About
A coalition of people and organisations demanding change.
The Alliance exists because the system will not reform itself. We bring together lived experience, community knowledge, and professional expertise to make change happen.
Who We Are
The Black Mental Health and Wellbeing Alliance
The Black Mental Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a collective of individuals with lived experience and grassroots organisations in the mental health sector, with a primary focus on tackling racial inequities that disproportionately impact Black people.
We came together because decades of reports, recommendations, and reviews have failed to deliver meaningful change. Black people continue to face worse outcomes at every stage of the mental health system — from access to treatment, from detention to community care, from childhood to old age.
The Alliance is not just a campaign group. We are building practical tools, sharing knowledge, and creating frameworks that organisations can use to turn commitment into action. The Manifesto is our public demand. But behind it is ongoing work: capacity-building, research partnerships, and the development of resources like Assess & Align.
When community members speak, it’s essential that we listen.
The Manifesto serves as a point of reference for the Government, healthcare professionals, those working in education, practitioners, policymakers, and anyone involved in or accountable for instigating change. Through collaboration, we can dismantle systemic barriers and develop a mental health system that genuinely meets the needs of Black communities, which benefits everyone.
Our Journey
How we got here
- 2022–2023
Community workshops
A series of workshops facilitated by the Ubele Initiative brought together people with lived experience, practitioners, and community organisations. Together, they identified the structural barriers to Black mental health and wellbeing and the changes needed to address them.
- 2023
Coalition forming
From these workshops, the Alliance took shape — a coalition committed to translating community insight into concrete demands. The manifesto was drafted through a collaborative process, rooted in evidence and lived experience.
- April 2024
Manifesto published
The Black Mental Health Manifesto was published — 23 recommendations across three areas of action, addressed to government, the NHS, commissioners, educators, regulators, and civil society.
- Ongoing
Campaign and tool-building
The Alliance continues to campaign for the implementation of manifesto recommendations, build capacity-building tools like Assess & Align, and develop partnerships with organisations across the sector.
Leadership
The Steering Committee
The Alliance is guided by a steering committee of individuals with lived experience, practitioners, and community leaders. The committee ensures that the manifesto’s demands remain grounded in the realities of those most affected and that our work is accountable to the communities we serve.
Chaired by Kadra.
Committee member profiles and photos will be featured here.
Our Partners
Partner organisations
The Alliance works alongside organisations committed to racial justice in mental health. Partners are displayed with equal visual weight — this is a coalition, not a hierarchy.
Partner logos coming soon.
Join the Alliance
The manifesto belongs to the community. If your organisation supports these demands and is willing to act on them, join us.
Endorse the Manifesto