Alice and Kenneth Thompson
Study Highlights Uptake of Voice Hearing Groups in Brazil
Social Media Influencers Now Marketing Drugs to Niche Audiences for Big Pharma
Conflict of Interest Policies in Europe May Hide Pharma Influence
How Concepts Like Trauma and Resilience Reinforce Neoliberalism in the Global South
Inner Fire Is the Only Place I Would Go for Emotional Distress
Thomas Insel makes a case for abolishing psychiatry
Antidepressants Do Not Improve Quality of Life
Did Psychiatry Ever Endorse the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression
Capitalism and the Biomedical Model of Mental Health
Mad by design: an ancient paradigm of psychiatric thought
Trans lifeline: naming trans-specific harm in Mental Health
Council of Europe Releases Report to Promote Voluntary Mental Health Treatment
Psychology “Incompatible with Hypothesis-Driven Theoretical Science”
Psychology: Flawed as a Science and as Evidence-Based Medicine
Patient Reports Reveal SSRI Antidepressants Often Lead to Emotional Blunting
Social Security and Asylum: How States Produce Negative Affect to Stigmatize and Deter
“From the Victorian workhouse to contemporary welfare reforms, the provision of ‘welfare’ has long coexisted alongside policies and practices that mobilize negative affect to deter specific groups from claiming state support, and to craft public affect (such as fear and disgust) about these target populations.”
The WHO Calls for Radical Change in Global Mental Health
The Transformational Qualities of Hearing Voices Groups
BMJ: 20% of Health Research Is Fraudulent
Pharmaceutical companies are no longer attempting to hide their financial influence.
The face of commerce is visible at every stage of the process: the biased design of the trials, the spinning of the results, and the subsequent touting of the drugs to prescribers.
Antipsychotics Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk
Coercion and Dehumanization in Mental Healthcare
Combatting Structural Racism and Classism in Psychiatry: An Interview with Helena Hansen
Responsibility Without Blame in Therapeutic Communities: Interview with Philosopher Hanna Pickard
Reason and Madness: How Psychiatry Marginalizes Those Who Contradict Western Norms
Art, Music, Exercise, and More: What Are the Recommended Doses for Improving Mental Health
How Western Psychology Can Rip Indigenous Families Apart: An Interview with Elisa Lacerda-Vandenborn
Research Reveals Mental Health Professionals’ Participation in Rape Culture
Emotional CPR: Heart-Centered Peer Support
Inside A Forensic Psychiatry Unit: Here’s How to Survive
Lithium No Better Than Placebo for Preventing Suicide Attempts
Lithium, Antidepressants, Esketamine—All No Better Than Placebo
Qualitative Evidence Supports the Ban on Conversion Therapy in Canada
What Role can the United Nations Play in Rights-Based Global Mental Health
When It Comes to Mental Health Problems, The Disability Framework Fails
Mental Health Care Must Support Consent and Basic Human Rights
The Psychiatric Hospital Is an Institution of Social Control
When Tapering Antidepressants, is Going Slow Always the Best Strategy
Ketamine Withdrawal Has Severe Consequences
Can Anything Good Come Out of Therapy
Critical Psychology for a Better Society: An Interview with Sebastienne Grant
De-Psychiatrization and the Promise of Open Dialogue
SSRI Antidepressants Do Not Improve Depression After a Stroke
Why We Need a Neurodiverse Philosophy of Autistic Happiness
Navigating the meaning of psychosis important for recovery
Guardianship Destroyed My Family
Fireside Project: Peer Support for Psychedelic Experiences
Understanding the Youth Mental Health Crisis: An Interview with Elia Abi-Jaoude
No Meaningful Brain Differences in Depression
New NICE Guidelines for ECT Are Dangerously Inadequate, Say 50 Patients and Professionals
How Socioeconomic Class Affects Therapy
Clinicians and Patients Often Disagree on Mental Health Outcomes
Psychiatry and Psychology Fail in Response to Farmer Suicides in India
Online Debates on Psychiatric Diagnosis Often Rely on Rhetoric Instead of Facts
Home Alone: Finding Connection During the Pandemic
Why Is Child Sexual Abuse So Common in Institutions
Why Is Psychiatry So Defensive About Criticism
Did Pharma Companies Hide Failed ADHD Drug Studies From Regulators
Study Discovers Extensive Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest in Medical Research
Shifting Away from ECT and Antidepressants for Depression
Put Psyche Back Into Psychiatry and Add Psychological Intimacy
The New DSM Is Coming and That Isn’t Good News
Michael Hengartner – Evidence-biased Antidepressant Prescription
Inside a Forensic Psychiatry Unit: Earning the Right to Sleep on the Floor
The Medicalization of Women’s Suffering: An Interview with Dana Becker
Can the Psychodynamic Manual Move Therapy Beyond the DSM
How Providers Can Support Psychiatric Drug Discontinuation
John Read: Fear and Loathing in the ECT Debate
James Knochel: Malignant Do-Gooderism: The Tragedies of Allopathic Psychiatry
Michael Hengartner: Regulators Are Approving Drugs Without Clear Evidence That They Work
Research News: Ketamine No Better Than Placebo for Reducing Suicidal Ideation in Depression
Medicating Preschoolers for ADHD: How “Evidence-Based” Psychiatry Has Led to a Tragic End
Addressing Cultural Bias in the Treatment of Personality Disorders
The Censors Are Coming for Mental Health
MIA’s Suicide Hotline Transparency Project
Robert Spitzer on DSM-III: A Recently Recovered Interview
Official Guidelines on Antidepressant Discontinuation Fail Practitioners and Patients
Sexual Assault at Any Age is a Risk Factor for Psychosis
Dying to Stay Alive: A Ketamine Disaster
For the Love and Care of the People: An Interview with Vanessa Green on Call BlackLine Organizing
Pharmaceutical Industry Corruption Goes Beyond Conflicts of Interest
Racism Evident in Patient Health Records
A “Mass Possession” Event in Nicaragua Exposes Inadequacy of Western Mental Health Approaches
UK Finds Success with Peer Supported Open Dialogue Program
Why Do People Self-Harm, and How Can We Stop It
Antipsychotics Worsen Cognitive Functioning in First-Episode Psychosis
Parenting Changed My Perspective on “ADHD”
Nature: Brain Imaging Studies Are Most Likely False
How Evidence Based Medicine Became an Illusion
Antipsychotics Often Prescribed Without Informed Consent
Police Killings and the Pseudoscience of “Excited Delirium”
The Functions of the Mental Health System Under Capitalism
Inside a Forensic Psychiatry Unit: Calling in AIR Strikes
Mental Wellbeing Poorest in English-Speaking Countries of the World
Trusting People as Experts of Themselves: Sera Davidow on the Wildflower Peer Support Line
The impact DSM has had on us all – podcast
Human rights should be central to Global Mental Health approaches
Council of Europe Releases Report to Promote Voluntary Mental Health Treatment
Results of the Inpatient Alternative Soteria Model in Israel
Apples and Oranges in Peer Support Research
Beverley Thomson–Antidepressed: Antidepressant Harm and Dependence
Antidepressants No Better Than Placebo for About 85% of People
Marian Kornicki: #RestoreTheirRights: An Update on Guardianship Action
Researchers Find No Brain Differences in Depression
The Psychiatrist’s Dilemma: In Defense of Placebo Psychiatry
How ADHD experts silence criticism
Despite More Treatments for Depression, Prevalence Doesn’t Decrease—Why
Facebook Negatively Impacted College Students’ Mental Health from the Start
Peer Interventions Show Promise for Recent Onset Psychosis
Capitalism is Destroying our Collective Mental Health
The Post-Lockdown Suicide Tsunami That Never Came
Social Belongingness Protects Against Anxiety and Depression for Ethnic Minorities
Gradual Tapering Recommended for Antidepressant Discontinuation
Anti-Discrimination Policies Reduce Binge Drinking for LGBTQ Youth
Talking With Voices” Therapeutic Approach Shows Promise
Ketamine for Depression Poses “Significant Risk to the Public”
Shedding the Limits of “Severe Mental Illness” Labels
The Mental Health Industry Speaks Volumes About Our Society’s Priorities
London hearing voices network – update
Art Making, Nature and Spirituality Workshop
Spiritual crisis Network (SCN)
including beyond the pill
Rapid scoping review on older people, poverty
Self- development
happier – kinder – together
We can't change what happens, but we can choose our response
Happiness isn't about everything going well – it's about responding constructively, even in difficult times
10 keys to happier living groups
How to live mindfully, even in stressful times
How to feel part of something bigger every day
Making time to be mindful helps us reduce stress levels
by turning our focus to the here and now, rather than dwelling on the past or future
Canopy + stars – a life more wild – podcast
“The qualities of kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity are the attitudinal foundations and qualitative tone of mindfulness.
Cultivating these qualities plays a central role in freeing the mind from patterns that create and recreate distress”
The richest human isn’t the one who has the most, but the one who needs less.
Wealth is a mindset.
Want less and appreciate more today.
Coalition for Personalised Care
including events
5 Quotes for Coping with Things You Can't Control
Today, use frustration and disappointment to motivate you rather than annoy you.
Breathe and be mindful.
You are in control of the way you respond to life.
It’s not what you broadcast to everyone else that determines the trajectory of your life;
it’s what you whisper to yourself behind closed doors that has the greatest power and influence.
Some people will never understand, and it’s not your job to teach or change them.
Prioritize your peace.
Learning to let go of certain expectations and detach from certain people, are two of the great paths to inner peace.
Your worth is not dependent on someone else’s ability to be kind and loving.
Accept this, and start acknowledging your own worth.
Stop waiting for others to tell you how important you are.
Tell yourself today, and believe it.
The goal this year is to gradually change your response to what you can't control.
To grow stronger on the inside, so that almost nothing on the outside can affect your inner peace and wellness without your conscious permission.
Our perspective on just about everything comes from the psychological cage we’ve been conditioned to live in.
A cage created by...
A difficult or disappointing experience
A privileged or sheltered life
Social influence
Pop-culture and mass-media stereotyping
And the list goes on.
Gradually, unbeknownst to us, our cage—our conditioning—drains our mental energy, leaving us vulnerable to bad decision making
When we were young, we saw the world through simple, hopeful eyes.
