Community Support Network South London (CSN) was set up in 1993 by local mental health service users. Since 1996 it has been funded to provide a mental health advocacy service for Lambeth residents. It now also provides a befriending service, staffed mainly by volunteers.
CSN is a membership organisation, currently with 128 full members. Membership is free, and benefits of membership include a bi-monthly newsletter and the opportunity to be elected onto (and to serve on) the CSN Management Committee.
The CSN Management Committee currently meets quarterly.
CSN is led by those who have experience of mental distress, including some who have experience of using statutory mental health services. CSN is an Equal Opportunities organisation, and is committed to offering positive employment and volunteer opportunities to suitable people who have experience of mental distress. We are proud of the diversity of our organisation, which is shown throughout our staff, volunteers, Management Committee and service users, as well as by the people who apply for and are interviewed for posts within our organisation.
CSN's bi-monthly newsletter can be accessed via the link on this website, and each issue contains within a membership form. We are intending to include an additional feature for you to become a member via this website, and you are welcome to join our 'blog' (see the separate link) to express your views about a range of topics.
CSN currently has 4.6 FTE advocates 2.8 FTE (full-time equivalent) in-
patient/community advocates, 1.8 FTE forensics advocates. There is also a manager,
a part time administrator and a Community Advocacy & Befriending coordinator.
CSN registered as both a charity and as a company in 2000. Its charity registration number is: 1083649. Its company registration number is: 4041867
