Group History

Our Group originally started with small meeting at Doris & Jim Sykes house in 1977 the foundered of the Nottingham Group. Then at the International Community Centre in Nottingham. A Social worker advised us to ask Social Services for a room at one of there centre and we stay there for about 17 years. We had no funds or grants. Head office sent us some pencil tops in the shape of dolls’ heads with long blond, brown hair. We took our bathroom scales to each meeting and people paid to weigh themselves. We also went loaded with flasks of tea and coffee for sale.

There was a programme on Radio Nottingham every Wednesday morning called ‘Who Cares?’ We were mentioned on this programme several times and we were beginning to get known. One of our Members, Mrs Mountney, made some lovely gifts for us to sell.

Twice we had a stall on the Trent Side during the Nottingham Festival, and we were introducing the general public to the term Schizophrenia. We collected a lot of books for an event at the Sherwood Community Centre.

We were now starting to invite Speakers to come to our monthly meeting. We needed to be informed about the illness, its causes, the prognosis, the medication, etc. But mainly we made friends with families who were going through the same shock, guilt feeling, bewilderment and isolation.

We could talk to each other openly and knew that they understood. We obtained some books and started a library. Some legacies and donations instead of flowers at funerals have helped us to buy more books. We have produced our own information booklets for sufferers and for carers. These have been widely distributed both in England and overseas. We have distributed between 2,500 and 3,000 of each of them. We have had many speakers come to monthly meeting over the years.

We have arranged public meeting and have tried to the stigma and mystique away from the illness.  One Christmas we sent a card out with out mailing list. That led on to our Christmas parties – at first at Jim & Doris Sykes house. Later we joined up with the Derby and Amber Valley Groups, and now we all share in three parties a year, with 60 or more sufferers, carers and family and friends at each party. We estimate that over the years there have been many hundreds of contact – may be up to 1,000. These have included sufferers, carers, professionals, student, nurses and O.T.S ect. That is a lot of talking and phoning and letter writing over the years.

So many other event have taken place during the years. Saxondale and Mapperley Hositals have been closed as well as the Coppice Hospital. We have experienced' Care in the Community' Which for some sufferers has been a good thing, but for others a disaster. 

                                                  In memory of Doris & Jim Sykes

               November 2004 in memory of Doris & Jim  Sykes the foundered of the Nottingham Group with family and friends planted a Tree and a place a plaque in the grounds of the Nottingham University Millenium Garden.  

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