Movin’ On Up campaign reaches Pen y Fan!

Over 100 mental health service users, carers and health professionals scaled Pen y Fan today as part of “Movin’ On Up”, a national campaign run by mental health service users and carers across Wales.

Rising 886 metres above sea-level, Pen y Fan, one of the Brecon Beacons, is the highest point in southern Britain.

The walkers made the climb to mark the step up in service user and carer campaigning in 2012 – a momentous year when the Mental Health Measure, Carers Strategies Measure and new Mental Health Strategy promise to deliver new rights and opportunities.

Christine Evans, a service user from Neath Port Talbot, said: “It was an epic climb! The walkers had a really good time getting to know each other and standing at the top of the mountain felt terrific.

“The interest we’ve had from service users, carers and professionals from all over Wales has been huge. And I’m sure there’ll be just as much interest in our Snowdon climb this September.

“The climbs are symbolic: we want to show how service users and carers in Wales can lead the way forward, take services to a new level and achieve new heights.”

The “Movin’ On Up” campaign is run by service users and carers and supported by mental health charities Hafal, Bipolar UK and the Mental Health Foundation. The campaign will include 22 weekly county events and will incorporate two mountain climbs with service users scaling Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons and Wales’ highest peak, Snowdon.

The campaign will also feature an interactive stand at the Royal Welsh Show and, on World Mental Health Day, at the National Assembly. As part of the “Movin’ On Up” campaign service users and carers will run a Seminar on May 17th in Builth Wells in order to develop their continuing dialogue with senior policy makers and providers of mental health services.

• For more pictures from the event go to Hafal’s Facebook page. Please click here to do so.

• For more information on the campaign go to: www.hafal.org

• To get the latest event updates on Twitter go to: http://twitter.com/hafal_