Former MP, Luciana Berger, shared her sadness at the tragic deaths of four close friends at the latest JAMH event.
Spectacular community leader and former MP Luciana Berger gave an exclusive interview to JAMH Chair Dr Sandi Mann as part of a recent intimate charity dinner in Manchester.
Former MP Ivan Lewis opened the evening with a passionate introduction, explaining the vital work that JAMH has done to create a system of preventative measures in response to a series of teenage suicides in the Manchester Jewish community. Luciana disclosed in interview: “I’ve lost four people to suicide and there’s still this issue of stigma and discrimination when it comes to mental health.”
Luciana shared that the war in Israel impacted her in a way she “never could have imagined” as she struggled to work for several weeks following the devastating events. She also “had to come off social media completely for an extended period of time.”
The interview applauded Luciana’s resilience during her time in the Labour party and her ultimate exit following the findings of the Human Rights Commission that Labour was guilty of “harassing and intimidating its Jewish members.”
Luciana shines a light on what lead to her walk out and her return to Labour to tackle our Mental Health crisis.
“The Labour party left me, I didn’t leave the Labour party,” she stated, and that “the party in my mind has returned to the party that I knew and joined – it has rooted out people that were so horrific and are no longer members of the party’. She also provided a fascinating insight into Keir Starmer’s joint priorities and her confidence in the future of the party under the current leader.
Her passion for preventative treatments of mental health problems was highlighted when Luciana told the 60 guests about her work in developing Labour’s incoming mental health strategy. “Everyone in this room will be affected by their own mental health or someone around them and a report just out in the last week from the Mental Health Foundation said that it’s costing our country £300 billion a year,” said Luciana. “There’s so much more we can and should be doing in our communities, in our workplaces and places of education to keep people well that we’re not doing at the moment.” Through her leadership of the strategy, Labour has already committed to: “Increase the mental health workforce in this country to 8,500, to introduce mental health hubs in every single community and to provide additional mental health support in every secondary school in this country.”
Dr Mann also applauded the ex-MP’s intrinsic involvement with vital organisations such as the Union of Jewish Students and the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists and chair of the maternal Mental Health Alliance.
Following the interview, there was a greatly needed appeal for the charity presented by trustee Rabbi Benjy Rickman, with reference to his own family tragedy and the vital support received in their time of crisis.
Dinner guest, counsellor Ruth Benson said: “It was a really wonderful evening hearing about the wonderful work JAMH is doing, Luciana was a lively and interesting speaker, great company, super food and all in a good cause.”
Gabby Witkin, counsellor, said: “This was an incredible opportunity to hear, from the person who has the opportunity to improve the mental healthcare for this country, facilitated by the charity determined to improve it in our community. It was wonderful to link with like- minded people for such a vital cause.”
In order to continue the level and quality of care JAMH offers, the organisation needs support. So far, they have given professional counselling to over 750 in the Manchester Jewish community. JAMH are incredibly grateful to Luciana and the attention she brought to the rising issues we as a community are facing, and to those who attended and generously donated their time and money. To donate please go to Tinyurl.com/supportjamh
For more information on this or on any other matter, JAMH can be contacted by email at admin@jamh.org.uk, on social media @JAMHMcr, or via our website: Jamh.org.uk. If you are in need of support please call 07510 204 844.