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Health News - Mental health nurse set to stage discussion events on the most common social problems

Gillian Campbell is to host a series of discussions

Published: 18 August, 2011
by TOM FOOT

‘Youngsters around here don’t know who they are’

FROM understanding relationship breakdowns, to what motivates youngsters to take part in riots, Gillian Campbell believes she can help people find answers to some of life’s biggest problems.

The Camden and Islington community mental health nurse and outreach worker is preparing to take to the stage in a series of Trisha-style chat show events in Tufnell Park.

The 36-year-old, who lives in Islington, said: “My background is in counselling and I want to encourage talking. I want people to come and listen.

“I’m trying to attract people that hurt – I want to address people that hurt. I’ve got a big caseload to work through.”

First up is a couple who will “dish the dirt” on stage about the collapse of their relationship because of an extra-marital affair.

Ms Campbell said: “They will talk about their relationship and why it broke down.

“We will be talking about ‘what is love?’ I think love is an action, and a commitment.

You can fall in and out of lust, but when the lust has gone a lot of people think they don’t love that person anymore.

“But when you commit to someone – with marriages or vows – regardless of how you feel you commit, I believe the high feeling can come back.”

After the relationship conference and workshops, a female victim will talk about “being raped at cutlass point”.

There will be also be discussions on drug addiction, and young people will talk about their own experiences growing up in north London.

This Saturday, Ms Campbell has organised a fund-raiser for the project at the House of Rock in Tufnell Park Road. Gospel singers, artists, poets, street dancers and table-top sales will be there from 6.30pm.

Ms Campbell said: “I’m a very humorous, fun-loving individual and I’m trying to reflect this. Basically, nobody that comes to the event is leaving sad.”

She said that encouraging debate was all the more important in the wake of recent riots.

Ms Campbell added: “I think the problem with young people living round here is that they do not know who they are. They are very, very lost.

“If they understood what their purpose was, they wouldn’t be wasting their lives doing stupid things. That’s what’s missing.

“Many of the parents are in the same position. I’m not going down the single parent route – there are a lot of single parents with children who are doing brilliantly. They talk to teenagers, they are very inspirational people.

“But there’s a lot of hurt. That is who I am and that is the package that I come with.”

• The House of Rock concert is this Saturday from 6pm in Tufnell Park Road. Tickets are £8 in advance, £10 on the doors and local groups pay half price. For more information about Ms Cambell’s charity, Lily In the Valley (LIV), visit  www.lilyinthevalley.org

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