Welcome
Welcome to the CAPS Independent Advocacy newsletter! First one of 2024!
January 2024
QUEERY - Community Event on Queer Activism and Mental Health 
Join us for a creative afternoon of talks, workshops and queer solidarity! The LGBTQIA+ Collective Advocacy Group is inviting queer people to get together in order to learn from one another and get inspired to work collectively on change.  

The programme for the day includes a roundtable discussion between inspiring grassroots activists, badge making, a wellbeing session, and an activist workshop with (optional) zine-making. Lunch and refreshments will be served.

The group believes that by working collectively to challenge injustices while learning to look after ourselves and each other, we can all make a difference. So, whether you’re a seasoned activist or have never done anything like this, this event is for you!  

The event is on Saturday the 17th of February from 11am to 4pm at the Quaker House in Edinburgh. It's free to attend: sign up here or contact ellis@capsadvocacy.org.

Please note this event is organised for, and by the community. Allies are kindly asked to wait for future events.     
Blog: Queer activism and mental health
2023 was a difficult year for the queer community, with numerous legal and policy decisions setting back rights for LGBTQIA+ people and threatening people's mental health. The UK has continued to plummet in the annual ranking of LGBT rights across Europe: having been at the top just 8 years before in 2015, the UK now sits at 17th place out of a list of 49 countries. Ellis, who facilitates the LGBTQIA+ collective advocacy group at CAPS, discusses some of these developments and the upcoming Community Event on Queer Activism and Mental Health in this blog. Read Ellis' blog here.
People's Conference taking action on housing and mental health

After the fantastic success of the People’s Conference and Lothian Voice’s presentation at the Thrive conference in November, the group has been busy meeting again to develop petition questions to submit to the Scottish Parliament. The group are intending to submit questions focusing on the link between housing and mental health and how services can be improved for people. They were also very pleased to receive a response to their letter focusing on the housing crisis from the housing minister Paul McLennan, who they are hoping to schedule a meeting with in February.
"Listen to us, we know what we need.”
The People's Conference is organised by and for people with experience of mental health issues and this year it was all about housing and mental health. The conference report contains the voices of those that were there on the day:

“I see good friends of mine sleeping rough while fancy housing they can’t afford is built up around them”.
“Homelessness can happen to anybody, most times it's a month away.”

The report also shows you how the day was organised and how the attendees arrived at their plans to take action. Read it here.
An invitation to the Peer Forum

Peer workers and volunteers are invited to attend the Peer Forum in Edinburgh to meet other peers and make a change to how peers work and volunteer!

Peers use their own lived experience of mental health issues to support someone who is going through a similar situation. They can be paid or unpaid. The Peer Forum is an informal opportunity for peers to get together, have a coffee and chat about how their experiences of working or volunteering could be improved.

The Peer Forum is on 25th January, 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Starbucks Coffee, 120 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 4AD. Contact irene@capsadvocacy.org.
OOSOOM what does it mean to you?
The Out of Sight Out of Mind exhibition happens every year in October. It’s organised by and for people with experience of mental health issues. You can see the reactions of audiences from last year’s exhibition on the website and you can add your own response. You can also see images of all the pieces of work that were shown. If you’re interested in taking part look out for further announcements coming in the spring!

Here’s just one quote from someone who attended last year:

‘The work is powerful, beautiful, moving, important, raw revolutionary!’
Writing on a wall, comments by attendees of the OOSOOM exhibition.
Writing on a wall, comments by attendees of the OOSOOM exhibition.
You can access a summary document of the 2023 exhibition here.
Job Vacancy: Collective Advocacy Team Leader
An exciting career opportunity is waiting for the right person in this new post of Team Leader for CAPS' growing Independent Collective Advocacy team. You will assist the Collective Advocacy Manager by line managing some of the team and providing additional management support to autonomous staff who facilitate a wide range of experience led collective advocacy projects. These include, for example, people with lived experience of Personality Disorder, Psychosis, Trauma, Eating Disorders and people from the LGBTQIA+ community or from minority ethnic backgrounds. Apply here. 
Very best wishes from all at CAPS!
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CAPS Independent Advocacy is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation Scottish Charity number: SC021772