An Update from 'see me' - October 2010
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Welcome!October 4th - 10th is Scottish Mental Health Week, culminating in World Mental Health Day on Sunday the 10th of October. Why not celebrate this week by signing up to 'see me's Wall of Support and even better if your can have a small digital photo of yourself to hand while you do it!Please sign up and email the link to all your friends and contacts.
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Celebrating the Beginning of Scottish Mental Health Week
We kicked off this year's Scottish Mental Health Week with a launch of Chinese wish lanterns from the top of Carlton Hill in Edinburgh.
You can read more about the launch here. Each wish lantern carried a message of support and the balloons made a dramatic sight over the skyline of Edinburgh. Thanks to all the volunteers and staff (and innocent bystanders and tourists) who were involved.
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Photo Competition Goes National
Entries have now closed for 'see me's 2010 Photo Competition with the theme of 'support'. There are a number of local exhibitions currently taking place around Scotland during mental health week and beyond. To find your local exhibition click here... and if you can, try to get along to vote for your local winner!
All local winners will be entered into 'see me's national on-line final which opens on the 15th of November 2010 where you will get a chance to vote for the national Public Choice winner.
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Exhibition in the Scottish Parliament
All of last year's national finalists formed the basis of an Exhibition in the Scottish Parliament in June, where Party Leaders and MSPs viewed the photos and signed up to support the 'see me' campaign.
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Creative Writing Competition
Our brand new Creative Writing Competition has its formal launch later this month, please check out our website for information on how to enter. The theme (as for the Photography Competition) is 'support' and there are three categories.
- Short Story (1500 words or less) to be judged by children's author and professional story teller, Lari Don
- Poetry (maximum of 42 lines) to be judged by Gary Robertson, the Dundee Street Poet
- Tweet (140 characters including our #seemescot hashtag) to be judged by comedian and political activist, Mark Thomas.
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Dismissed?
The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) has launched a new eighteen-month campaign on mental health and employability. Launched to coincide wiht Mental Health Awareness Week 2010, the "Dismissed?" campaign focuses on both the benefits system and employment.
Learn more about the campaign
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Updated Employer's Resources from SHIFT
SHIFT is an English initiative with which 'see me' has long had a positive relationship. SHIFT has recently updated its Line Managers' Resource for Managing and Supporting People with Mental Health Problems in the Workplace. Click here to down load a pdf of the resource.
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'see me' Pledge
262 organisiations have now signed up to the 'see me' Pledge and most now have an action plan in place detailing how they will tackle stigma and discrimination.
A fantastic mass Pledge signing was held in Orkney in June where the local MSP joined in, offering his support. Recent signatories have included Motherwell FC (who signed for the second time), Borders College and Edinburgh Tenants Federation, which signed on its 20th anniversary.
If your organisation would like to sign the 'see me' Pledge you can find out more here.
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Members' Debate in the Scottish Parliament
Big thanks to Jackie Baillie MSP for proposing a motion on 'see me' in her Members' Debate in the Scottish Parliament on the 29th of September. Thanks also to the other MSPs who spoke, sometimes quite movingly, in the debate. You can read a transcript or watch a film of the debate.
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Finally, 'see me' is currently consulting with our stakeholders and supporters about our future work. Our current National Plan finishes at the end of March 2011 and although we won't have completed 100% of the work by then, we'll be close! So we want your thoughts on what 'see me' should be doing next.
If you sign up to our Wall of Support and give us your email address then you will automatically receive a brief questionnaire about 'see me' in the next couple of months.
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Sad News
'see me' was saddened to hear about the death of David Robb, one of our longest-serving media volunteers and a previous member of the Grampian anti-stigma goup. David has always been a great supporter of the work of the camapign and he was very important to us.
Many other volunteers and local activists have been in touch to pass on their messages of condolence, and we will pass these on to David's family.
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This is a very busy time for 'see me' and for lots of our activists and volunteers across Scotland. Thanks to everyone who is supporting the campaign and helping us to do what we need to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with mental ill-health.
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Thank you for your continued support for the campaign.
- Suzie Vestri, Campaign Director
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Follow Us on Twitter
‘see me’ is now on Twitter, so please do follow us and you’ll be the first to hear of our news! Go easy on us though as we are still learning….
http://twitter.com/seemescotland
Engage with Us on Facebook
Join our Facebook group now, and talk to us and to others who are committed to ending the stigma of mental ill-health. Invite your friends to join us too!
Become a 'see me' FAN on Facebook!
Resources
- Do you want a 'see me' stall at your event? If so, please contact us
- Report stigma in the media
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