Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum move into new building
Date published: 04 September 2014
The Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum have launched their new hub today (Thursday 3 September) by holding an Alice in Wonderland themed Mad Hatter’s tea party.
Held at their hub on Drake Street, the Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum played music, ate cake and drank tea whilst celebrating their latest milestone.
Mick Ayrton, the Voice Programme Co-ordinator for the User Forum, said: “We have been in this building for about three weeks now. Staff and volunteers have spent time decorating it and doing it up so it really feels like our building now.”
Held outside of the building, staff and volunteers from the forum celebrated in fancy dress with workers dressing up as characters including the White Rabbit, Alice and the White Queen.
“We thought doing the Alice in Wonderland theme would be a good way at sort of poking fun at the whole ‘mad’ idea and show that mental health issues are not all doom and gloom,” said Mick.
The Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum aims to bring people together from across the borough to ensure that every aspect of health and social care and the needs and views of people with mental health issues and their carers is taken into account by those who purchase or provide services.
Mick added: “We very much work with peer support to help our users feel empowered.”
The group has been set up for around eight years and has had a positive reaction from those in Rochdale.
Julia from the User Forum said: “We have had a really good response to what we do and we are hoping to get things started in Heywood and Middleton soon. We currently have over four full time staff and are looking to expand that over the coming months.”
The group is also set to launch a therapeutic garden group to get people out into the fresh air and a campaign group to campaign against the stigma often posed with mental health issues.
The new hub for the Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum is located at 142 Drake Street.
Do you have a story for us?
Let us know by emailing news@rochdaleonline.co.uk
All contact will be treated in confidence.
Most Viewed News Stories
- 1Failing care home shut by health watchdog following safety concerns
- 2Legal challenge against recently approved development masterplan to build 165,000 homes in Greater...
- 3Lottery Winners and Heather Small announced as headliners for Rochdale Feel Good Festival
- 4Long-awaited hydrotherapy pool opens for public use in Castleton
- 5Visually impaired campaigners say controversial cycle scheme is unsafe for them
To contact the Rochdale Online news desk, email news@rochdaleonline.co.uk or visit our news submission page.
To get the latest news on your desktop or mobile, follow Rochdale Online on Twitter and Facebook.