We knew what we wanted and we had no biases or concealed agendas.
We liked people who smiled.
We avoided people who frowned.
We ate when we were hungry, drank when we were thirsty, and slept when we were tired.
As we grew older our minds became gradually disillusioned by negative external influences
At some point we began to hesitate and question our instincts
Our minds are incredibly powerful
They can bring us down or lift us up at a moment’s notice
How we think about things literally changes everything we do on a daily basis
Whenever I’m coaching someone who’s struggling in the trenches, I gracefully shift their focus from what they don’t want to what they DO want
I remind them that what you focus on grows stronger in your life, and that the best time to focus on the positive and take responsibility for your happiness is when you don’t feel like it
Because that’s when doing so can make the biggest difference
Sometimes you simply have to let go and accept the feeling of not knowing exactly where you’re going next, and do your best to appreciate this freedom.
Because it is only when you are suspended in the air, with no destination in sight, that you force your wings to open fully so you can fly.
And as you soar around you still may not know exactly where you’re travelling to.
But that’s not what’s important.
What’s important is the opening of your wings.
You may not know where you’re headed, but you know that so long as your wings are spread, the winds will carry you forward.
4 More Relationship Truths for Tough Times
Resentment hurts you, not them
Sometimes walking away is the only path forward
Some relationships will be blessings, others will serve as lessons
Even the best relationships don’t last forever.
3 Hidden Behaviours that Harm Your Relationships
Using complaints and disagreements as an opportunity to condemn each other
Using hateful gestures as a substitute for honest communication
The silent treatment
Healing in Your Relationships
If you don’t allow yourself to move past what happened, what was said, what was felt, you will look at your present and future through that same dirty lens, and nothing will be able to focus your foggy judgment.
Always be kinder than necessary.
Forgive yourself for the bad decisions you made, for the times you lacked clarity, for the choices that hurt others and yourself.
Some chapters in our lives have to close without closure.
Be careful not to dehumanize people you disagree with.
Being kind to someone you dislike doesn’t mean you’re fake.
People tend to be more thoughtful and kinder when they have found a little happiness and peace of mind.
How can I respond from a place of clarity and strength, rather than continuing to react in anger and frustration to the painful experiences I've been forced to live through
Think about that question for a moment.
Read it again, and sit with it.
Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, pause for a few seconds, take a few deep breaths, and make space for a healthy change of state—for something new to enter...
It's time to consciously redirect your focus by taking it away from something unchangeable that drags you down, and instead zero it in on something small and actionable that moves you forward in the present moment.
4 Hard Choices that Make You Happier in the Long Run
You can choose to be present when it would be easier to pick up your phone.
You can choose to do a workout when it would be more comfortable to sit around.
You can choose to create something special when it would be quicker to consume something mediocre.
You can choose to invest in yourself when it would take less effort to procrastinate.
‘New normal’ anxiety: A therapist’s guide
A therapist’s guide to self-care
Self-care is the practice of taking action to improve your health.
We can do this regularly or just from time to time, but it’s important to turn this abstract concept into a concrete goal.
I've written a blog on the ‘6 domains of self-care’, including my top tips on how to give yourself a little love.
Physical self-care
This is about taking care of our physical body and getting back to basics.
Eat regularly and in a way that nourishes your body
Exercise regularly
Boost your sleep
Psychological self-care
We all know it is important to take care of our mind.
This might include seeing mental health professionals or simply doing things to help us recharge.
Turn off phone notifications
Keep scheduled therapy appointments
Take time for reflection
Emotional self-care
This involves your relationship with yourself.
Check in with your feelings and see how you’re doing.
Keep a journal
Vent your frustrations
Engage in opportunities to create happiness
Physiotherapist – Working from home: 4 health hacks
Plump it up
Make your chair more ergonomic.
Add cushions and a foot rest to take care of your lower back.
Go for a raise
Try shaking up your desk design.
Raising your laptop will help to protect your posture.
Break it down
Take micro-breaks.
Regular movement helps prevent muscular pains.
Stretch yourself
That's it.
Stretch.
Stretching at your desk will reduce the risk of muscle strain.
3 simple techniques to help improve your breathing
Breathing control
This means just breathing easily, using the least effort.
It helps you to relax.
Place your hand on your tummy, below your ribs.
Feel your tummy rise and fall as you breathe gently through your nose.
Let go of any tension, just breathe as you need to
Deep breathing
This helps to fill the lower areas of your lungs.
Take a long, slow deep breath in.
At the end of the breath in, hold the air for 2 to 3 seconds before letting the air out gently.
Try to keep your shoulders relaxed.
Repeat for 3 or 4 deep breaths.
Huffing
This is a way of clearing mucus from your lungs.
Take a breath in and then breathe it out quickly through your mouth, as if trying to mist up a mirror.
Once any mucus has moved upwards, you should find it easier to cough it out. But there is no need to try and force up mucus.
Always finish with more relaxed breathing control (exercise 1) after the huffing exercise.
A to Zzz... our top tips for a good night's sleep
Be consistent
Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day – and avoid napping throughout the day, if possible.
Create the right environment
When it is time for sleep, make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and cool
(The NHS recommends 18-24C for adults and 16-20C for children).
Have a change of scene
If you find yourself unable to fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing elsewhere.
Try reading or drinking some non-caffeinated herbal tea, and stay off social media and news sites, which can often be anxiety-inducing.
Let Your Inner Child Out
Sometimes the grown up in you needs a break.
So, every now and then, release your inner child and enjoy some carefree fun.
See the world with childlike wonder.
Ask lots of questions.
Revisit one of your favourite childhood books or movies.
How will you let your inner child come out to play
All You Need Is Less
If you're wanting more love, more peace, more meaning, more focus, you'll probably find that all you need is, less.
Less expectations, less talk, less buying, less thinking, less stuff, less stress….
Are you ready for less
As The River Flows
Just as the river flows through all terrains,
never stopping, and never expecting anything to help it flow,
in the same way, we too can be like a river, flowing through the twists and turns of life and keep creating a way forward
And just as the river makes the land fertile, we too can create abundance and help things flourish wherever we are
A Point of Stillness
Find a point of stillness from which you begin and to which you return, every day
Give yourself the space to just be and experience a sense of wellbeing
What or where is your point of stillness
How will you make stillness an important event in your day
Like an Alchemist
Like an alchemist, transform something worthless into something precious
The key to alchemy is perception
So, overlook the visible lead to seek the hidden gold
See the limitless possibilities in everything
focus on the pure gold within each one
and turn lead into gold
Above the Clouds
When life gives you clouds
remember that
a) you are not the clouds
and b) like clouds, situations will sooner or later pass
And you can always
a) look for the silver lining
and b) rise above the clouds and find your own sunshine
Your day
To put your day into perspective and sleep well, add this exercise to your bedtime routine
Summarise your day
Summarise your day in a word or two, or a sentence
Make a note of it mentally, digitally or on paper
Summarise your experience, challenges or accomplishments from the day
If you can’t think of anything positive, try and summarise it in a constructive way and get closure on the day
Involving Others in Decisions
How often do you involve others in the decision-making process
It makes sense to include those who are impacted by the decisions,
or those who will implement those decisions.
It increases their engagement and responsibility,
and having various perspectives can only lead to better outcomes
But involving others in decision-making takes time and resources
How do you figure out when to Involve others in the decision making, and when not to
Nourish with Happiness
Apparently, there is no nourishment like happiness
So are you nourishing yourself with happiness
Here are 3 ways to nourish yourself with happiness, everyday:
1) Feed yourself a dose of laughter (a good joke or a funny video clip)
2) Engage in one activity that makes you happy (gardening or cooking)
3) Create space to feel happy (a dose of gratitude or meditation)
Be Present to Prevent Stress
Whenever you find yourself stressing about getting things done or what’s going to happen
try this: be present
Firstly, become present to your emotions
your stress
and then, become present to what you’re doing and where you are
Be present and you may find that it helps you to feel less stressed
more relaxed
and be more effective and productive
Be more present and in the long term, you'll increase your stress resilience, and may even prevent feeling stressed.
The Real Problem
Have you considered that the problem is not the real problem
The problem is how you think about the problem
Think differently about the problem and you'll not only change how you feel and experience your reality, but ultimately change how you respond to the problem
Fill Your Bucket
If you feel irritable or low on energy, positivity and resilience,
maybe it’s because your bucket is empty
If your bucket is empty, make the time to recharge your batteries and treat yourself
Go for a walk, listen to music, connect with people or simply rest from your daily routine
How will you fill your bucket
The Unpredictability of Everything
Life is anything but predictable
So
1) recognise the unpredictability of everything
and
2) learn to accept the inherent unpredictability
Accept the unpredictability and you'll embrace all that life offers,
hold onto hope,
adapt and thrive
The Wisdom in Anger
When anger happens, instead of getting swept away by the anger, try to find the wisdom in your anger
Identify what your anger is trying to communicate to you
It might be pointing out what you care deeply about and what your needs are
Find the wisdom in your anger and grow through your anger
Questions to Stop Overthinking
When you find yourself lost in overthinking, try this
Ask yourself questions
Ask yourself questions and it may help you stop the overthinking
put things in perspective and give the mind a positive, constructive direction
Ask yourself
What is it that’s concerning me
Is this a real problem
What can I do about this
Is there another way to think about this
How would I feel if I were to think differently
Completing a Task
When completing a task, a project, sometimes it doesn't feel as satisfying
it feels exhausting
And even though it’s successfully completed, we keep spotting what's missing.
Is being a perfectionist, being too self-critical, expecting too much from yourself draining your energy and happiness
The next time you finish something, give yourself a moment to
1) accept that it really is good enough, and
2) appreciate and savour the results.
