The registration documents have been submitted; it’s time to make this official!

The launch of #EmergingProud on the 12^th May 2017 saw passions for our message take off at an unprecedented rate.

Discussions revolved around the question; “Rethinking Madness; how can we create a society in which it is safe to talk about our madness?”, with the aim is to create a society in which people can speak openly about extreme experiences without having to worry about being diagnosed and marginalized. It’s about not seeing these experiences as something ‘wrong’ to be ‘fixed’ but as potentially part of a process of inner healing, growth and spiritual development – saying that it is possible to find deep meaning and wisdom in psychological trauma, while acknowledging the process can be extremely traumatic to go through.

#EmergingProud is grassroots movement. It’s about creating positive change which will make old understandings, forms and social structures obsolete.

The problem with being a ‘grassroots’ movement is the usual funding issue; the only way we could continue the campaign activities, including providing an online platform on which people can #EmergeProud and tell their stories, was by forming an official not-for-profit organisation that enables us to apply for official monies. We therefore decided to set ourselves up as a Community Interest Company (CIC), which will allow us to raise money from grant making trusts, etc. to work on the outcomes from our Launch events.

‘We’ are Jeannet Weurman, Dr Mick Collins and myself (Katie). Last weekend we met up and worked on the constitution documents, and this weekend they are winging their way over to Companies House! I am immensely grateful to Jeannet and Mick for their invaluable dedication and support to make this happen.

#EmergingProud C.I.C.’s official objectives are:

The objects of the Company are to carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to create a more inclusive society focusing on mental wellbeing and human transformative potential. The Company supports the promotion of human rights and the advancement of social inclusion by expanding the public perception of ‘normal’. It aims to normalise psychological distress and extreme human experiences, and offers a view of psychological crisis as part of a transformative process (‘emergence’). The company is aligned with theoretical and research perspectives found in the fields of humanistic and transpersonal psychology, which values the full spectrum of human potential.

Our proposed activities: 

1. Creation of opportunities for discovery of personal meaning and purpose in our psychological / spiritual distress, through the development of platforms for inner exploration and mutual sharing of insight.
2. Community inclusive events
3. Facilitating empowering community action, including grass-roots, peer support and advocacy initiatives.
4. Creation of awareness-raising platforms, including education and training.
5. Research

 How will these activities benefit the community? 

1. Encouragement of human transformative potential, self-awareness and self-actualisation.
2. Increasing inclusivity and reducing isolation. Enabling contributions to community cohesion.
3. Personal and collective discovery that we can all make a positive difference; encouragement of self- and social efficacy.
4. Access to a way of understanding the meaning in psychological distress and extreme human experience, which offers validation and a positive approach to facilitate transformative human potential. Development of compassion for self and other. Provision of a vision of hope and opportunity, resulting in e.g. reduction of distress and risk of suicide.
5. The capture of both qualitative and quantitative evidence of the benefits derived from this innovative approach. Improvement in our understanding of the most beneficial ways to carry this approach forward.

If the company makes any surplus it will be used for…

It is hoped that surplus funds will be raised in order that the aims and objectives of the C.I.C. can be increased in the future to assist as many people as possible to live more fulfilling lives.

We will continue to be transparent in our activities and blog regular updates on progress.

In solidarity, Katie, Jeannet and Mick ❤