Over the past couple of months I have been covering The Closure Of Grantham A & E Through Photography and videos.
When i Noticed The Protest going off for the NHS I wanted to be a part of it.
So i woke up at 5.30 am Got everything ready, inc my laptop to edit some pictures and videos on the go.
I got a lift up to the coach that was taking us to London and around 50 of us from Grantham left at 730 am.
I managed to take a video and a few pics at the start of the journey
this is the lovely Sarah Stock who made us all laugh (:
I wanted to take some more videos and pictures as we reached london but with the coach being full and having lots of equipment on me i did not want to mess around moving about.
we got to London for 11.30 am and without having time to plan where and how i was going to do the media side of things we started walking with others from different places around the Uk to Gather where the first set of speakers were being held.
Phil Hammond brought the whole of London chanting, and getting them ready and pumped for the march ahead which you can see here
One of the best chants were The NHS isnt over spent its underfunded by 20 percent (:
I tried to capture both videos and photography of the speakers which are still being uploaded to YouTube and my social media pages.
I believe there were around 10 speakers all with spirit and amazing words to say about saving the NHS .
After a hour the march was starting, i am not sure the route or roads we went but all i know is we was marching for about 1 hour and a half.
It was a euphoric experience and feeling, as 250,000 people were chanting, waving banners, and showing support.
In my opinion the one person that kept the whole crowd alive, chanting and happy was the wonderful Melissa Darcey as you can see in the picture above, I dont know how she did it but she showed strong spirit, & Strength and has got leader skills (:
One of the chants that i think got people going to the most was WHOS NHS, OUR NHS !!!
I noticed a fellow member of our group holding one of our banners From Grantham who was also taking pictures and asked if he wanted me to hold it so he could use his camera.
I have always been the person with the camera and never ever marched with a banner, it felt awesome, the fact that your marching, with chants for something you are fighting for with 250,000 people + its a unbelievable feeling.
You feel happy, excited, proud, my anxiety and fear of being round that many people just vanished.
I was glad to have the chance to be a part of the day.
I have not found a picture of me holding a banner but if i do i will add it in (:
The day ended with more speakers, i was needing to have a pit stop and was so tired.
I followed a group of people from Grantham to use the facilities and it was a nightmare.
This was so many people in one place that my anxiety played up and had to leave.
I think the difference between having a major open space and marching with that happy feeling, to feeling tired and just wanting to rest on top of the fact of everyone battling for a place to walk and sit down in a pub just got to me.
We left London at 530 pm and because people had come from coaches everywhere it was a nightmare to get out.
Eventually we left and was talking to a fellow photographer on the way back, I got my laptop back at with 20 percent remanding.
So i used that time to transfer the pictures ready to be edited when i get home.
I somehow had took over 300 pictures and 40 different video clips.
This was going to be tough editing week ahead but after seeing the results it was worth it !!!
Overall it was pure magic that so many people wanted to fight for what should be theirs.
All links to my work will be at the end of this post.
so moving onto how the Cuts to the NHS Affect me ??
Since being a child i have suffered with depression & anxiety and no one addressed the issues i faced or offered support and to this day i still battle with getting the support i need.
I have no contact with my family due to what happened as it was them who made me the way i was and still feeling today.
I was Born In Nottingham but moved to Grantham to be with someone.
which we broke up because of many reasons and issues but mainly because of my problems that at the time i refused to get sorted.
In my eyes and i will believe this for a very long time everything happens for a reason and that people learn to change and adapt to their new lives.
I also took life for granted, i was to settled with being with that person and not having my own things to do, i spent to much time also playing video games and not paying attention to the real world.
even though i was happy to be with that person inside something always felt empty, which was not her fault but mine.
So after we broke up my already issues got worse, i went into supported housing, and had someone who could help me and someone i could talk to.
Through explaining that i have always struggled with these problems i went with my support worker to the doctors who put a referral to the mental health services.
At the same time of telling the support worker i struggle with getting words from my brain onto paper, speaking, doing things that are so easy and i know how to do but can not do them.
It was clear that i had some form of dyspraxia.
I also told the doctor this to see if i could get funding for some support.
I received a letter back within a week saying there was no funding in lincolnshire From the NHS for this or to even get tests for having mild dyslexia.
After waiting 5 months for a referral for the mental health services which is all a part of the NHS.
I managed to have 12 weeks of Counselling which did help me a little but i needed more.
Which yes again then waited another 2 months to talk to someone else which i thought was for CBT
Cognitive behavioural therapy .
I had enough of waiting and wanting the help but not getting it so i opened up at much as i ever did and explained that i am not getting the support i need.
I was told i could have a chance at getting refereed for a assessment which is like the higher tier to see what more they can do.
A week later i was told sorry we can not do that as we feel you do not meet our criteria.
So someone who has bad depression 3-4 times a week sometimes 2-3 weeks non stop, who has trouble talking to people, being in places, having panic attacks etc is not deemed as hitting there points.
I feel it is because they can no longer fund it so instead of saying that they say you cant because you do not meets our needs, when its my needs !!!!
also as a year as come and gone i have tried every resource into getting help with my other issues, contacting the official dyspraxia to be told we do not have funding, i have gotten no where into finding help.
The fact is i do not want to be who i am, my issues have stopped me living the life i want, its stopped me having friends and starting my own business because of how i feel.
I have had to battle with this and if it was not for the community of Grantham i have been Building around me, i would be lost, alone and it a worse place then i already am.
I know go to gym, 4 times a week, play tennis, love doing photography so much that i dont miss gaming, i do not miss having the luxury things i had because i am happy with what i have got.
i would rather have less things and be surround by a lot of people who care and show support, then having lots of things but have no friends and people to talk to.
One of the speakers at the march in London mentioned about the cuts to Mental Health services and i feel people look down on us and do not treat us how we need to be because mental health is not taking seriously enough.
someone my seem to be happy, and seeing as they do not look to have anything wrong and that is because like with myself, i put a mask on in a way to hid it, to surpress it just to be happy.
If it was not for getting a little bit of help already from the services at the moment from the NHS i would not be as strong as i am.
But it is still not enough and i feel the cuts to these services will only get worse.
Thank you for reading and i hope That in time all areas of the NHS will grow and get the support and funding it needs !!!!!!!!
For photography of the March please check this link
https://www.facebook.com/dmpphotographyuk/
For videos, news and updates please check these links (:
Dan Media Productions Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0bYAuM6fZcOz6JnSujtpHg
https://twitter.com/DanMediaP
https://twitter.com/HLincolnshire
Well said Daniel, I hope it helps you a bit to get your feelings put into words in this way x
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