I was a mental health service user for 17 years, and am still a practising depressive! I started involvement as a user activist through a local successful campaigning user group and setting up self-help groups.  Recently I stood down as Chair of the National Survivor User Network. I am currently on the Board of the Social Care Institute for Excellence and am chairing their Co-Production Network. My interest in public research developed early as a survivor researcher, to help build evidence of what I and others knew mattered in mental health. My continued research passion is to share and learn across the sector.