And who knows, you might just feel less exhausted, more satisfied
Growing through Life
Are you just going through life or are you growing through life
If you feel like you’re just going through the routine of life, nothing probably seems exciting
Why not grow through what you go through
Grow through life, and you'll most likely find learning and excitement even in the routine
Recovering From Burnout
When we find ourselves enduring too much stress without much relief, burnout happens
It's more than just feeling tired or stressed we feel empty, edgy, exhausted
And sometimes a day break or even a holiday may not be enough to rest and rejuvenate
So, when burnout happens, how do you recover
Here are a few ways to recover from burnout:
- Improve your diet, sleep, exercise routine, and build healthy habits
- Make time for journaling, social interaction, and things you enjoy
- Identify what you need to subtract from your work, relationships and life
Turn On Your Inner Light
No matter how dark a moment it is
choose to bring light
Light emanates from the core of our being
So, turn on your inner light and let your light radiate through your presence
Be the light and illuminate the moment and the world
Your Financial Well-being
Why do we as a society allow people to live in poverty ? - Wendy
Can you be happy on a budget
It’s not about missing out on things and experiences, or reducing your happiness
But it is about making smarter choices and increasing your financial well-being
This week
clarify your financial goals, what you value most and what brings you the most joy
rethink your spending habits
be happier with what you have
Good Feelings
At any given point, there's nearly always a difficult person in our life
We don’t necessarily have to like them, but we can try to have good feelings towards them
Cultivate good feelings towards the difficult person by thinking of one of their good qualities
and keeping it in mind whenever you think of them or meet them
Try this and it may help you to deal with them positively
Autumn Foraging
Autumn is a great time to forage
Whether it's gathering wildflowers, nuts, seeds, plants, fruit, herbs or berries, for decorating or eating
Foraging offers the opportunity to slow down, notice and reconnect with the natural world around you
So, why not explore your surroundings, a park or a woodland
Forage by yourself or with friends
Pick only what you need, and if you don’t know what you are picking, leave it out.
One-Minute Kindness
If you're a daily commuter or an occasional one, here's something you can add to your journey commute with kindness
It will only add an extra minute to your journey time
Take a minute to send kind wishes, thoughts filled with positivity and well-being to all your fellow commuters
Dancing in the Rain
Are you going to let a little rain stop you from doing what you need to do
Instead of allowing the situation to affect your mindset and waiting for the rain to pass
focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t do
Accept how things are and make friends with the rain
Go splash in some puddles and find joy where you are Learn to dance in the rain and escalate your happiness
Your Mind Is Your Home
When a negative thought takes up residence in your mind, the mind is not a nice place to be
So, evict any negative thoughts that have taken up residence in your mind, and make the mind a place where there's space for clarity, creativity and comfort
Remember that
a) your mind is your home
b) your thoughts are your guests
c) you can choose which thoughts to keep out or let in, and how long they stay
Drinking Guilt-tea
How often do you find yourself drinking guilt-tea
When you find yourself sipping some guilt-tea, stop savouring it
Instead, use that taste of guilt to understand why you feel guilty,
and what you can do to make amends
Stop feeling guilty, be kind to yourself and try some new teas instead, like sereni-tea
Dreams Need Courage
No matter how much you’ve achieved or accomplished,
there’s always much more to explore
So have the courage to dream
Have the courage to define your dream clearly,
to go beyond any obstacles and reach for your dream,
even when you can't see what lies ahead
Dream and have the courage to make life an adventure worth exploring
Sound of the Waves
When you can’t seem to quiet your noisy mind, try this meditation:
Imagine yourself sitting on a beach….
Allowing the sound of the waves to wash over your noisy thoughts…
Your thoughts begin to quieten down…
Watching the calm ebb and flow of the waves, your mind is in a deep state of relaxation and calm
Walk in Someone's Shoes
You know the saying about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes before judging them
Next time someone's being difficult, leave your opinions, assumptions and emotions aside for just a couple of minutes
Then, figuratively walk in their shoes, that is, try to see things from their perspective to understand where they're coming from
Even if we walk a mile in someone’s shoes,
we still can't judge them because we can never really know the reasoning behind someone's actions or what it’s like to be that person
So, just try to understand others as much as you can
The Three Questions
When you're confused and unsure about a decision, ask yourself three questions:
Who am I? What is important to me? What is my purpose?
The answers that arise will most probably lead you to clarity
Trying to Fitting In
When we are trying to fit in with others
we may find ourselves being what others expect us to be and compromising our true self in the process
Instead of trying so hard to fit in
allow yourself to be true to yourself and be who you are
And as a result you may find yourself creating more meaningful connections
A Ripple Effect
How often are you shopping for things you don’t need or even really want
We know that everything we do creates a ripple effect
Let's make an effort to change our shopping habits,
waste less and make the most of what we already have
Because our small actions do have a ripple effect
Point of Light
If you're feeling low in energy, low in mood, try this simple meditation:
Bring your attention up through your body to a point in the middle of the forehead,
just above and behind the eyes, behind the mind....
Begin to experience yourself as a point of concentrated energy,
a spark of light, full of radiance and positive energy....
Feeling good, feeling re-energised, you’re ready to move on to whatever's next
Reflect. Extract. Write
We read, hear and watch so much inspiring content
But we don't always give ourselves the space to process and absorb the content
Next time you are inspired, give yourself a couple of minutes to reflect, extract and write down what you liked, why it resonated with you and how it changes your perspective
Life's Challenges
Life is full of challenges
Some challenges are big, some small, some exciting, some scary....
When a challenge comes your way,
don't feel daunted
Just remind yourself that when challenges come,
they come, not to hold you back but to move you forward
Cozy and Calm
To calm your thoughts, here’s a peaceful and soulful way to meditate:
Light a candle, turn down the lights and focus on the flame of the candle
Just like the melting candle wax, feel all your stress and all your thoughts melt away
Allow the warm glow of the candlelight and the cozy, comforting ambiance,
ease you into a world of self-care and serenity
Virtue as a Goal
What do you want most this year?
What virtue will help you get your goal?
For example, if you want to exercise more, maybe the virtue of determination will help you achieve your goal
If you want to help others more, you can choose the virtue of kindness
Choose a virtue that is meaningful to you and matches your goal
Write it down on a couple of post-it notes and put it around your house to remind you to focus on this virtue
Pandemic: Changes in Professional's Attitudes & Practice
Including investing in relationships
Research: Consuming fruit and veg and exercising can make you happier
Too much free time may be almost as bad as too little
including community pharmacists can refer patients for scan + checks
including
Tackling inequalities in healthcare access, experience, and outcomes
including resources for younger people's
Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance
Economics of happiness – local futures
Beyond Conspiracy: Framing Meaningful Activism
Gabor Maté supports the localization movement
Why are we running harder and faster just to keep a roof over our heads
Why does our food get flown around the world and back again
Why is the gap between rich and poor widening to obscene levels
Because nation states are allowing global corporations to run the show.
There is nothing evolutionary or inevitable about our current system; it’s man-made.
And if enough of us come together, we can change it.
Values are shifting. Culture is turning
Increasingly, people are seeing through the false promises of the global consumer culture.
They are recognizing the limitations of the rat-race, and the emptiness of conventional ideas about “success” and “progress”.
Not surprisingly, there is a corresponding surge of interest in indigenous knowledge to guide the creation of healthier, more localized futures.
"But what can I do" Introducing the Localization Action Guide
The Radical Roots of Community Supported Agriculture
Interrelation -SCOOP the sustainable cooperative
The economics of happiness – film
Planet local – a quiet revolution – film
Dr. Gabor Maté on Mental Health and Localization
Intersectionality
♿ The benefits system in this country is a disgrace
get support with your living costs♿
will you sign the open letter♿
If we were getting proper care and support, there wouldn’t be premature deaths happening
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn + Vanessa on learning disability mortality review – from personal experience – on women’s hour
'Barbaric': Hundreds with learning disabilities kept locked up for years
I don’t have to worry about my brother being locked away this Christmas
Mencap – Tell councils: Count Disabled Children In
♿ What the budget means for disabled people
MIND – Cost of living crisis – PETITION
"Upset and disgusted" at Travelodge – PETITION
Office for National Statistics – Outcomes for disabled people in the UK
Number of autistic people in mental health hospitals: latest data
Share community – How to become a better communicator
National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi)
Small Supports – Thinking Differently About How We Support People
Join the NHS Sounding Board for Ageing & Older People
Review into advocacy for people with a learning disability and or autistic people who are inpatients in mental health settings
contact
The Training Hub has launched…
Seni’s Law – Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018
New supported internships programme
New case law – highlight for Care Act advocates
Disability Right UK has helplines
Scottish Government announces rent freeze
Report shows millions of Disabled people living in cold homes
Government launches social housing rent cap consultation
Disability Hate Crime rises but only 1% see prosecutions
Clear majority agree that benefits must be uprated by inflation, finds JRF polling
BBC Panorama exposes alleged abuse of patients
Citizens Advice survey shows millions will be in energy bills debt
Cross Party MPs call for public inquiry into benefit related deaths
DWP admits Access to Work is overwhelmed by workload but rejects meeting
Disabled people urged to check on eligibility for social tariffs on broadband
Mental Health Bill - Easy read survey
Benefit sanctions harming claimants, lawyers warn
Disabled UC claimants underpaid by over £350 per month due to DWP failure to start WCA process
Disabled woman wins legal challenge against DWP over automatic benefit deductions
7 in 10 PIP appeals won on the same evidence DWP already held
DWP makes few concessions on improving engagement with Disabled people
Secret reviews into DWP deaths have more than doubled in three years
Government plans to move Disabled people from institutions don’t go far enough
Report highlights issue of negativity towards Disabled people
Disabled people make up nearly half of the most deprived working-age adults in the country
PIP delays leave Disabled people hundreds of millions of pounds out of pocket
590 suicides between 2010 and 2013 linked to welfare reform – Deaths by Welfare
9 in 10 of all reports about disability benefit fraud to the DWP hotline turn out to be false
100 people held more than 20 years in ‘institutions’
