On Thursday 8th January in Norwich there was a public meeting organised by the Save Ashcroft Campaign.
Ashcroft is a women only mental health facility in Norfolk – the only one in the entire county to be precise.
To quote from the online petition that has been running on this issue, which is available at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-ashcroft:
Why is this important?
Ashcroft provides essential care services for women who experience mental health difficulties. It is an almost unique service, being one of only two women-only specialist mental health units in the country and is a hugely valuable resource. Norfolk should be proud of its assets, not trying to save a few pounds forcing Ashcroft to close its doors.
More information about Ashcroft and this campaign can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30352968
To contact the campaign email saveashcroft@gmail.com or visit the Save Ashcroft Facebook page or @SaveAshcroft on twitter. Mention twitter, my own following on @aspitweets has just topped the 1,500 mark.
The meeting was very inspiring with lots of moving stories from people who have previously benefited from the existence of Ashcroft. Simon Wright MP, ultra loyal member of the coalition government whose cuts (which he voted for time after time) showed up and was given an absolute roasting, which was quite amusing to listen to. The current state of play is that funding has been secured for seven beds for three years, which is excellent but not enough – the only acceptable final position is that Ashcroft’s future is 100% guaranteed.
I only have a few pictures this time…
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