Some good news at last! Via The F-Word comes this story.
“‘Moving People’ promises to change the culture of mental health forever in a ground-breaking bid to battle the growing problem of mental health stigma and discrimination, aiming to reach some 30 million people across England.”
I cannot help highlighting some of the statistics they give:
“84 per cent experiencing problems in getting jobs, mortgages, healthcare, friendships, relationships”
Well, Doh!. Take away the mortgage and you get my life.
Only 42 per cent of Londoners disagree that ‘One of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self-discipline and willpower’.
Which really means that,
58 per cent of Londoners think that ‘One of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self-discipline and willpower’
Oh, really? You can always count on Victim Blaming to add merryment to being mentally ill! It’s interesting to keep in mind that a) this are Londoners (infamously known as the most progressive of the progressives) and b) While the remaining 42 percent may not see it as a “main” cause, they will most certainly think it plays a part.
Also, what’s with the “winning” thing? Are worthy causes put inside little plastic balls and then randomly chosen for the big prize? I’m sure that the people behind “Moving People” worked very hard to make the case that they needed the funding. Why is everything that’s beneficial to society considered a “luxury”, a “prize to be won” as if there wasn’t enough to go around for such irrelevant stuff?. Oh wait, that’s right, there ain’t!
And one last thing before I shut up.
“We will be using the latest social marketing techniques”
Social marketing! Almost as fun as product marketing!
Let’s get real here. Social problems aren’t bottles of shampoo. And looking at the way shampoo is advertised, what are the chances that this campaign will include highly sexualized material?
All in all, this is good news. I’m sure of it!