Police officer fired for taking photos of people being sectioned
Press coverage for autistic man in isolation prompts Council action
Severely ill inpatient died after DWP forced him to leave hospital to make benefit claim
Disabled woman left begging a bus driver to let her travel home safely
The Mayor's Entrepreneur competition & training
Government White Paper fails to re-build the care system
Law Commission recommends adding disability to list of hate crimes
DWP refuses to publish report that found Disabled claimants had “unmet needs”
Councils waste £253 million fighting parents at SEND tribunals since 2014
Mental health impact of leaseholder cladding scandal
All PIP claimants to be offered apply online option
End Fuel Poverty Coalition – PETITION
People deprived of liberty due to misapplication of Mental Health + Capacity Acts
Sickle cell patients ‘face racism in NHS’
Share your experiences of seeing or posting online content about suicide or self-harm
Ground-breaking inquiry questions ‘Whose social care is it anyway’
DWP failures mean dying people are being rejected for PIP
DWP ignoring concerns about Disabled benefit claimants’ deaths
"Sharp rise" in DWP benefit death reviews "deeply concerning"
DWP to stop ‘cold-calling’ Disabled people to make low benefit ‘offers’
Our work capability assessment factsheet
Health and Disability Green Paper – a cause for concern
New body to tackle health disparities set to launch
Lords: Government failing to implement Equality Act
I would have closed Cawston Hall – Norfolk Council care boss – Jeesal group
A fifth of housing not fit for good health – Good Home Inquiry
Elections Bill bad news for Disabled voters
Austerity cuts killed tens of thousands from 2010 onwards
Over two thirds of Universal Credit claimants currently in arrears while living costs rise
Disabled claimant died underweight, ‘unkempt and dirty’ after ESA and PIP wrongly stopped
Disability Benefits Without the Fight - PETITION
Excluded children put in ‘unsafe’ institutions
Disability Horizons launches new online wellbeing community
Social care plans expose rich vs poor divide in terms of home loss
DWP urged to reveal algorithm that ‘targets’ Disabled people for benefit fraud
Almost £3bn to be awarded to private sector to assess disability benefits
Inquiry sought into deaths of 369 mental distress patients in Sussex Trust’s care
DWP blocks publication of research on effectiveness of benefit sanctions
Disability strategy ruled unlawful, DWP denied permission to appeal
Disabled people five times more likely to experience food poverty, says Food Foundation
DWP admits wrongly refusing PIP to record number of Disabled people
Two-thirds of NHS Trusts failing to support equal access to care for Disabled patients
Nearly half of people referred to Trussell Trust food banks are in debt to the DWP
Tip of the Iceberg: Deaths and Serious Harm in the Benefit System
Pushed to the Edge: Poverty, food banks and mental health
DWP failing to make reasonable adjustments for UC claimants with mental health problems
Extension of terminal illness ‘Special Rules’ for ESA and Universal Credit from April 2022
DWP work coaches “bullied” into forcing distressed claimants to attend work-related meetings
How bare bones benefits don’t add up
Two in five Universal Credit claimants forced into debt, finds the Trussell Trust
Pushed to the Edge: Poverty, food banks and mental health
Ofcom: telecomms and broadband providers must do more to help vulnerable customers
DWP: deaths, cover-up, and a toxic 30-year legacy
Fast-tracked access to benefits extended to those likely to be in final year of life
Benefits rise does little to ease cost of living crisis
Disabled employees paid £3.5k less than non-Disabled employees – ONS
EHRC presses DWP to improve treatment of Disabled benefit claimants
EHRC failing Disabled people on DWP actions, claim families
Elections Bill will make it harder for Disabled people to vote
Government must halt ‘managed migration’ to universal credit – DR UK
Report shows that smart home technology can assist independent living
People with learning disabilities in ‘mental health crisis’ – Mencap
Austerity Kills campaign – WRITE TO YOUR MP
Disabled energy user forced onto meter
nothing about us without us – 6 November – 16 October 2023
Disability Poverty Campaign Group update
If you are a representative of a local or national DPO group, or charity, and are interested in getting involved with the DPCG, email dan.white@disabilityrightsuk.org
DWP watered down plan to prevent claimant suicides
George - DWP discrimination led claimant to suicidal thoughts
Government pledges national action following Doncaster abuse inquiry
BBC highlights unfair PIP cut for disabled people in hospital
CQC concerns around autism and learning disability services in damning annual care review
+ lots more
Holyrood Committee report into a ban on Conversion Practices
You can watch parliament in action here
You can become a member of any NHS foundation trust – just look on their website
Court upholds Census guidance – trans men and women can self-identify their lived sex
The call for evidence on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill
New intersex resources created by our partners Reprofutures
A new way to support our campaigning work
Ukraine president backs civil partnerships for same-sex couples
Care and Support Alliance – An appeal for your story
Contact csa@nas.org.uk
Act now for safer homes for people with MND
Land + other views
Working to ensure a fairer, kinder, and better society
including Salman
Religion vs Women’s Rights – Write to your MP
Humanism in the classroom: we’re going back to school
We must never blame the victims
Exposé: Sexist, homophobic, and violent religious resources
We are not a Christian country
Did you know that bishops are speaking and voting for us in the House of Lords
The only other sovereign state in the world where clerics vote in Parliament is the Islamic Republic of Iran
Majority against bishops in the Lords
What should we think about death?
What makes something right or wrong?
‘Humanist marriages now’, say parliamentarians
Including writing to MP about protecting Human rights
and “conversion therapy”
Important: Our worst fears come true – assault on human rights in uk
An amazing list of people + organisations
UK Govt removes abortion rights from international pact
Help us challenge compulsory worship in schools
Five facts about faith schools
What I believe – podcasts with people in the public eye
Iran: Women rise up against theocracy
Assisted dying: Jersey and Scotland lead the way
European court rules against blasphemy laws
Land justice UK – Land and Food
New land report out on land reform in Scotland
police, crime, sentencing and courts bill
You can find a Member of the House of Lords and write to them asking them to review this dangerous bill
A win in the fight for land rights – PETITION
Human rights
Change The Covid Guidance In Psychiatric Wards
The British Institute of Human Rights
Explaining laws passed end April 2022
What the Rights Removal Bill means for you
Human Rights Day: Community Mobilisation
Stop The #AntiRefugeeBill petition
Heartbreaking deaths in the Channel: tell your MP enough is enough – EMAIL MP
What exactly is the hostile environment
Thank you for seeing the human not the label
EMAIL MP: Ukrainian refugees need all the help we can give
TELL YOUR MP: vote to lift the ban
You know the facts
People seeking asylum are banned from working, unable to support themselves and expected to live on just £5.84 a day.
It's always been an absurd policy, and soon MPs will have the chance to reassert common sense and lift the ban
Polling from this week shows that an enormous 81% of members of the public surveyed agree that the ban should be lifted
Fight the anti-refugee laws: ask your MP to sign the pledge
The Rwanda plan: a punishment for asking for help
One year on: 9,000 Afghan refugees still stuck in hotels
The consequences of punishing refugees
Lift the Ban: does Jeremy Hunt want £300 million
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
Add your name to the open letter: safety for Afghan climate activists
Windrush Heroes: Stories you need to hear
Migrants Organise is taking the Home Office to Court
New Plan for Immigration is same old Hostile Environment
This Refugee Week we want to share our New Dreams
Share our message of dignity and welcome
2 minute action: The COVID inquiry must not forget migrants
What is happening with the anti-refugee Borders Bill
Dismantling the hostile environment – podcasts
Solidarity is what connects us – EMAIL MP
Patients not passports – A toddler charged £70k for life saving NHS care - ACTION
will you call on the Government to welcome climate activists as refugees
Freedom from Torture – close the barracks
UK government links to torture in Xinjiang – PETITION
Urgent: Stop the UK Decriminalising Torture
New Plan for Immigration – Consultation Guidance
URGENT: Act now to protect refugees from Priti Patel's New Plan.
Urgent: shocking news – EMAIL MP
write to your local newspaper against the anti refugee bill
Clause 11 of the anti-refugee bill, which would punish Ukranians and other refugees for the way that they travel to safety – was removed by the Lords
A Holocaust survivor just sent this message to Boris Johnson – on the cliffs of Dover
22nd March
MPs voted to punish refugees who make their own way to safety in the UK as part of the Nationality and Borders Bill.
The bill has now entered a stage called ‘ping pong’, where it bounces back and forth between the House of Lords & the House of Commons.
TELL AIRLINES: DON'T REMOVE REFUGEES TO RWANDA
Tell PM candidates: do not send refugees to Rwanda
end UK links to torture – PETITION
Safe passage – We need your help – write to a Peer today
EMAIL MP – fix our broken asylum system
This is a humanitarian disaster. Close the detention camps now
we oppose unjust deportations - PETITION
urgent: no offshore detention – EMAIL MP
Survivors of Napier Barracks beat the Home Office in court
Six men who Priti Patel detained at Napier Barracks have proved in court that she violated their human rights.
Stop union busting in Morocco – PETITION
Tell Denmark: Syria is not safe for refugees to return. Reverse your shameful decision.
A message from the White Helmets to Ukrainians under attack
As Ukrainians come under brutal attack by Putin, it is chilling to see Russia using the same strategy and playbook in Ukraine as they use in Syria – attacking fleeing civilians, controlling humanitarian corridors, bombing hospitals and spreading disinformation.
Our volunteer first responders have saved more than 125,000 civilian lives in Syria since 2014, many from direct Russian attacks, and it’s heartbreaking to witness the same tragedies being repeated over and over again.
We know the scale of horror that Russian bombings can inflict: no one and nothing is off limits.
In Syria, a concerted Russian disinformation campaign spreads fabricated claims attacking White Helmets volunteers to cover up war crimes.
Now Russia is using the same methods to legitimize its attack on the Ukrainian people – using social media to sow doubt about atrocities committed against civilians.
When I saw the aftermath of Russian airstrikes on the maternity hospital in Mariupol last week, including Russia’s immediate disinformation efforts online, it was as if history was repeating itself.
We have witnessed these same horrific scenes and lies during attacks on Syrian hospitals.
It angers me to see companies such as Twitter continue to allow accounts to spread falsehoods – and
A few days ago I spoke to the Washington Post and shared what we have learnt from our experience in case it can be of any help to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.
I told them that the GoPro camera is the best way to fight Russian disinformation and report the reality on the ground.
I also warned against sharing GPS locations of medical facilities with the United Nations.
In Syria the Russians used that information to target hospitals.
Ukrainians should also establish small medical and civil defense outposts in secret locations around the city to take the pressure off larger hospitals and mitigate the risk of targeting first responders.
There is no doubt Putin has been emboldened by the impunity he enjoyed in Syria.
If Putin is not held accountable for his invasion of Ukraine the whole story will repeat itself again.
Today, we need actions not words from the international community.
They must pursue justice relentlessly so no dictator can feel able to shamelessly commit such atrocities.
