Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum move into new building

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Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum Tea Party

The Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum have launched their new hub today (Thursday 3 September) by holding an Alice in Wonderland themed Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Held at their hub on Drake Street, the Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum played music, ate cake and drank tea whilst celebrating their latest milestone.

Mick Ayrton, the Voice Programme Co-ordinator for the User Forum, said: “We have been in this building for about three weeks now. Staff and volunteers have spent time decorating it and doing it up so it really feels like our building now.”

Held outside of the building, staff and volunteers from the forum celebrated in fancy dress with workers dressing up as characters including the White Rabbit, Alice and the White Queen.

“We thought doing the Alice in Wonderland theme would be a good way at sort of poking fun at the whole ‘mad’ idea and show that mental health issues are not all doom and gloom,” said Mick.

The Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum aims to bring people together from across the borough to ensure that every aspect of health and social care and the needs and views of people with mental health issues and their carers is taken into account by those who purchase or provide services.

Mick added: “We very much work with peer support to help our users feel empowered.”

The group has been set up for around eight years and has had a positive reaction from those in Rochdale.

Julia from the User Forum said: “We have had a really good response to what we do and we are hoping to get things started in Heywood and Middleton soon. We currently have over four full time staff and are looking to expand that over the coming months.”

The group is also set to launch a therapeutic garden group to get people out into the fresh air and a campaign group to campaign against the stigma often posed with mental health issues.

The new hub for the Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum is located at 142 Drake Street.