Islington Tribune
Publications by New Journal Enterprises
spacer
  Home Archive Competition Jobs Tickets Accommodation Dating Contact us
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
Islington Tribune - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 15 June 2007
 
Charity born out of grief shows working together can save lives

ROSE Hacker’s challenge “to make something good out of something bad” is a perfect description of the incentive for founding The Stuart Low Trust (£20 to a good cause from a man who preached hatred, June 8).

The Stuart Low remembered by the trust killed himself less than six months after receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He believed that killing himself was a good deed. The challenge for family and friends left grieving for him was to ensure that other vulnerable people would find the support they needed to want to stay alive.
The trust is a health promotion charity, especially mental health. We take a community development approach to health promotion, with core values of “inclusiveness” and “working together” (you don’t have to have a label to take part).
We run social events with nutritious refreshments (Rose Hacker will be speaking at one of them), occasional training courses designed to help people to make the most of social opportunities, a range of holidays and outings, and we maintain a gardening plot at Culpeper Community Garden and a photography programme based at the Southwood Smith Centre. All our activities are run on cooperative lines, with volunteers from among the people who would attend anyway.
So far three people have told me that we saved their lives. One woman said the encouragement she found from members of the community outside the world of mental health giving presentations about their enthusiasms had enabled her to restart her life after 17 years. There is plenty more that we are planning to do, but I feel that we have made a good start.
VIRGINIA LOW
Chairwoman, The Stuart Low Trust

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Islington Tribune, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@islingtontribune.co.uk. Deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:


 

 
Your Comments :
 
 
 
spacer














spacer


Theatre Music
Arts & Events Attractions
spacer
 
 


  up