For the last seven years, the Syrian people have stood up to Russia and have yet to be defeated – so we believe Ukrainians can do so as well.
At the end of the day, it is the will of the citizens that is the strongest weapon, even against the mightiest militaries in the world.
In solidarity,
Raed Al Saleh
Third sector + campaigning
Third Sector – Governance bulletin
Give communities more power over local assets and a £2bn support fund, report urges
Giving by the super-rich could be perpetuating social inequality, academics conclude
Charities lost almost £8.6m to fraud last year, latest figures show
Top earners at Wellcome Trust paid almost £8m each after investments boomed
Adeela Warley: In 2022 let’s make social media a place for hope, not hate
Care charity lost more than 150 staff last year because of vaccination rules
This is a charity - Wendy
Fifth former Oxfam GB staffer sanctioned after DRC sexual misconduct investigation
Why aren’t more charities supporting community building initiatives
Does the voluntary sector have a class problem
Giving pains: the cost of grant-making
National Trust hits back at 'paid-for' campaign to influence its governance
Charity investigated over ‘teacher with sword’ and ‘child eating dead rat’
Reproductive healthcare charity boss paid £229,000 annual bonus
Academies trust run by major charity breached the law, review finds
Cash-for-honours: two men questioned over allegations linked to King Charles’ charity
Are charities too ‘respectable’ to achieve change
Cash-for-honours file linked to King Charles charity passed to CPS
including kindness in public services
Lots of interesting events
well-being courses at Kingston Adult Education
Shaping Kingston's future together - opportunity to share your views
As an important local organisation, with an interest in Kingston, its residents and environment,
I am writing to invite a representative(s) to a workshop in early December or to see whether we can have a call or come and join one of your meetings in the next few months, to get your feedback on the first draft of the Local Plan for the borough and on the future of the Kingston town centre area
First draft Local Plan consultation - 28 November 2022 - 28 February 2023
Last summer we engaged with many individuals and local groups as part of the further engagement on the Local Plan
Attached is a summary of the feedback we heard
We have been using this feedback and have now produced a first draft of the Local Plan
We want to consult with you again to hear what you think of the draft vision and policies, and if anything is missing or needs changing
We want to create a different and better place in Kingston by 2041
The Local Plan will make sure we have the right homes, jobs and services as well as vibrant town centres, open spaces and transport and will address and tackle important issues such as climate change and biodiversity. We need to get it right because it will be used to assess all future planning applications
Our three month public consultation will launch on 28 November. www.kingston.gov.uk/localplan
A Plan for the Kingston town centre area
Kingston town centre is changing. We want to work with our communities to create a vision for how we all want it to develop and improve in the future
Earlier this year we set up a Citizens’ Panel to discuss the issues and share their vision
They want to see a greener and safer town centre, more affordable homes and developments which respect the existing character of the town we all cherish
In this video Cllr Hayes and some of our citizens’ panel members explain why it is so important everyone contributes
Your views
We’re keen to get your views on the first draft of the Local Plan and your input into the community-led vision for the Kingston town centre area
Your perspectives are really valuable
Please let me know if any of the following work for you
-
Let us know if you would like a call or for us to come to one of your regular meetings for a short discussion
This can be tailored to areas of most interest to you
Alternatively, as part of the Local Plan consultation, you can speak to us at a number of public webinars, in-person events and high street visits or you can give us your views online, which I will send you more details of when the consultation launches at the end of the month
Please reply to this email or complete this quick google form to let us know how you’d prefer to engage with us
If you have any questions or would like to discuss further do not hesitate to contact me
Kind regards
Emma
Emma Crowe
Communication and Engagement Lead - Local Plan
Pronouns: she/her
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Guildhall 2, High Street,Kingston Upon Thames,KT1 1EU
07917 728 131
Kingston Voluntary Action (KVA)
4 in 10 children in London live in poverty
Developing a 2040 Community Vision for Kingston
1 in 4 are living in poverty after housing costs
Source: London’s poverty profile 2021
Updated nomination link for free SIM-cards
Health and Inequalities - Bitesize Training- information sharing and learning
update including holistic health
Health and Care Network – 28 February 2023
Health inequality community group
Accessible Support and Mental Health Resources
Many of us may be feeling under increased financial pressure right now
The worry about money may impact sleep, concentration, productivity and our stress levels
If you are worried about money or need free, impartial advice, the Kingston Citizens Advice free toolkit is here to help
To help, watch an NHS wellbeing webinar on Managing Financial Anxiety
You can access the Worrying About Money leaflet here
Find Mental Health resources on Connected Kingston here
For advice on how to look after your mental health, visit the Mental Health Foundation here
For St John Ambulance's mental health training and resources, please click here
For Mind Mental Health Charity, visit their website here
For Samaritans, visit their website here
Their phone number is 116 123
Opening up a Kingston Town Warm Space for Community Groups
As part of our commitment to share our space, we have opened up part of the ground floor of the council office building (Guildhall 2) as a shared space from Monday - Friday, 10am to 4pm
This space will have free tea and coffee and will be offered as a general use warm space
There will be children’s toys and games available, and we are keen that our voluntary and community sector partners feel able to use this space to support residents
This space is now open
If you would like to volunteer to support this shared space one morning or afternoon a week (or more), or if your organisation would like to regularly use this shared space, please make contact with kate.leyland@kingston.gov.uk for a chat on 0771 4772559.
What you need to know about staying well this Christmas including; Mental Health, Cost of Living
We believe that anyone can be a force for change
Together we explore change, share knowledge and learn from change-makers
Transforming power for social change
Can get places for free email
Worried about the - Policing Bill Wondering what you can do - Find out how to get involved
The Power Project: transform power, build solidarity, make change
Why a voice inside Whitehall matters for campaigners
what can art teach us about social change
Social power – 12 habits of successful change makers
Support + more ideas
Demand Egyptian authorities immediately release Ramy Shaath
Mental illness is a lie which causes untold damage
hospital safety for diabetes patients, institutional misogyny, climate change, and more…
Whistleblowing, patient feedback, visiting restrictions + events...
Latest hub highlights: Misogyny, crosswords, Ockenden...
Mind the implementation gap, vaccination programmes, mesh removal
Patients died after catalogue of errors by Priory mental health chain
Listening to families, safety management systems
including more events for example
Huntercombe group : a mental health scandal
Systemic failures, PSIRF, surviving scrubs, and more…
including ombudsman raising concerns about human rights in Mental Health
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/human-rights-mental-health-care-crisis-b2234510.html
including anxiety
Published guidance for Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) teams
the plan for health + care services to work with people + communities
Start engagement early
Provide clear and accessible public information
Build relationships with excluded groups
Co-produce and redesign services and tackle system priorities in partnership with people and communities.
The NHS Constitution for England
Call for Welsh Government apology after failings at Ysbyty Gwynedd mental health unit
Vulnerable man Clive Treacey 'failed in life and death'
Why asylum seekers deserve better healthcare, and how we can give it to them
From Patient association helpline – change in staff results in long-awaited apology
Muriel* called our helpline recently to update our advisers on a complaint they had supported her with in the past, which finally had a good outcome.
Muriel had made a formal complaint about a hospital.
She wasn't t happy with the final response she'd received from the hospital and, so, contacted the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).
The PHSO failed to uphold Muriel's complaint.
The Ombudsman could find no fault in the hospital's response and said Muriel wouldn’t achieve anything by taking the complaint further.
At this point, the complaint had been going on about three years.
The PHSO refused to accept any evidence from Muriel.
But recently Muriel saw that the hospital had appointed a new complaint manager.
Muriel contacted the manager who offered to meet her to find more about the complaint.
After the meeting, the new manager apologised to Muriel and accepted that the hospital had been in the wrong.
Muriel told our advisers she was happy to see the positive approach from the new complaints manager at the hospital.
However, Muriel is very disappointed with the PHSO and plans to take her concerns further to help other patients.
*Name changed to protect privacy.
To contact our helpline team, call 0800 3457115 between 9.30am and 5pm on weekdays or email helpline@patients-association.org.uk.
See our website for more ways to get in touch.
And remember, we have a range of information on our website from our very popular nutrition checklist right through to understanding your medicines.
