"For too long people with mental health problems have been stigmatised by society - in communities, in the workplace and in the media. They have not always received the support and the services they needed. That is why we decided to put improving mental health services among our key priorities. Delivering on the standards set out in the National Service Framework will bring about the improvements that people with mental illness deserve."

Prime Minister, Tony Blair, June 2002.

This section of the web site is for people to share their experiences and ideas on how we can take mental health services forward and really make change happen in practice.

It includes some general information on mental health and services in England, which we will develop over time.

The gallery includes a range of artwork completed by service users, given with kind permission from the magazine, Reflections, part of the project Art Works in Health, which aims to promote the use of creativity in recovery.

Why not go to the user/survivor experience discussion forum? It is being launched for people who use services to discuss the future of mental health services and other important issues in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

We also want to hear from you about reading materials on user/survivor experiences and recovery you have found helpful. We will post them on to the site, together with work we commission or complete to build a useful resource for people to read and use.