MACA'S 125th ANNIVERSARY

Early day motion 1305, tabled 27 May 2004 by Lynne Jones (Labour). Signed by 90 members.

That this House warmly congratulates the oldest national mental health charity Maca on its 125 years of providing community-based services to adults with a mental illness; commends the pioneering vision of Maca's founder Rev Henry Hawkins in identifying and articulating the need of people leaving institutional care to be given support in the community to assist their rehabilitation into society, a vision which remains as relevant today as it was in 1879; supports Hawkins' vision that people with a mental illness should be able to enjoy life's everyday ordinary associations; salutes the work of Maca's 850 staff in providing innovative services to adults with all types of mental health problems; recognises the role Maca plays in combating stigma and discrimination amongst the public; applauds Maca for viewing its clients as whole people and for actively seeking their views to inform how services are delivered; and looks forward to Maca taking forward its vision of mental health service delivery, which has at its core the right to autonomy of people with mental health needs.

Signatures by party: Labour 43, Conservative 19, Liberal Democrat 17, Labour/Co-operative 5, UUP 3, DUP 2, Plaid Cymru 1.