Collaboration must be at the heart of the future of health and care
Review highlights stark ethnic healthcare inequalities in the UK
Maternity Scandal: Fighting for the Truth
Mental health problems cost UK economy at least £118 billion a year – new research
The illusion of evidence-based medicine
'Words will not be enough' say grieving families of Shropshire's maternity scandal
Ockenden report: the refusal of our healthcare service to take patient experience seriously
call for evidence for people living with Down’s syndrome
Shared decision making – NHS England
end of life care for trans, intersex + gender diverse people – SURVEY
starting a campaign – here’s some help
putting community + cooperation into care + support
Getting in touch with the Patient Safety Commissioner for England
contact commissioner@patientsafetycommissioner.org.uk
rapid response team
contact weeklynews@patients-association.org.uk
Sharing experiences of life as a trans person
CQC recruiting patients and carers
contact expertsbyexperience@choicesupport.org.uk
Maternity + neonatal services in East Kent report makes grim reading
Just Treatment – Rich countries protecting pharma monopolies
A £2 medicine charged at over £2900…
put lives before pharma profits – PETITION
We found that 51% of beds in inpatient mental health services are provided by private companies like Priory Group, Cygnet, and Huntercombe Group who make the majority of their revenue from NHS funding
As laid out in
this important article by clinical psychologist Sanah Ahsan
our current approach to mental health care is centred on purely medical responses to "individual" conditions
But we know that issues such as poverty, debt and housing play a huge role – in fact, 73% of Just Treatment supporters who filled out our recent survey on mental health cited material conditions as a key cause of poor mental health
if you would like to share your story click
Making the country work for all of us
ZERO SUICIDE ALLIANCE – FREE TRAINING
NEW suicide awareness training for university students
ZSA and Help for Heroes launch suicide awareness training to support veterans
Opportunity for free suicide prevention awareness sessions
contact HAdil@bwwmind.org.uk
Living Wage for care workers – EMAIL MP
Open Wounds exhibition: Tottenham Rights in collaboration with The King's Fund – to March 2023
for me this was an inspirational exhibition – I recommend it – Wendy
Health inequalities – from evidence to action – 25 – 26 April 2023
New podcast: health inequalities and climate change
Has the Women’s Health Strategy listened to what women really need
Odds stacked against it: how social care struggles to compete with supermarkets on pay
New horizons: what can England learn from the professionalisation of care workers in other countries
poverty and the health and care system
There’s no such thing as a new public policy idea, just a new name
What does it take to ensure partnerships succeed
Poverty, poor-quality housing and health inequalities
The Health and Care Act 2022 – what does it mean for trusts and foundation trusts
A community-powered NHS: making prevention a reality
Working in partnership with people + communities: statutory guidance
What should partnering with disabled people look like
Women in prison + mental health + poverty + strokes +
What is a population health approach
How should the health and care system act on poverty
NHS wants to stop ‘reinventing the wheel’ and involve public in digitisation
New podcast: Supporting refugee and migrant health care in England
Health Management and Policy Alert: 26 July 2022
including human rights concerns regarding people in care
Putting patients first: championing good practice in combatting digital health inequalities
The Health and Care Act 2022: the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
What can be done to tackle LGBTQ+ health inequalities
Acting on the evidence: ensuring the NHS meets the needs of trans people
Health Management and Policy Alert: 20 July 2021
Including reforming the MHA: government response to consultation
Not listening to us – Wendy
Understanding integration: how to listen to and learn from people and communities
Including poor health + housing + obesity + bad roads
Health Management and Policy Alert: 10 September 2021
Including Home for all
What is needed to reduce ethnic minority health inequalities
How much longer and further are health inequalities set to rise
How will integrated care systems work under the Health and Care Bill
Including details of a free course “an introduction to leading with kindness and compassion in health + social care
The power of those small acts of kindness
The WHO Prison Health Framework: a framework for assessment of prison health system performance
How does the UK's health care performance compare internationally
The cost of poor housing in England
Left behind: a decade of intergenerational unfairness
Invisible women: understanding women’s experiences of long-term imprisonment
Listen: Tackling health inequalities head on through integrated care
Your health and care explained update
New podcast: What is the Health and Care Bill and why does it matter
Restraint, segregation and seclusion review: progress report
From harm to hope: a 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives
Integrated care systems and social care: the opportunities and challenges
If integrated care cannot tackle inclusion health, we should all be worried
New explainer: How does the system hear from communities
Robot performs first laparoscopic surgery without human help
Local government public health funding: putting the jigsaw together without the picture on the box
What could provider collaboratives look like
Not really outcome-based commissioning? Certainly not people commissioning? – Wendy
Local health systems: relationships not structures
How does the NHS in England work and how is it changing
Mental Health Act reform: race and ethnic inequalities
NICE recommends offering app-based treatment for people with insomnia instead of sleeping pills
Cancer screening: the urgent shouldn’t crowd out the important
ADPH highlights link between gambling and suicide
Nature-based physical activity as an early intervention for teenagers
Introducing integrated care systems: joining up local services to improve health outcomes
Interoperability is more than technology
accelerating progress on cardiovascular disease – 2 February 2023
New podcast: Stafford Scott on community activism
Poverty and the health and care system: The role of data and partnership in bringing change
Westminster Health Forum (WHF) policy conference – PROVIDE FREE SPACES – JUST APPLY
10 January – tackling drug use in higher education
A relaxation technique to help you
People’s theatre
we want to see YOUR work – by 30 January
Win Tickets to Alice in Wonderland
Critical Times: Dialogues in Contemporary Photography | New artist and writing commissions
Sasha Huber: YOU NAME IT / 'Becoming Monumental' call for photographs / Exhibition catalogue
New digital commissions, films, writing and more
Exploring time, cultivating care and dreaming quantum futures
Privacy, agency and trust in the age of AI
£6 Mondays are back
Justice
Haldane society of socialist lawyers
UBI gives people the chance to make their own choices, to make decisions for themselves, their communities, their households, their lives and their futures
UBI does everything from sharing out problems, to delivering a feminist vision to tackling the climate emergency, to stopping benefit traps
It does all those things, but ultimately UBI is democracy
Baroness Natalie Bennett
Every step we take towards a Basic Income will liberate power in the hands of the citizen
Paddy Ashdown
Andy Burnham joins call for basic income trial
Report from Manchester University
How universal basic income can tackle anxiety + depression
Extending Welsh Universal basic income pilot to heavy industrial workers
VOTE FOR THIS EVEN IF NOT IN WALES
Welsh basic income pilot have been published
In a statement from Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice
The pilot will be targeted at care leavers
All young people leaving care that turn 18 over a 12 month period starting this summer will be invited to participate
That is expected to be about 500 people
Participants will receive the payments for 24 months starting from the month after their 18th birthday
A £1,600 a month basic income will be paid each month
Universal basic income motion passed by Richmond Council
69% of people in Wales support basic income pilots
Stockton, California who released incredible results from the experiment there
Start your own Basic Income Conversation today – TOOLKIT
We've urged ministers to back basic income for mental health – Peace of mind project
Let's make Basic Income a reality – PETITION
The Basic Income Conversation is growing... here's how
Universal Credit cut: now is the time for basic income
Last week the £20 Universal Credit uplift was cut.
5.8 million people claim Universal Credit in England, Scotland and Wales. Overnight, their incomes fell by £1,000 a year.
If they’d had a basic income, they wouldn’t have been plunged into precarity.
Now is the time for a basic income.
There are thousands of people across the UK working to make that clear.
How do we pay for a basic income
Email mp asking them to join CPPLG
NEW REPORT: Results of our Basic Income Month
Understanding the impacts of a basic income
Can you help get candidates across the UK to support UBI trials
Tackling Poverty: The power of a universal basic income
Record low poverty at no net cost
The most common question that we get asked in the Basic Income Conversation is “How would we pay for this”
As of today we can say, “You don’t. It doesn’t have to cost the public purse anything.”
Our new paper lays out a fiscally neutral scheme that involves no additional calls on the public finances and no net increase in taxation: the cost of the extra payments would be exactly offset by the extra revenue from internal changes in tax rates and National Insurance Contributions
The gains of this modest scheme are concentrated among the poorest income groups, and the gains are incredible:
Child poverty falls by more than a half taking
it to below the historic level achieved in 1977
Working-age poverty falls by just over a quarter
Pensioner poverty falls by 54%
This takes the level of pensioner poverty to well below the lowest post-1961 rate of 14% in the early 1980s.
The Gini coefficient – a measure of inequality – falls by 12.5%, taking it back towards the peak equality achieved in the 1970s.
Despite the scale of the current crises, we keep being told that our problems are too big, too complex, there are too many obstacles, and it’s just too expensive to take care of people
The human cost of our problems is unfathomably and heartbreakingly big.
The cost of transforming people’s lives is not.
Thanks to this paper, we’re laying out exactly why and how implementing a basic income is eminently doable.
How can a modest basic income cut poverty by half
Is basic income a vote winner
Listen Now: A Basic Income Special
Winning the vote with a universal basic income: Evidence from the 'red wall
ask for universal basic income with Sadiq Khan + Andy Burnham +
universal basic income discussion
Newsletter of the European Network for the Fair Sharing of Working Time
Invite your MP to the #FlexforAll briefing
Parents against child exploitation
Watch our new film about spotting the signs of child exploitation
Safeguarding training – perhaps ask for a free space
Believe in yourself and your children: one parents story
Prosecuting mental health – accountability or criminalisation
A different understanding How the CJS discriminates against those with autism
When should a family dispute end up in court
Barely legal - The experience of remote tribunal hearings
The forgotten people - Prisoners on remand in the pandemic
Does L&D stop the revolving door of police custody
Does diversion from court have an image problem
Computer says yes – you will pay a fine and get a criminal record
Children imprisoned on remand – the stark reality of racial bias
Only by radically shrinking the magistrates’ court can the Crown Court backlog be reduced
Is justice for victims always criminal justice
Does the defendant in the magistrates’ court get a fair hearing
Making child remand a last resort
Do people who get in trouble with the law deserve double punishment
Independent domestic violence advocates in specialist courts – a backfire effect
Is imprisonment before trial the result of poor risk assessment
Keeping the wheels of justice turning – magistrates’ views on justice in the pandemic
This single justice procedure affects women more than men
Will harsher sanctions reduce assaults on police and NHS workers
out of sight, out of mind – defendant’s experience of video court hearings
Can assaults on police and NHS workers be avoided in the first place
A recipe for confused policing New drug strategy laced with problems
The Transform Justice Podcast – Episode Recap
Should lawyers pay more attention to client feedback
The myth that tough sanctions deter crime – revealed by the Sentencing Council
Judicial bias – opening pandora’s box
“Tis but a scratch” – bravado, policing and assaults
False imprisonment: do we over-use police custody
Should school non-attendance be treated as a crime
Sign the petition and tell President Biden to fulfill his promise to clear the federal death row.
How This Minneapolis Man Is Healing Collective Trauma Through Creative Counseling and Mentoring
Trauma informed training attempts to bridge gap between Newark residents + cops
A model for police + community relations
An up-close portrait of the people doing violence intervention work
New nonprofit uses yoga to address Black men’s mental health
Community-based violence prevention works, but it needs sustained support
The Future of Public Safety is Now
Alternatives to Police and Prisons: Activists Share How to Better Address Violence
Truth, justice + accountability
Progress on the legal aid for inquests campaign
Leon – Nadia – Sam – Matthew -Zoe – Marshall – Jane – Sammy – Coco – Trevor – Shane – Abdul – Lamont – Andrew – Steven – Gavin – Jason – Micheal – Jack – Alex
including connection cafes
INQUEST News challenging state violence & justice campaigns
Deaths of racialised people in prison 2015 – 2022: Challenging racism and discrimination
Less crime, safer communities, fewer people in prison
The hidden crisis that isn't making the headlines
Punished when they should have been helped
Stop building women's prisons – EMAIL MP
focussed on reducing the unnecessary arrests of women reducing child arrests and ending the criminalisation of children in care
Changing outcomes for Black people in the criminal justice system
"Nobody really cares about prisons"
Arrests of children have been reduced by 74% over the last decade, in another major step forward for our successful campaign.
Since 2010, the Howard League for Penal Reform has been working with police forces across England and Wales to reduce child arrests, helping to ensure that hundreds of thousands of boys and girls do not have their lives blighted by a criminal record.
