About us

About NSUN

NSUN's history

2003 On Our Own Terms report makes a recommendation to form a national service user/survivor network
2006 the Our Future conference launches the idea and organises a National Steering Group to make it happen
2007 NSUN is launched
2010 NSUN becomes an independent organisation

The National Survivor User Network (NSUN) is a mental health service user/survivor led organisation.

The network was set up by service users to build a more united and confident mental health service user movement. It recognises the isolation and discrimination experienced by mental health service users and their needs beyond clinical treatment.

In 2003 service user-led research, coordinated by Jan Wallcraft for the User Survey Steering Group and funded by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, resulted in the report 'On Our Own Terms'. It urged the formation of a national network to bring individual mental health service users and groups together to encourage good practice and build the capacity of the sector. Inspired by this report, the Sainsbury Centre funded a number of meetings and a conference in London in 2005 to agree on some practical actions based on the recommendations.

A Steering Group organised a conference focused on how to set up a national service user/survivor network. Nearly 200 service users and survivors attended the “Our Future” conference in Birmingham in March 2006. The National Planning Group that grew out of the conference included representatives from a whole range of service user and survivor led groups.

Funding for five years was obtained from Comic Relief and the Tudor Trust and a hosting arrangement was negotiated with the the mental health charity Together: Working for Well-being, working for wellbeing. The National Planning Group was then dissolved and replaced by a management committee, selected by an independent panel of service users and survivors.

A launch conference was held November 2007 in Poole, Dorset (see video of the event Service User Conference).

NSUN became an independent charitable company May 2010

For its first three years, NSUN was hosted by Together: Working for Well-being. NSUN received invaluable support with financial procedures and human resources but remained self governing throughout.

NSUN received pro-bono support of a solicitor through LawWorks and free business development support from Pilotlight. This helped us on our journey towards independence. If you would like to find out more about their services go to:

www.lawworks.org.uk

www.pilotlight.org.uk