A public meeting was held to stop the closure of a mental health service.

The Bridge, Harrow, is a mental health service that is being threatened with closure by Harrow Council.

The meeting, which took place at Harrow Baptist Church on March 24, was attended by carers, service users and volunteers who spoke of their experience and what the proposed closure would mean to them and their loved ones.

Louise Mitchell, who attends the Bridge Mental Health Service, said: "All the art classes in the world are no good to me if I can’t get there to attend them.’’

The Bridge provides people who are suffering from mental health issues with one-to-one support, a safe place to be around other people and provides various activities and classes.

Richard McBride, who uses the services, said: "The key workers who provide one-to-one client service in one place are the glue that holds the service together and makes it the success it is.’’

Ann Robinson, organiser of a successful campaign in Cambridge to save a similar centre, Lifeworks, was invited to speak at the Harrow meeting to advise on what had worked for them.

Mark Gillham,chief executive of mental health charity Mind in Harrow, said: “Mind in Harrow has been challenging the Harrow Council about the amount which the local Public health department spends on mental health which is a priority area.

"We have been asking questions at cabinet and at other council meetings. Public health have requirements set by the government that they must fulfil, but out of a budget of £9 million, they also have discretion to spend money on local priorities.

"We believe that the council could find funding from this budget to keep the Bridge open to promote mental health and wellbeing.”

Joan Penrose, who has three sons with diagnosed mental illnesses and has campaigned for around 30 years for better mental health services said that: “The Save the Bridge campaign has been built on years of networking and sharing lives. Harrow Rethink Support Group sponsors several groups, notably 'More Than Just A Choir', 'TOG', Guitar Group and others.

"These social and creative groups, built on friendship and mutual support, are important factors in the great upsurge of this campaign.’’

Campaigner and Harrow service-user representative Rob Sale, added: “But of course like everywhere else the council itself has been hit by swinging government cuts from 2014 – 2018 and we are determined to take our fight right to the top and demand an end to his heartless pursuit of austerity over human life wherever it manifests itself.”

#savethebridge group are holding another campaign meeting on Wednesday April 6 from 7pm at the Bridge, Harrow.