We campaign on a wide range of issues including children in the criminal justice system, change inside prisons, community sentencing + policing
We have an in-house expert legal team who represent children in custody.
We strive to minimise the human suffering and social harms that are both causes of crime and consequences of punishment.
We stand for constructive forms of justice that contribute to building a safer, fairer society.
We stand against abuse and mistreatment and all forms of discrimination in the criminal justice system.
Prisons create conflict, put a strain on the police and hospitals and thwart human potential – they simply do not work.
Sadly, the government are planning on expanding our already over-crowded prison population.
The recently published Prisons strategy white paper has dedicated £4 billion to new prions places, with the Ministry of Justice’s own projections predicting the population to reach almost 99,000 over the next five years.
International Women’s Day
A day in the community where we celebrate and empower women.
Unfortunately, for women in prison, today won’t be a day for celebrations.
There were almost 5,000 receptions of women into prison last year, and more than half of them were for women on remand.
Too many women are being swept up into the justice system when it is not necessary or appropriate.
Most women in prison have a history of childhood abuse or trauma, they need a safe space and support.
Prison life during the pandemic
In the last year, prisoners self-harmed at a rate of once every 10 minutes
-17 August 2022-
“Being creative has helped me survive my prison sentence”
You can email + sign petitions without donating to anything
distracting the world with its money + sportswashing – PETITION
Help save Hussein: Email the new Chair of the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission
Share this video to help Ban Conversion Therapy
Stand with LGBTQ+ people in Qatar – PETITION
Help fill a virtual stadium with pride
My queer brothers and sisters need your help – PETITION
EuroPride 2022 March banned - PETITION
Take this simple step to fight FIFA's hypocrisy – PETITION
how well do you know your rights - FREE BOOKLET
why the ECHR matters – video + campaign
Demand real alternatives to policing – ACTION
speak up for human rights – PETITION
protest rights at risk – again – PETITION
The Asylum Seeker Memorial Project
You do not have to donate when signing a petition – petitions are free to sign
On Thursday 22 February 1934,
Liberty was founded to defend “the whole spirit of British freedom”
Now, on our 88th anniversary, our fight is more important than ever as the Government attempts to shut down the ways people can hold it to account.
We won’t let the Government become untouchable
Democratic crisis
In a democratic society, people must be able to hold the powerful to account – but the Government is trying to rewrite the rules.
It wants to ‘overhaul’ the Human Rights Act. The HRA forces public authorities to respect rights and enables people to enforce their rights in court if they fall short.
But the Government wants to remove this obligation on public authorities and make it near-impossible for anyone to get to court and see justice.
Similarly, its Judicial Review Bill will change judges’ powers so challenging the Government’s action in court won’t be worthwhile.
Plans for mandatory voter ID which could prevent millions of people having their say in elections.
And the Government is side lining MPs when making laws, giving them little time to scrutinise proposals.
Alongside these attacks, the anti-protest Policing Bill is back in Parliament next week.
Last month the House of Lords dealt a major blow to the Government’s plans by ripping out some of the worst proposals.
But ministers are now trying to get some back in – including criminalising noisy protests.
Noise is at the very heart of protest.
It is literally how we make our voices heard.
Liberty was founded following the oppressive treatment of protesters on the National Hunger March, and we will always work to protect this key pillar of democracy.
Together we can stop this democratic crisis in its tracks.
Email MP to protect our rights
URGENT PETITION: save the Human Rights Act
tell the government to stop the attacks on our democratic rights
In many respects the Government’s plans laid out in the Queen’s Speech are even worse than anticipated
They include:
A so-called ‘Bill of Rights’
which would scrap the Human Rights Act and remove obligations on public bodies like local councils and government departments to treat people fairly
A Public Order Bill
which would force through the anti-protest measures that our mass public resistance defeated just a few months ago, such as criminalising ‘lock-on’ protests
A National Security Bill
handing state security services even more power and potentially threatening the work of journalists who uncover dark truths
Even after it suffered stinging defeats in the last Parliament, the Government is returning to force through unwanted and unpopular policies
Revealed: Alarming rise in deaths of asylum seekers
new met boss must be spark for real change – PETITION
3 things new Met Chief must do right now
I have the right to protest – PETITION
I have the right to protest – EMAIL MP
Infant deaths in Home Office care
URGENT EMAIL MP - Government is bringing back the Rights Removal Bill
WIN: Gangs Matrix to be overhauled
Stop Raab from wrecking your rights
Fighting NHS Charging – What can you do now
Why is PayPal trying to silence activists
NETPOL – the network for police monitoring
Black Lives Matter protest – VIDEO
new report condemns "revenge policing" and calls for scrapping new police powers
Spycops in CND: Request for information
They want to silence criticism
Boris Johnson misled Parliament
They want to block public interest
This is not the Britain we should be
REVEALED: The names of those who referred Covid testing firms into the “VIP” lane
5 billion pounds tax payers money ? - Wendy
Other information sources
Mozilla – internet health 2022 – reclaiming power over AI
the tech we won’t build – podcast
including weaponisation of social media + GOOGLE involvement with military
when an algorithm is your boss – podcast
gig economy – if you are a minute late with a delivery you are banned from working for 2 days with some deliver apps
alternatives
using
for workers collectives
AI from above – podcast
The truth is out there – podcast
about misinformation industry – which affects elections + dark social media
The AI medicine cabinet
Does This Button Work? Investigating YouTube's ineffective user controls
Is Instagram fueling eating disorders in teenagers
Does TikTok harm your mental health
Are Facebook groups encouraging people to take part in offline violence
The answer is… we don’t know for sure. And that’s a serious problem
Brave, independent researchers and whistleblowers are trying to study the impact and harms of social media companies on society - but they face constant threats and roadblocks
especially from the companies whose products they are trying to scrutinize
We know because Mozilla works with many of these journalists and academics to expose companies like YouTube, Twitter and TikTok
Delete Delete Can your boss read your Dms
No evidence for Rishi Sunak’s claim about ‘record’ number of new homes built
Immigration claims repeatedly being made based on unpublished data
Claims that London and Manchester are ‘minority white’ cities are not true
Lowest paid nurses aren’t getting a 9% pay increase
Sanders and McDonnell on community wealth
Land banks and community land trusts
Community wealth building comes to Scotland
How to Make a Democracy Economy
South Korea explores community wealth building
How NY can enter ‘a new era of public power’
‘A global beacon’ for community wealth
North Ayrshire Council in Scotland
Technology
Innovation is not designed to create happiness
It's designed a lot of the time to facilitate one's needs and desires, to stimulate desire and all of those kinds of things
It's certainly about doing all of that, but it's not about making the world better for people
And it's not about improving their lives in any way
It's about trying to actually create a world in which more profit is to be had
Military
The one sector of government that doesn’t experience austerity is the military budget
To what degree is competition between states somehow rather related, tightly related, to the competition between capitalists
Ask Prof Wolff: Is Nordic Socialism a Progressive Step
How Capitalism Shapes our Food
Ask Prof Wolff: Taxing Billionaires
Wolff Responds: Capitalism's False Defenses
All Things Co-op: Cuba's New Cooperative Legislation
Global Capitalism: The Problems with China's Economy
we learn about the psychology of control and domination
understand our personal connections to capitalism’s structure
All Things Co-op: Lessons from Venezuela’s Social Economy
Ask Prof Wolff: From Capitalism to Co-op
All Things Co-op: Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
Economic Update: Unaffordable Housing
The popular movement for peace needs to be rekindled
All Things Co-op: There Is An Alternative To Capitalism
Global Capitalism: The Socialism That Focuses Too Much on Government
Ask Prof Wolff: Capitalism Doesn’t Care About You
Coping with (and Resisting) Capitalism
The Whiteness of Wealth: podcast with Prof Dorothy Brown
Podcast: The capture of Malta and the fight for justice
"You need to be very strong.
To do the job that she did you really have to be your own person.
You couldn’t be the kind of person who worries what people might think of you, and you really have to say, no, I’m not going to adapt, I’m not going to fall into that mould.
I’m going to break it and keep breaking.”
