Bands gather to strike a note against discrimination

21 August 2010, Wingspan Club, Crawley
 
The Wingspan club at Gatwick will once more be hosting the annual anti discrimination music event.  Following last years success Saturday 21 August will open an entire weekend of the best of local bands, acoustic performances, stalls and sideshows in what promises to be a festival with something for everyone.
 
There will be inside and outside stages, displays, information on Crawley services, bouncy castles, a bar, BBQ and much more.
 
Admission is free and the fun starts at 2pm on Saturday with an official opening by the Mayor.
 
There will be 14 bands performing on Saturday between 2pm and 10.30pm with Sunday featuring acoustic acts from 2pm to 10.30pm.
 
All the performers have given their time for free and all funds raised will be going towards raising awareness of discrimination and mental health issues.
 
For more details please contact Andreas or Ken at Stepping Stones, Crawley Community Wellbeing Services, on 01293 534782.

Sussex Oakleaf Week

21st – 27th June
Sussex Oakleaf week is dedicated to celebrating and highlighting the work of the organisation.  Now into its second year, staff, service users and stakeholders alike are invited to join the various events across the county, ranging from fetes to conferences.  Please see the events page for more details and how to take part.

Conference – 21st June

Clair Hall, Haywards Heath
Personalisation, Dual Diagnosis & Time to Change
The 3rd Sector SDS Providers Group are delivering the morning part of the conference with speakers and discussion covering personalisation and dual diagnosis.

The afternoon part of the conference is about signing up to Time To Change, the national campaign to end discrimination in Mental Health.  As part of Sussex Oakleaf Week, we are inviting people to join us in making a pledge – as individuals and/or as organisations.

For more information & how to book your place please see the flyer in our events section.

New CEO for Sussex Oakleaf

1st June 2010
Robert Jones is our new CEO. He’s worked in Sussex for many years with West Sussex VOLG and has contacts with many organisations in the Third & Public Sectors locally, regionally & nationally.  An early champion of advocacy services, he assisted many organisations in developing a wide range of provision & was a founding member of Pressure Point Mental Health Advocacy Service.  Originally from Canada, Rob ran an independent living project (supported housing & outreach) in Toronto at a time when individual budgets and care brokerage were being developed and implemented.  Prior to that he worked in the substance misuse field in Camden (London – where he got his 1st taste of cross-sector partnership working).  While 1st June is his official start date, he had been working closely with out-going CEO Tracey to ensure a smooth transition.

Best wishes Tracey!

20th May 2010
Tracey Faraday-Drake has been Sussex Oakleaf’s CEO for over 10 years, leading the organisation through great changes and new developments – particularly the move into recovery-based provision, service user involvement and the Oakleaf Consumer Circle, expanding mental health service provision into outreach support to people in their own homes, preventing homelessness, working with young people and in the field of substance misuse.  From all of us, Tracey, we wish you all the best with developing your own business ventures.