Webinar Date: Thursday 18 June 2019
Delivered by: Sarah Yiannoullou and Emma Ormerod

This webinar, with Sarah Yiannoullou and Emma Ormerod from NSUN, will provide a short overview of the role of local user-led organisations and peer support initiatives in the prevention of mental ill health and social exclusion.

There is a significant role for prevention amongst people already in touch with mental health services, who are at risk of further marginalisation and social exclusion. It is widely recognised that working alongside communities to understand their needs and build on existing strengths, assets and resilience is key to prevention of mental ill health. It can be argued that user-led and peer-led groups demonstrate the ambitions of many policy papers and approaches such as promoting an Asset Based Community Development approach (ABCD). For many years, user-led groups have been enabling individuals and communities to be ‘active participants in planning, prioritising and implementing mental health improvement actions’. They have played an important role as community connectors and capacity builders, supporting individual wellbeing and empowerment.

NSUN are a network of people and groups living in England who have and do experience mental distress and want to change things for the better. By connecting their members, and amplifying their experiences and aspirations, NSUN influence policy, practice and perception, in order to reduce disadvantage and discrimination and stop people being ignored and isolated.