Paul Caruana Galizia
Pandora Papers shows transparency failure is an accountability failure
Jersey’s Pandora’s Boxes: The Tax Justice Network podcast
The Swiss banking clean-up is a mirage
10 measures to expose sanctioned Russian oligarchs’ hidden assets
Podcast: Financial Secrecy Index 2022
Podcast: Amazon's tax challenge
Podcast: Tax and racial justice
UN Secretary General signals support for UN tax convention
education rights and tax justice
PODCAST: Uncommon Wealth and the ‘boomerang effect’
UN adopts historic decision to take on new tax leadership
📡PODCAST: The day global power shifted📡
2022: developments, successes and looking forward to 2023
Our tax system is broken – EMAIL MP
Support President Biden’s proposal to stop global tax dodging - PETITION
Pandora Papers shows transparency failure is an accountability failure
Women disproportionately affected by soaring Mental Health Act detentions
Whenever capitalism gets into crisis, it's women's bodies on the line
‘It left a scar on me’: Locked up in the UK’s women-only immigration centre
How the UK government is undermining the Freedom of Information Act
90% of Met officers disciplined for racism still work for force
Revealed: Police began monitoring ‘social justice’ activity after BLM protests
Racism in UK maternal care: ‘Why aren’t we being listened to’
Revealed: Taxpayers fork out £8m to subsidise Lords’ food and drink
The post-Roe v Wade crisis can only end if Democrats restore our rights
The US Christian Right groups actively involved in voter suppression
Revealed: UK private tenants hit by record annual rent hikes
How Boris Johnson rigged British politics for the Tories
Landlords urged to ‘take advantage’ of soaring rents in ‘grotesque’ email
Private renters will face ‘winter of hardship’ after autumn statement
Revealed: Housing associations urged ministers to let them increase rents
Landlords of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable tenants secretly lobbied the government to let them charge more rent – while paying their executives nearly £300,000 a year each
Delay in ‘no fault’ evictions ban leaves 48,000 households facing homelessness
‘Destitution’ warning as DWP rejects calls to pause benefit deductions
Religious liberty’ is being weaponised by the American Right
Even police doubted my arrest was legal, claims anti-royal protester
Britain treats republicanism as a bit of a joke. Time to take it seriously
Record number of Universal Credit claimants relying on hardship payments
The anti-women agenda of the woman set to be the next Italian prime minister
1 in 4 nurses pinched from poorer countries
if we had universal basic income + community land trusts + – perhaps we could look after our loved ones ourselves ? Prevention ? - Wendy
Death in Qatar, but no just compensation for families back home
Russian soldiers accused of targeted anti-gay attacks in Ukraine
Club Q shooting shows link between anti-LGBTQ views, misogyny and violence
Ghana’s legal chief signals support for anti-LGBTIQ bill in blow for equality
LGB Alliance has secret office at UK’s libertarian think tank hub
Anti-trans activists are using ‘mirror propaganda’. Here’s how to spot it
Global food companies pay shareholders £15bn as millions face poverty
MPs including Hancock raked in £9.6m from second jobs in a year
Election watchdog’s stark warning to government over voter ID
Migrant workers still paying off debts that brought them to Qatar
Police force accused of beating man was warned of stop-and-search failings
Key UN climate campaign being advised by a Big Oil PR firm
Big Tech is failing. The future of democracy depends on what happens next
Revealed: Landlords’ efforts to turn students against new renters’ rights
I sit in the House of Lords. That’s how I know it needs to go
What can the UK learn from Italy’s election of a far-right PM
Government won't publish secret Covid review
Labour knows our democracy is broken. So why are its ‘reforms’ so weak
Pro-Israel lobby group is biggest donor of free overseas trips to MPs
A call for unity between the detained, the outsourced and the underpaid
Revealed: Police may be assessing climate protesters for terrorism
Tunisia may end up with an all-male parliament – by design
How we got Uganda to strike out a colonial law criminalising poor people
Big Pharma’s obscene profits, not striking nurses, are killing the NHS
What is Labour for the Long Term, the mysterious group funding Labour MPs
Will the UK finally tackle its dirty money problem in 2023
Latin American feminists vow to continue fight for abortion rights in 2023
Big Pharma’s obscene profits, not striking nurses, are killing the NHS
Last year, the
put paid to Lansley’s claim that he had fixed the NHS ‘once and for all’
The act reduces the compulsion of the NHS from having to tender so many services to private sector bidding in future,
but it was not designed to stop the rot. It will not solve the service’s problems,
though there is hope that it could be the beginning of an actual change in ethos
Ukraine prepares to give free rein to property developers
Facebook whistleblowers in the UK
Hey, YouTube – leave our kids alone
A lot more to do on government algorithms
Support Facebook content moderators in calling for fair treatment
Taking on the tech giants: the lawyer fighting the power of algorithmic systems
Join us – tell Sadiq Khan to take action against Uber
Matt Hancock: Drop your plan to put NHS patients' health data into one massive database - PETITION
fresh evidence: disappearing messages and "government by WhatsApp"
"this algorithm decides who eats and who goes hungry"
Government by WhatsApp – email your MP
Facebook on notice of legal action – SIGN LETTER
They exploit Facebook moderators and call it “ethical”. Help us stop them
facebook is violating Kenya’s hate prevention guideline – PETITION
no palantir in our NHS – PETITION
Palantir’s latest NHS data move – EMAIL MP
Campaign for freedom of information
ICO should end its near invisibility on FOI
Call for tougher FOI enforcement and other news
ICO action against government departments for FOI delays
Social housing and Freedom of Information
Article 19 – defending freedom of expression + information
What does misinformation smell like
Speaking out on social media takedowns – YOUR HELP NEEDED
'Anger is not sufficient to maintain motivation over time;
you also need to have hope,
and to believe that you can make a difference.'
Kathryn Sikkink, author and human rights academic
Younger people
How to keep children safe online
mental health – SUPPORT INFORMATION
Together we're helping children to report abuse
email the new Minister in charge
A Life More Wild – Dr Alex George & Brook House Woods
Society needs to change. Have your say on how
Supporting your child with anxiety
Tips for coping with peer pressure
Toxic masculinity and mental health
tips on the start of your eating disorder recovery journey
Rediscovering your identity in eating disorder recovery
Tips for coping in these anxious times
Read our tips and advice for supporting a friend
Malala – Assembly – How you can stand up to anti-Asian racism
One year of the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education
A week in the life of a Ukrainian teenager
The reality of Brazil's public schools
Listening to girls today and every day
Six young climate activists you should follow
Messages from young Iranian women
My life since the flooding in Pakistan
See your name in our next newsletter
Girls like me are taking action – EMAIL MP
Girls forced to marry – PETITION
The Stranger Series with Coram’s Young Citizens
Do you want to unlock your potential
We see you; we hear you and we care about you – SUPPORT LINES INFORMATION
One in five young women have lost work or future work
57% say they have been affected financially
One in four have taken on extra caring responsibilities
83% said that their mental health had suffered
1 in 10 they have been unable to afford food or other essentials
Ask your MP to do more to prevent online hate speech
New report reveals one size fits no one
Including peer researchers
can you help make equality a reality for young women
Peer Research: The Power of Shared Experience
Lucy’s story: coaching helped me believe in myself
Free online events for young women this autumn
Maternal Mental Health Alliance
10 November 2022 – Report - Key perinatal mental health findings
40% of deaths within the year after pregnancy were from mental health-related causes
Suicide remains the leading cause of direct maternal death in the first postnatal year
Suicide during pregnancy or up to six weeks after is increasing:
In 2020, women were three times more likely to die by suicide during this period compared to 2017-19
Very few women who died by suicide in 2020 had formal mental health diagnoses, but significant numbers had a history of trauma
A step in the right direction for pregnant women's safety at work - EMAIL MP
Are you on maternity leave Take our survey
We're calling for maternity pay to be increased – will you help us
If you are in crisis and need immediate support, you can access help from these organisations:
available 24/7 for listening support on 116 123.
text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 to speak to a crisis counsellor
open 9am-midnight, call 0800 068 41 41 for support around suicidal thoughts and feelings.
CAMHS Crisis Line
a free confidential NHS helpline offering support for young people aged 17 and under in crisis on 0300 303 1320
a free confidential NHS helpline offering support for adults aged 18+ on 0800 012 6549
real-time, online support
0800 1111. 7:30am – 3.30am
0800 58 58 58
0808 808 4994 3pm – 12am everyday
Fantastic for families – update
Government bodies
mental health act statistics – annual figures 2021 - 22
Still, we suffer – Wendy
draft mental health bill – EASY READ
Mental Health Strategy Delivery Plan for 2022/23
Proposed NHS mental health access standards for patients
Energy Bills Support Scheme explainer
Hewitt review call for evidence by 9 January
Health research authority (HRA)
ask for a free space - Wendy
Health quality improvement partnership (HQIP)
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health: Annual report
Our equality objectives 2021-2025
Now available: State of Care – CQC's annual assessment of health care and social care in England
From Paternalism to human rights
Restraint, segregation and seclusion review: progress report
Monitoring the Mental Health Act
Putting people at the centre of system regulation: learning to lead in changing times
our new single assessment framework
Office for National Statistics
A report from the Office of National Statistics revealed an estimated 778 people died in England and Wales while homeless in 2019 – an annual increase of 7%
This is the fifth year in a row that the number of people who have died has increased.
It is the highest number since records began.
ONS blog - good data from any source can help us report on the global goals to the UN
ONS blog - Unlocking the power of data to better understand private rents
ONS blog - Far from average: How COVID-19 has impacted the Average Weekly Earnings data
How many people fund their own care
The lasting impact of violence against women and girls
Beneath our feet: improving estimates of UK land value
ONS blog - Inclusive measures of growth – How ONS is moving Beyond GDP
DHSC Voluntary Sector Newsletter – INCLUDING HELPLINE FOR SUPPORTING + BEHAVIOUR
Launch of new autism strategy to help autistic people live more independent and fulfilled lives
Revisiting safeguarding practice
Vaccination as a condition of deployment to be revoked
Health and Care Bill: launch of new white paper
Ombudsman news special – annual review launched
local government + social care ombudsman – update
local government association (LGA)
Inclusive economies and healthy futures: Supporting place-based action to reduce health inequalities
Debate Not Hate: the impact of abuse on local democracy
acknowledgment of racism within MH System - Wendy
Get in on the Act: Mental Health Act 2022
Including monthly Mayor’s Question time
27% of schools are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution.
It took decades to protect our children from cigarette smoke.
We can’t make that mistake again; we must tackle toxic air pollution right now.
That’s why we introduced the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, cleaned up our buses and taxis and tackled emissions from construction sites.
But we must go further to protect the health of Londoners across our city.
My number one priority is to protect the health of Londoners, and the life chances of future generations.
I will do all I can to ensure that every Londoner can breathe clean air.
Clearing the air: pollution in London
Reforming private renting in London
My society – including support with FOI requests
PETITION – Vital information hidden
NIHR – Lockdown raised anxiety in people with anorexia and their carers, but online resources helped
Transforming out-of-hospital care for people who are homeless
Together in research – Spring 2021
Caring for older people at home can be just as good, or even better, than hospital care
Vegan diet could control blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes
Together in research – Summer 2021
seeking views on ways to substantially reduce research bureaucracy
Together in research – Autumn 2021
Together in research – Winter 2021/22
Including paid involvement
Free bus travel keeps young Londoners socially connected
Together in research – Spring 2022
Together in research – Summer 2022
Together in research – Autumn 2022
How artificial intelligence is making it easier to diagnose disease
Health and Social Care Committee
Local Government Authority – Update
Would you like to shape the future of Patient Safety within the local NHS
Complete our NHS and ICS websites survey for a chance to win £100 vouchers
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
New end of life and palliative care report
SCIELine: New strengths-based approaches resources and learning
free mental capacity act e-learning +
Strengths-based practice for council services and more
what is strong rather than what is wrong
Wandsworth
Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network (WCEN)
In the UK, people with brown skin are being denied equal and compassionate mental health care.
They are more likely to be brought to and kept in hospital without their consent.
They are more likely to access mental health services through the police and criminal justice systems, and to find themselves unwell and back again once released.
People with brown skin, particularly men, are more likely to be forcibly restrained and given more than the recommended amount of medication.
WCEN 2021