David Henry, Chair of Mind, thanked everybody for coming and for their participation. He also thanked Catherine Gibbon, Pru Sly, Janette Niccolls and Matt Royle for their smooth organising of the annual conference.

The winner of the photo competition is Sarah Black with 'Let me be'. Emma Kerr with 'Best friends' was a close runner-up.

The BASW programme continues at 14.30 PM in the Kings Suite. 

The cauldron is logging off for a rest – hope to see you all back next year.

Here is a novelty – an organisation that claims to have enough resources! They’ve underspent their budget for this financial year and will be allocated more budget next year. Just as well, they were expecting around 5,000 complaints on NHS service provision this year but part of their restructuring means that they can now deal with over 9,000. Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the newly formed Healthcare Commission acknowledged that people want their complaints sorted quickly and locally. Failing that, the Commission is using techniques such as patient surveys ensure that people’s voices are heard.

Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Health, reviewed a ‘big year’ in mental health - the national service framework, David Bennett Inquiry and Delivering Race Equality, choice, inpatient wards and the mental health bill prelegislative scrunity. Assertive outreach and crisis resolution teams (or plans for them) are now in place and a group has been set up to apply Choice to mental health.

She took questions from delegates about a service closure, lack of access to direct payments, advocacy and staff attitudes. Rosie Winterton emphasised the importance of service users and carers shaping services and having more control. And its official - mental health specific patient forums are not being abolished, they are being incorporated into Primary Care Trust forums.

The cauldron eagerly awaits the report from the prelegislative scrutiny committee next week…..

Ministers' addresses and questions

The four artistic speakers explained their realities and how they use their talents to work within the boundaries of being in and out of control.

The cauldron sat and contemplated its own lack of creative talent, but not for long. Linda Hart gave us all hope when we she said that creativity is not limited to art, music or writing but is in all of us. We can all be be creative by cooking, doing crafts or creating children, or any way you can express yourself. The cauldron is off to discover its hidden talents and use them to take control of its own reality.

As usual, a full dance floor at the Mind annual conference dinner. Some delegates continued in town way after the disco ended! Sadly the cauldron didn't have the energy to join them.

Restaurant level four (HIC) 13.15 to 14.15pm

Sheila Harvey is talking about her book Shelia’s Book, which is stocked by the Mind bookshop. Shelia’s Book is an account by family, professionals and friends of Sheila’s acute psychotic episode.

The cauldron was inspired by the innovative work of Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust in asking celebrities and politicians to illustrate their view of positive mental health on blank dinner plates. Tony Blair, Steven Redgrave, Charles Kennedy, Valerie Singleton and many others had a go - Ann Widdicombe's advice was to 'hug your cat'…  The cauldron's particular favourite is Gary Lineker - check him out at the exhibition!

Melissa Gunasena, Director of Evolving Minds asked us "what is the purpose of being human?" Judging by the audience’s response, our purpose is to be free to engage in lively discussions with other humans!

Who or what defines your reality, asked Melissa? The cauldron couldn’t keep up with all the people and things that people felt tried to define them. Fortunately, Penny Shaughnessy from Mad Pride had a few words to say on how to use campaigning to define your own reality.

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Places are available for short legal consultations with Mind’s Legal Unit (in Conference room one) between 13.15 to 17.30pm today, and 9.30am to 14.30pm tomorrow.

Sign up at the Information desk and get advice for free.

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The conference opens and David Henry, Chair of Mind, stepped up to welcome over 800 delegates.

The traditional welcome speech was replaced by a short film showcasing the work Mind does as a network.

The cauldron's favourite moment was the voice of honesty provided by a child at Croydon Mind's Parenting class. "Do you like coming here?" "No" came the emphatic reply.

Luckily not everyone agrees, as the film shows how at a local and national level, Mind and Mind's local associations work to, in the words of David Henry "engage, educate and effect change".

Band members treated delegates to a lively performance to get the day off to a great start.

Monday 14 March 2005

Blue is the colour?
The stewards arrive for a briefing - and to collect the t shirts they will be wearing during the conference. Not sure about the colour myself, but the cauldron is adopting it in sympathy. At least it's not fluorescent orange....

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