News

• 2010 - For forthcoming events, please see details on our events page.
  

• July 2010 - WordsMatter - we have been kept busy in recent months developing our media challenge project, which is due to launch very shortly.

• 10 July 2010 - Upton Upon Severn Triathlon - ok2b supporter, Ben Mears, finished an impressive 19th of 153 starters, winning the novice category. He has also raised £1k for ok2b. Many congratulations and thanks.
  

• 23rd March 2010 - 3rd ok2b Annual Quiz Night at The Counting House, Cornhill, London.

• December 2009 - many thanks to all runners who braved the wind and rain to support ok2b at the Regent's Park 10k.

• March 2009 - we worked for the second time in collaboration with the Reduced Shakespeare Company to raise awareness of ok2b's work at New Wimbledon Theatre on 2nd March 2009, where it performed 'The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)' - written by Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, and starring one of ok2b's long-term supporters Jack Bennett.
  

• February 2009 - ok2b's 2nd Annual Quiz Night was held at The Counting House, Cornhill, London.

• September 2008 - we worked in collaboration with the Reduced Shakespeare Company to raise awareness of ok2b's work at Greenwich Theatre on 30th September 2008, where it performed 'The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)' - written by Adam Long, Reed
  Martin and Austin Tichenor, and starring one of ok2b's long-term supporters Jack Bennett.

• September 2008 - we have been successful in securing funding for our new media challenge project which we shall formally launch in Q2 2009 with a dedicated website. Working in collaboration with other key organisations in the sector, this campaign seeks to challenge inaccurate and discriminating representations of mental distress in the media.

• September 2008 - ok2b supported and attended the hugely successful Star Wards festival at the ArtsDepot.

• August 2008 - ok2b has supported and donated to the CALM 500/100 Appeal to raise money for CALM's text and web-chat services for young men in crisis.

• June 2008 - Mindapples - this initiative is working closely with ok2b, and is a social campaign to promote self-management of mental “wellness”. The original “5-a-day” campaign encouraged people to take care of their physical health, and we hope to do the same thing for mental health. It would be helpful if you could take a few moments to fill in the short survey.

• 29th April, 2008 - "Stigma" - in collaboration with Poet in the City, we organised a poetry event exploring and challenging the stigma associated with mental illness, featuring Baroness Julia Neuberger, Lisa Appignanesi and the distinguished poets Blake Morrison, John Hegley and Selima Hill. For photos, please click here.

• 19th February 2008 - Our ok2b Annual Quiz night was held at the Hat & Feathers. Many thanks to Allied Irish Banks plc / AIB Capital Markets for providing the prize for the winning team.

• 10th February 2008 - we are delighted to announce that Jason Flemyng has added his name to our Statement of Support.

• 24th October 2007 - "Madness Monologues" was held at Clean Break Theatre, Kentish Town - performances included "Perfume with Roses" (written by Carrie Thomas, performed by Godfrey Walters) and "White Noise" (written and performed by Rachel Barnett). An audience discussion followed on the issues raised in the monologues around stigma and discrimination chaired by Professor Graham Thornicroft.
  For photos, please click here.

• 3rd October 2007 - We are very grateful to Databarracks which will be providing free online backup facilities for ok2b.

• 20th September 2007 - ok2b has made a booking at the Menuhin Hall, Yehudi Menuhin School for November to record a CD of some of Otto Klemperer's works. More details to follow.

• 27th August 2007 - With the recent addition of Coronation Street star Sally Lindsay, we now have over 40 celebrities / business leaders on our Statement of Support.

• 18th July 2007 - The mental health sector in England has announced a major new anti-stigma initiative called "Moving People" supported by £18m from Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief.

• 4th May 2007 - Jonathan Naess to launch a new charity called Stand to Reason, which is set to deliver an exciting programme of anti-stigma activities.

• 1st March 2007 - a petition submitted by a 10 year old girl to No 10's E-Petition website challenges the government to do more to help the public understand mental health issues. She shows great courage and initiative.

• 11th January 2007 - ok2b wrote to Lady Wilkins to support her amendment to the Mental Health Bill calling for the repeal of section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
  
  In essence the current section discriminates against an MP with a mental health problem in that it contains a power to remove them from their job on mental health grounds. In our view any issues arising from a situation where an MP may experience mental distress should be handled as it would with any other employer / employee relationship, taking into account relevant disability and employment legislation.
  
  We have enquired of the House authorities whether section 141 of the 1983 Act has ever been used. It would appear not. In the circumstances not only is the section out of keeping with modern thinking about how best to support people with mental health problems, but it also appears pointless

• 13th December 2006 - ok2b is now a member of the Dgroup of the International Consortium for Research and Action Against Health-Related Stigma (ICRAAS). Professor Mitchell Weiss (University of Basel and the Swiss Tropical Institute) has agreed to join our Research Steering Group

• 26th October 2006 - ok2b made a presentation at the ProspectUs Breakfast seminar "Mental health - time to come out of the shadows" at the Museum of Garden History.

• 9th October 2006 - Our launch event, ok2b's big smile, took place at Hackney Empire on 8th October 2006. Sincere thanks to Jo Brand, Arthur Smith, Ricky Grover, Shappi Khorsandi, Hal Cruttenden and Rufus Hound, as well as Chaz of Mirth Control and all at Hackney Empire, who were instrumental to its success. A production team were there to film Jo for the TV series "Play it again" which was shown on BBC in early 2007.
  For photos, please click here.

• 24th May 2006 - We have recently been awarded a maximum grant by Awards for All

• Please see Statement of Support. ok2b has already received support from organisations across the complete UK mental health spectrum, such as the Department of Health, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the mental health charities, service user organisations and the medical and social care professions, as well as business leaders, all three main political parties, and many high profile celebrities

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