Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum celebrate 'International Talk like a Pirate Day'

Rochdale Borough User Forum 'Celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day'

Service users, staff and board members of Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum (RBUF) celebrated ‘International Talk like a Pirate Day’ at the RBUF offices on Drake Street at the end of last week.

Around twenty five Service users, staff and board members dressed as pirates and leafleted members of the public to raise awareness of mental health issues and to raise the profile of their Mental Health Charity around the Metro Tram stops and along Drake Street.

Around 30,000 people in Rochdale experience mental health issues and we like to think that we raised the profile of mental health locally in a positive and fun fashion.

One of the Service Users at RBUF said of the event: “It was a fun day everyone enjoyed it. I thought it was great for mental health and wellbeing and it really raised the profile of RBUF for people who didn’t know about RBUF. People going past on the trams and buses waved and smiled at us”

Rachel Ginnelly RBUF Chief officer said that: “Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum is a service user led organisation and the event was planned and implemented by service users. We wanted to promote the organisation through a fun activity which would increase service user’s wellbeing and confidence as well as reducing the stigma of mental health and demonstrating the organisation as a wellbeing community where everyone is welcome to get involved”.

The Rochdale Boroughwide User Forum (RBUF)'s mission is to bring communities together from across the borough in a cooperative effort to ensure that, in every aspect of mental health and social care, the needs and views of people with mental health issues and their carers are taken into account by those who purchase or provide services.