A MENTAL health support service based in Oxford has invited election candidates to visit as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Oxfordshire Mind said it wanted to stress the importance of mental health services and ‘the need for continued investment, funding and training’ as the General Election on June 8 approached.

The Kings Meadow, West Oxford, charity has called on major parties to guarantee spending on mental health services will be maintained and later increased.

The charity has also called for more public information campaigns to tackle stigma and discrimination around people’s conditions, as well as better support for people in the workplace.

Oxfordshire Mind chief executive Dan Knowles said: “We have sent an open invitation out to all parliamentary candidates to visit our premises and learn more about mental health services locally and demonstrate their commitment to the improvement of mental health services in their consistencies.

“We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health issue gets both support and respect.”