Statement of support

One in four of the adult population in the UK will experience mental distress in their lifetime, with over 3 million requiring specialist help.

In addition, almost one million children and young people in the UK are affected, and evidence suggests that this number is rising. And, many more children are experiencing issues significant enough to interfere with their day to day lives.

Yet mental distress is not well understood by the public, and carries enormous stigma and discrimination. This stigma can play a significant part in delaying the recovery of people with mental health needs. It also contributes towards social exclusion and hinders people who are trying to live independent lives with full involvement in their communities.

All the undersigned support attempts to achieve a change of public attitude, and a better understanding of mental distress. A range of national mental health events and activities, with the support of celebrities and business leaders, could significantly alter public perceptions of mental distress, and would complement efforts by others in this area. We commend the work being done by ok2b.

Celebrities
Music
• Adam Ant
• Cindy Jackson (The Dollz)
• Dave Lambert (The Strawbs)
• Sir Cliff Richard OBE
• Natascha Sohl
• Rick Wakeman

Comedy
• Jo Brand
• Hal Cruttenden
• Ricky Grover
• Rufus Hound
• Neil Mullarkey
• Reduced Shakespeare Company
• Arthur Smith

Actors
• Nikki Amuka Bird
• Jane Asher (President, National Autistic Society)
• Jack Bennett
• Sanjeev Bhaskar
• Brenda Blethyn
• Félicité du Jeu
• Jason Flemyng
• Karl Howman
• Sally Lindsay
• Joanna Lumley
• Jessica Oyelowo
• Diana Quick
• Geoffrey Streatfield
• Denise Welch

TV / Broadcasting
• Professor Anthony Clare
• Lorraine Kelly
• Claire Rayner
• Des Rayner
• Roger Royle
• Jon Snow

Artists
• Steve Caplin
• Bobby Baker

Writers & Playwrights
• Rachel Barnett
• Sally Brampton
• Bernie Byrnes
• Suzy and Jean Johnston
• Reed Martin - Reduced Shakespeare Company
• Austin Tichenor - Reduced Shakespeare Company

Sport
• Matthew Walker (Essex County Cricket Team)

Back to Top

Event Organisers

• Claire Sampson & Jeremy Sturt, just add water
• Charles & Emily Naper (Loughcrew, Co Meath)

Back to Top

Business Leaders & MP's
• The Lord Stevenson of Coddenham, CBE
• Lord Mawson, OBE (President & Co Founder Community Action Network (CAN), President & Founder of the Bromley by Bow Healthy Living Centre)
• Mike Wilson (Chairman, St James's Place Capital Plc)
• Sandra Gidley (Lib Dem) Co-Chair, All Party Group on mental health
• Oliver Heald (Cons) Former Conservative spokesperson on mental health
• Lynne Jones (Lab) Co-Chair, All Party Group on mental health

Back to Top

Medical Professionals
• Professor Louis Appleby
(National Director for Mental Health)
• Professor Cary L Cooper, CBE (Lancaster University)
• Sue Gerhardt (Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist)
• Dr Cosmo Hallstrom (Medical Director, Florence Nightingale Clinic, London)
• Dr Kingsley Norton (Henderson Hospital)
• Dr Stephen Palmer (Psychologist and psychotherapist)
• Dr David Veale (Consultant Psychiatrist, S. London and Maudsley Trust / Priory Hospital N. London)
• Dr Brian Wells (Consultant Psychiatrist)

Back to Top

Charities - England
• Action In Mental Health (AIM)
• Alzheimer's Research Trust
• Alzheimer's Society
• Anxiety Care
• Anxiety UK (formerly National Phobics Society)
• British Association of Social Workers
• British Psychological Society
• Calm
• Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
• Chinese Mental Health Association
• Chipmunka Publishing
• COMBAT STRESS, the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society
• Confederation of Indian Organisations (UK)
• Cooltan Arts
• Core Arts
• Dartford & Gravesham Advocacy Network
• Depression Alliance
• Dover Counselling Centre
• Equal Lives
• First Steps to Freedom
• Fredericks Foundation
• Gulf Veterans Association
• Hamlet Trust
• Headlight User Led Resource Centre
• Hearing Voices Network
• Interact
• International Stress Management Association (ISMA)
• Islington Music Forum
• JAMI
• Kent Mental Health Support Network
• King's Fund
• LIBRA
• Mad Pride
• Making Space
• Matthew Trust
• MDF The Bipolar Organisation
• Mental Aid Projects
• Mental Health Foundation
• Mental Health Matters
• Mental Health Media
• Mentality
• MIND
• National Clubhouse Association
• National Gulf Veterans & Families Assn
• National Mental Health Choice & Access Team
• National Voices Forum
• No Force Network
• No Panic
• Norwich Mind
• OCD Action
• RCMH
• Refugee Therapy Centre
• REMHUG
• Rethink
• Revolving Doors
• Richmond Fellowship
• Royal College of Nursing
• Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
• The Samaritans
• SANE
• Self-Help Services c/o Big Life Company
• Shaw Trust
• Shift
• Sign: National Society for MH and Deafness
• Sound Minds
• South Atlantic Medal Association (82)
• StudentsInMind
• Sussex Partnership NHS Trust
• Thanet Phobic Group
• Together: Working for Wellbeing
• Triumph Over Phobia (TOP U.K.)
• UK Advocacy Network (UKAN)
• UK Federation of Smaller MH Agencies
• United Response
• Witness (POPAN)
• WPF Counselling & Psychotherapy
• Womankind, Bristol Women's Therapy Centre
• Workwise
• Young Minds
• Youth Access
• Zito Trust

Charities - Northern Ireland
• Rethink
• Threshold

Charities - Scotland
• Penumbra
• Scottish Association for Mental Health

Charities - Wales
• Hafal
• Journeys
• Trauma Centre (Wales)

Other
• Church of England (Archdeacon of Lincoln - Church of England’s Mental Health Interest Group)

If you would like to make a donation to ok2b

please click here
(debit & credit cards)

please click here
(CAF CharityCard)