CAPS Independent Advocacy

12/11/2025

💜The Oor Mad History group warmly invites you to join our interactive workshop focusing on Mad Studies and the legacy of Oor Mad History and the Lothian Mental Health Service User Movement.

Led by the Oor Mad History collective advocacy group at CAPS Independent Advocacy, this workshop walks participants through an overview of Mad Studies terminology, the history and activism of the Lothian Mental Health Service User Movement, and how it paved the way to the Oor Mad History project today. We will also connect and learn from each other through discussion questions and group work.
This workshop centres the history and voices of people with lived experience. Everyone is welcome to join us to learn from their valuable insights and gain knowledge about the project’s powerful story and activism.

📆3rd December from 1:30pm to 3:30pm
📍Norton Park, Albion Road, Edinburgh.

If you would like a spot, you can book via Eventbrite on: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/understanding-oor-mad-history-a-community-workshop-tickets-1962430978885?aff=oddtdtcreator
Or if you would prefer not to use Eventbrite, then please contact Azra on: azra@capsadvocacy.org

The event is organized by the Oor Mad History collective advocacy group at CAPS Independent Advocacy. More information about the collective advocacy group can be found at:
https://capsadvocacy.org/collective-advocacy/oor-mad-history/

Lothian Health Services Archive Norton Park Business and Conference Centre

[Image description: the words ‘Understanding Oor
Mad History:
A Community Workshop’ with three images, one is the cover of ‘Beyond diagnosis’ with a person wearing sunglasses, one is of a multi-coloured collage and the third is a t-shirt with the slogan ‘warning may contain nuts’, the Oor Mad History logo and CAPS logo.]

04/11/2025

What does it mean to you? Below are responses shared by 2025 exhibitors, visitors and planners. These will be collected and added to over the course of the exhibition.Scroll to the bottom of the page to add yours.   If you are a visitor to the exhibition, an exhibitor, a friend or relative of one, ...

03/11/2025

👀🗣This survey has been created by a group of people who may attract the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder or Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. As part of our collective advocacy work, we regularly meet professionals who share our view that there could be improvements made to the mental health services for people with BPD/EUPD in Edinburgh. The group want to work with both people who use these services and the people who deliver them to help advocate for the best services possible.

Please help us by completing our survey for professionals here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XLPJXHG. If you would like to learn more about the group's work or have any questions about the survey please contact the group's facilitator Alex at alex@capsadvocacy.org

[Image description:Are you a mental health professional working in Edinburgh who works with people with BPD or EUPD?
‘Much More Than A Label’ is a Collective Advocacy Group facilitated by CAPS for people who may attract the diagnosis of a personality disorder.
MMTAL want to know what mental health professionals in Edinburgh working with people with BPD or EUPD think about the services in Edinburgh for people with BPD or EUPD. Your views help shape our advocacy work!
Take our 10 minute survey!
Follow the link in our bio.' with a graphic of two people sitting on a sofa, and a loud speaker and the Much More Than A Label logo]

30/10/2025

✏️This survey has been created by a group of people who may attract the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder or Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. The group feels there are improvements that need to be made to mental health services in Edinburgh for people who may attract these diagnoses. We want to hear from other people to learn more about their experiences.

This survey is confidential and will be used to help create a report about mental health services for people with BPD/EUPD in Edinburgh and to help shape our advocacy work.

You can fill in the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XL38PF7 Any one who takes this survey is warmly invited to come along to the group and get involved in our advocacy work! 💛 If you would like to learn more about the group, this survey, or share your experiences in a different way, please get in touch with the group's facilitator Alex at alex@capsadvocacy.org



Change Mental Health iThrive Edinburgh eastspace.org.uk - East Lothian's Mental Health Information Website West Space midspace.co.uk - Midlothian's Mental Health Information Website Dunfermline Advocacy

[Image description: Do you have BPD or EUPD?
Do you live in Edinburgh?
We want to hear about your experiences with mental health services.
‘Much More Than A Label’ is a Collective Advocacy Group facilitated by CAPS for people who may attract the diagnosis of a personality disorder.
MMTAL want to know how people in Edinburgh with BPD or EUPD find accessing the right mental health services in Edinburgh. Your experience can help shape our advocacy work!
Take our 10 minute survey!
Follow the link in our bio.
A graphic of a head with brain and flowers, and a loud speaker and the Much More Than A Label logo]

23/10/2025

🎉🤩People are enjoying their first taste of the Out of Sight Out of Mind exhibition! Congratulations to the Planning Group, exhibitors, volunteers and everyone else involved in the exhibition on their fantastic launch on Tuesday!

