Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you
painter, you piper, you prisoner and shine!

Louise Pratt

Louise comes from a general nursing background and worked on a specialist respiratory medical ward for a number of years. Due to mental health difficulties associated with undiagnosed postnatal depression, Louise ended up embroiled in the psychiatric system for sixteen years, which meant that there was a significant gap in Louise’s working life. Reinstating the normality’s, work being one of those factors, was the way back to health for her, she affirms, as was taking responsibility.

“Recovery started for me when the professionals left, and the medication stopped. Eventually my confidence increased and belief in myself returned.”

Her first job on returning to the workplace was as a laser assistant in an eye clinic.

More recently she has been employed in the area of mental health and, in particular, supporting careers, drawing on her own experiences in order to support and inform others.

She says,

“This time has given me new understanding for the need to embrace change within the system. I have gained knowledge, training and qualifications, as well as a desire, to motivate me to the forefront of being a part of the new era of mental health care and the realisation that there is choice, alternatives and a future for all that live and work within the system”.

Louise is interested in promoting mental well being to children and young people to identify positive attitudes towards their own experiences with a hope that their acceptance may be our future for minimizing negative views and prejudice towards mental distress and reducing the impact of problems later in life.

Paula Christie

Paula has worked in mental health for ten years in a variety of roles. She was appointed co-ordinator of a mental health recovery project, Krysalis in Coventry and spent several years developing the project which involved supporting individuals on their path to achieving their recovery using an holistic approach. Paula then moved to South Wales and worked with the organisation Keepwell training in mental health awareness around the UK and in America. At the same time she was also involved in a voluntary capacity in a community project in Newport, South Wales feeding the homeless and supporting their various needs.

Paula was then employed as Black and Ethnic Minority development officer based in Newport. Part of her role was to identify isolated ethnic minority groups within the local area in need of support to establish their own voluntary organisations addressing their cultural needs.

Currently Paula is working closely with women and men involved in prostitution and with women who are suspected of being trafficked into the U.K within the area of Newport. Through liaising closely with the local Police, health authority and voluntary organisations to help meet the needs of this client group who may have substance misuse issues, Paula is able to ensure that their mental health needs are met. The overall aim of the project is to offer individuals an exit strategy out of the commercial sex trade into legitimate employment and this is proving successful.

Paula trains in a number of mental health subjects relating to violence and abuse issues and works on a consultancy basis with organisations wishing to develop awareness of prostitution and trafficking.

Andy Gilbert

Andy Gilbert is a freelance community worker and support broker

For over twenty five years, his working/personal life has been on the inside or outside of human support services. Andy has worked in the statutory, private, and charitable and not for profit sectors. Throughout he has used a wide range of creative arts for inclusion. He has a professional background in special needs education, business management and counseling which have enabled him to work across professional and organisational boundaries.

From 1997 to 2002 Andy co -founded and worked as Director in Keepwell, a young brave and dynamic social firm. Having previously been a partner in Handsell Publishing. Keepwell's passion was to inspire skill and support organisations to work in creative learning partnerships to provide effective quality human services.

Present Day – Much of Andy’s work is focussed on self directed support and individualised funding . Andy is the co-chair of the National Brokerage Network – www.nationalbrokeragenetwork.org.uk . Andy has been a broker for people with complex mental health issues.

Andy is an accredited facilitator in person centred planning and has taken a leadership role in its development and fusion with the principles of recovery in the UK Mental health system. He has practised with person centred approaches for the last 18 years and includes several study tours in North America as part of his personal growth and development.

Born in Scotland Andy is now an adopted scouser! – living in L6 postcode of Liverpool since 1987

Mary Nettle

Mary Nettle became a user of mental health services in 1978 and turned this negative into a positive in 1992 when she became a mental health user consultant. She is involved in presenting the user perspective in all aspects of mental health with a particular interest in user led research.

Current posts held include: Honorary Fellow of Brunel University Centre for Citizen Participation. Mental Health Act Local Commissioner. Involve (formerly Consumers in NHS Research) standing group member. Healthcare Commission associate. Chair of ENUSP (European Network of Users (ex) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry). Member of disabled women’s committee of the European Disability Forum.