Annual review 2007/08

Stigma and discrimination

Shaping people for politics

Making a difference

The more that people with direct experience of mental illness feel able to voice their needs to politicians and policy makers, the more services are likely to be properly funded and reflect what people want. Getting involved in politics and making sure that the people in power really understand can help everyone.

The Electoral Commission is supporting our Rethink Politics programme to increase people’s awareness of how local, national and European Union democracy is organised and how decisions are made. The project started in January 2007 and continues until December 2009.

Making it happen

• We’ve developed a training programme for service users, carers and staff members to learn more about democracy, voting and how they can influence politics.
• We’ve worked with Rethink Regional Managers, Regional Reference Groups, Rethink Groups, Rethink Services, Campaigns and Media Activists to recruit service users and carers to undertake the training and become Rethink Politics Champions.

Making an impact

• We’ve signed up over 130 service users and carers to take part in the project.
• Participants will be empowered to participate in the democratic process and have the opportunity to meet regional and national decision makers.

Moving forward

• We’re recruiting more service users and carers in order to reach our target of training 200 people.
• We’ll run local workshops, regional democracy conventions, and tours of parliament. Participants will then go on to lead a peer-lead voter registration drive in 2009.

Moving you forward

Get involved in Rethink Politics by contacting campaigns@rethink.org or call 0845 456 0455.