This year’s exhibition has artwork by 400 people with experience of mental health issues on show. At until 9 November (Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 6pm).

Out Of Sight Out Of Mind Exhibition Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival Mental Health Foundation



[Image descriptions
1 One person holds a phone up whilst another looks on. In the background are many colourful canvasses on the wall.
2 A number of people stand in a group, smiling and chatting.
3 Two people chatting in front of a number of artworks.
4 A person wearing a hat giving a speech in front of a microphone.
5 A person giving a speech in front of a microphone.]

Photos by Chris Scott.

21/10/2025

20/10/2025

🌞🌸We can’t promise the weather will be as nice as in the pics but we invite you to join us in Musselburgh for the CAPS AGM on 14th Nov! It’s an opportunity to support CAPS and meet the team and a chance to celebrate Independent Advocacy. This year there'll be a presentation about our work with veterans. There’s always lovely food and we always have too much of it so come along and help us eat it!

RSVP essential to catherine@capsadvocacy.org
📆 Friday 14th November, 1.15pm - 4pm
📍 Fisherrow Community Centre, South Street, Musselburgh


The Fisherrow Centre Volunteer Centre East Lothian

[Image descriptions:

1 Photograph of Musselburgh on a sunny day showing a bronze statue beside the river and bridge and bright blue sky.

2 Photograph of beautiful yellow and orange flowers beside the river in Musselburgh

3 Photograph of the river in Musselburgh with bridge and bright blue sky

4 The words ‘Listening to veterans’ voices, You are warmly invited to CAPS’ AGM Friday 14th Nov 2025 Musselburgh, East Lothian RSVP catherine@capsadvocacy.org’ with a photograph of veterans sitting in a line as a group, the CAPS Independent Advocacy and Veterans Advocacy logos.]

15/10/2025

Time flies when you’re having fun! Scroll through the photos below for a snapshot of install week - 1.5

13/10/2025

10/10/2025

When your mental health is not so good it can be difficult to remember all that you want to say in important meetings about your life. This could be about housing or health, for example. You might feel rushed or not listened to. 🌎On this is a reminder that Individual Advocacy can help in these sorts of situations.

If you’re aged between 18-65 and resident in East Lothian or Midlothian, whether in the community or in a hospital, and are experiencing a mental health issue, get in touch to find an advocacy worker to help you get your voice heard. It’s free and confidential. Find out more on our website https://capsadvocacy.org/individual-advocacy/adults-individual-advocacy/mental-health/

Mental Health Foundation

[Image descriptions: 1 'When your mental health is not so good it can be difficult to remember all that you want to say in important meetings about your life. This could be about housing or health, for example. You might feel rushed or not listened to.'

2'On World Mental Health Day this is a reminder that Individual Advocacy can help in these sorts of situations. If you’re aged between 18-65 and resident in East Lothian or Midlothian, whether in the community or in a hospital, and are experiencing a mental health issue, get in touch to find an advocacy worker to help you get your voice heard.'

3 Diagram showing central circle with the word ‘you’ inside it joined to another shape with the words ‘advocacy worker’ then spokes coming out from the central circle with the words ‘employer’, ‘social care’, lawyer’, ‘social workers’, ‘GP’, ‘CPN’, ‘advice worker’. The diagram shows how an advocacy worker works only for you and is not part of other services.

4 The World Mental Health Day logo. A globe with smiling face with a banner wrapped around it and the words ‘World Mental Health Day 10 Oct’ with the Mental Health Foundation logo.]

10/10/2025

World Mental Health Day is a chance to reflect on how much mental health matters – especially for those who’ve served. Find out how you can get involved.

25/09/2025

🌻💛Our advocacy workers work for you and no-one else. See our website to find out more about who our Independent Advocacy services are for and how to get in touch. 🗣An advocacy worker can help you get your voice heard. Independent Advocacy is free and confidential.



Dunfermline Advocacy AdvoCard Partners in Advocacy Ceartas Advocacy

[Image descriptions: 1 Our advocacy workers work with people living in Midlothian or East Lothian who have a mental health issue or use drugs or alcohol and people living in Midlothian, East Lothian or Edinburgh who identify as LGBTQIA+.

2 You can have someone by your side in meetings, for example appointments with your doctor, housing or education meetings and lots of other situations. Advocacy is free and confidential.

3 A grid of four squares each with a different symbol inside. One is a graphic of a doctor, one is a pound sign, one is a graphic of a house and one is of a teacher teaching students.]