THE CATCH Online

The Catch Online supports 'The Catch' a magazine produced by Merseycare Service Users, we are very happy to have anybody read our magazine, and we hope that you find something useful, whether it is something on our site or we have led you to a link that will help you in one way or another. The one thing that we would like in return is feedback.

We have a Guest Book which can be used for feedback or you can email us via the Contacts page, Thank You.

Please visit the forums and join in, let us know what you think, just take a break and play some games. The forums are new so therefore we haven't many members; we look forward to welcoming new members. It's free to register, if you have any problems feel free to contact me lesley@thecatchonline.co.uk and I'll help you join our community.

The Chat Room is also up and running, so if you want to chat to someone, it's a good place to start. Lesley will be on hand most evenings with Jake and Lee popping in. So pop in and have a chat with us!

The Catch aims to provide a source of support to those going through short and long term mental health problems from people who have 'been there'. It offers practical advice, empathy, anecdotes, distraction and support. The Catch Online and The Catch Magazine will not contain any information or statements which would be defamatory, abusive, or considered to breach equality and diversity. The magazine recognises its position of responsibility and as such seeks to protect its contributors and readers by including those involved in the care process. It has a bias towards positive thinking and experiences and does not seek to include material that may cause unwarranted distress or harm.

The Catch was first produced during the summer of 2003. It was known as 'The Catch News' and produced by Mersey Care NHS mental health service users with the help of the Community Access Team based in Southport.

In 2006 after a couple of successful years of helping service users move forward with their lives, The Catch suffered a bit of a relapse, and almost came to a standstill. This would have been a big disappointment to the people that looked forward to receiving it. Luckily it was recognised that The Catch was a positive thing and the Community Access Team got another Editorial Team together who have moved the magazine forward and still working together after two years.

We try to encourage service users to come forward with their work such as poetry, quizzes, art work and other skills that they have, and have it published so they can show the community what they can do. The first Catch News had everything from poems to pets, from grub to gardening tips in it.

Nowadays The Catch has established itself as a magazine and has been reduced from an A4 publication to an A5 and has doubled in quantity and is supported by a website.