Media volunteers - the real experts

We try to match the right person to the story - issues covered include everything from hospital ratings for national broadcasters to first-hand accounts of mental illness for tabloid newspapers.

Media volunteers are supported throughout the interview process and tell us they enjoy the chance to speak out about their experiences.

More than 200 people across England are members of the scheme. We never pass on their contact details to a journalist without their prior consent. Media volunteers show that with the right help and support, people can - and do - recover from severe mental illness.

We receive a lot of requests for people who have experienced mental illness to talk about their experiences and have their picture taken.

While we do everything we can to find people, it is difficult to find people who want to go on the record to talk about sensitive issues such as cannabis use.

If you are a journalist and need to speak to someone who has experienced mental health problems, please contact the Media team media@rethink.org , tel 020 7330 9149.