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Health centre must be saved
• WITH regard to Mike Katz’s letter (Hang your heads in shame, Oct 19) we would like to refer to the origins of the Jamestown centre.
In 1959 the Mental Health Act was passed and the closure of large hospitals was recommended. Instead, the provision of small group homes and day centres was
promised by successive governments.
Friern hospital is now luxury flats and 2,000 patients were rendered homeless.
By 1968 many were in bedsits and “the revolving-door syndrome” developed as loneliness caused them such distress that they returned to hospital quite regularly.
Others were on the streets, begging or in prison.
At that point Camden Association for Mental Health was founded – now called MIND. We started group homes and day centres to provide homes, friends, occupations (and sometimes jobs) and security for these people.
Jamestown (which started in premises made available by the council and eventually moved to Adelaide Road) has been most successful. It catered for more than 200 people. The threatened closure thoroughly demoralised everybody, numbers dropped and since September 2005 no referrals have been allowed, thus reducing the membership drastically.
There are many types of mental illness and it takes a long time to build groups where people feel secure, with the right support, and able to play a productive part in the community. A club like Jamestown has saved many people and rehabilitated and given meaning to many lives.
A court case has granted the centre the right to continue with consultation, the results of which sadly appear to have been ignored. Jamestown must be saved.
ROSE HACKER
THERESA HALL
LEO MCLAUGHLIN
JANESTUCKEY
View Road, N6
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