Last week, I was arrested and spent the day in the cells at Pinner Police Station - but before you think the worst, it was all for a good cause.
It was part of Harrow Mind’s ‘Jail and Bail’ fundraiser, which asks members of the public to bail out community representatives who have volunteered to be arrested for fictitious crimes. The purpose of this is to raise funds for the vital mental health support and outreach work undertaken by Harrow Mind across our borough.
I am very pleased to say that due to the generosity of local people and those further afield, I have so far raised over £1,800 to help the charity.
However, mental health services across the capital are being stretched and Government austerity has meant funding cuts have been made in Harrow.
From City Hall, the Mayor is trying to plug the gaps left by Government through his Thrive LDN programme. This is a campaign, involving over 200 experts, which aims to promote awareness and understanding of mental ill health across London’s diverse communities, schools and workplaces.
Nevertheless, it cannot be left to City Hall and the charity sector alone to prop up our struggling mental health services. The Government need to properly fund our NHS and local authorities so they can deliver vital support to some of the most vulnerable in our community.
Navin Shah AM
London Assembly Member for Harrow and Brent
