3-year mental health programme supports people from minority ethnic communities

12 Leeds community organisations have directly supported nearly 2,000 people with their mental health thanks to £300,000 of grant funding. 

The funding came from the Addressing Mental Health Inequalities in Minority Ethnic Groups grants programme. They’ve used their grants to support local people from minority ethnic backgrounds with their mental health – building capacity, reducing stigma, increasing trust, and supporting early interventions for mental health needs. 

One organisation, Calm and Centred, used their grant for their Coping with Bereavement project – a culturally appropriate support service for people going through personal and family loss working mostly with Black Caribbean people. The project included bereavement journaling sessions, active listening sessions and a monthly peer support group called Care Café. 

The project support 137 people to develop coping strategies and mechanisms to help them work through. Those who took part said the activities helped reduce low moods and anxiety, and address stress, panic attacks, sleep deprivation and anger. 

One of the people who took part in the project said “I was in hospital due to COVID earlier this year. It was quite serious. I couldn’t breathe; I was on oxygen the whole time I was there. I honestly felt like an old man. Even when I got out, I couldn’t walk down the road without getting tired. A friend from church referred me to Calm and Centred. One of the main reasons I came was so that someone could understand my needs. As a black man and my culture, especially concerning death. 

”My father passed away due to COVID less than a month before I was in hospital. I couldn’t attend his funeral; that was hard. And trying to make arrangements with the lockdown restrictions was difficult enough. I was given support through one-to-one sessions and the Care Café. It provided a sounding board for what I was feeling. Getting the emotion out. It’s helped to talk about things, listening to others and understand the process of grief. It was useful to learn about that and how everyone deals with death differently. I’d like to be at a place where if I’m thinking about my dad or my loss, I don’t break down. I have some way to go but I’ll get there.” 

The Addressing Mental Health Inequalities in Minority Ethnic Groups programme sits within a broader mental health strategy for Leeds, which aims to reduce inequalities in accessing mental health support among other goals. The programme is linked with a range of partners, including NHS Leeds ICB, Leeds City Council Public Health and Synerg, through the strategy.