Comic Relief Grants For Local Groups - Who Gets The Information First ?

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There has been some criticism of the grouping of organisations that met in Birmingham in March 2006 in order to set up a national network of networks of Service User organisations

The meeting was hosted by Together (a charity) and other organisational heads or operatives joined in to try to steer the 129 people claiming to be mainly MH service users into an agreed position to form funding for a national group.

Funding has been pursued from Comic Relief to the tune of 500K over 5 years . There have been complaints to Comic Relief however that this sum represents a lost opportunity of 100 groups each getting the chance to set up from the 5k local offer outlined in Comic Relief's promotional flyer from which the image (left) was taken.

UserWatch has learned that it appears NIMHE were sent this information some time ago but Users in Birmingham were not aware of it through the local Trust and it does not appear to have been bulletined out in flyers created by the Trust financed "User-Voice" . West Mids NIMHE moved to Birmingham earlier in 2006 and actually work in the same building - the Uffculmne Centre. The centre is part of the local Trust..

For further information from Comic Relief phone : 0207 820 5555

Registered Charity : 326568