'I got mental health care as a youngster, it was c**p then and it’s c**p now'

More than a hundred activists and artists marched through Manchester today (Saturday) to demand better support for young people with mental health problems.

The quirky rally began at HOME in the city centre where the protesters, who call themselves 'The Balmy Army', have had an 'action lab' exhibition for the last fortnight as part of Manchester International Festival.

The group, launched in 2022, describes itself as an 'art, activism and mutual care project' which aims to help children and adolescents who are struggling with mental health problems, as well as their friends and families.

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"Our aim is to work together across Greater Manchester to imagine and make real a simpler, kinder, easier to access mental health support and care, that child and adolescent mental health services are currently prevented from doing," says a statement on its website.

Its HOME exhibition was billed as a venue to plan protests, give performances and print ‘madidas’ t-shirts.

A message from one of the organisers, who calls himself The Vacuum Cleaner, said: "I went through mental health care as a young person, it was c**p then and it’s c**p now.

"Nothing seems to get better, however much those in charge say it has. I was in an adolescent hospital 20 years ago, has the mental health care got any better since then? Not enough, let’s put it that way. (I totally acknowledge there are some cool people doing good s**t in young peoples mental health care – I’m not attacking them, we need you sooooo bad).

"How many more excuses should we accept?

"I want to work with YOU to imagine, dream up and then make real the mental health care you desire, that your