So you want to change the world?

As the Beatles’ lyrics above suggest, everyone has ideas about how to make the world a better place. They might want to protect the environment better, eradicate world hunger or end cruelty to animals – the list of changes we would all like to make is almost endless.

Having said that, the case for a change in mental health is overwhelming. For generations, people with severe mental illness have been denied fundamental
rights, and now receive lower quality health services than people with other health problems; experience more discrimination; and have a lower quality of life than the average person in Britain.

This toolkit is here to help anyone who wants to campaign locally for a better life for people with mental illness. No one wants to spend their time and energy trying to make change unless they can see real results. We hope this toolkit will help Rethink Mental Illness campaign volunteers, Rethink Mental Illness groups, e-campaigners, activists and others turn their ideas for a better world into real change on the ground.

Rethink Mental Illness has many years experience of campaigning for the rights of people affected by mental illness and many successes under our belt. We have learnt a lot of lessons and these are incorporated into the advice we have given people here.

We hope this toolkit will help all of you who give up your time and use your energy to campaign for the rights of people affected by severe mental illness.