Publish date: 29 April 2025
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) and children’s charity, Barnardo’s recently held 2 important events to discuss with AWP Board the importance of recruiting a diverse workforce, raising different cultural understandings of mental health, and how to better reach communities and overcome barriers of stigma and misunderstanding that diverse communities can face.
AWP and Barnardo’s have been working in partnership for over 8 years. In 2023, the Barnardo’s HYPE Service invited young people from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to form Black and Brown Minds Matter (BBMM). BBMM have supported AWP’s CAMHS to develop a strategy to improve access and experiences to mental health services for black and brown young people.
During the first event, members of AWP Board discussed how they would continue to support black and brown communities. Alongside projects they’re already working on, such as ‘Improving access and experience for Black and Brown People in CAMHS’, they said they would improve diversity within the workforce, have greater children, young people and parent/carer co-production, and have more contact with the Board.
In April, BBMM hosted their second event called ‘Challenging Mental Health Inequalities’ that was sponsored by AWP and aimed to build on the Board’s discussions from the first event. Alongside guest speakers, Dr Kimberly Fuller, UKCP Registered Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor and Dr Ron Dodzro, Clinical and Community Psychologist, the group shared a release of their film “What’s the Taboo for you” which was written & produced by young people. The film showcases how mental health is perceived differently within black and brown communities. The film was made and directed by Tom Thomas, a film maker and youth worker employed by Barnardo’s HYPE service.
Anthony Hill, Children Services Manager with Barnardo’s HYPE said:
“This was by far one of the best events I have ever attended. The hosts and young people were very open and warm and created a safe space to discuss sensitive topics. The young people represented a wide range of cultural backgrounds and genders that gave testimony to diverse lived experience. Combined with the very accessible input from the invited speakers provided an original and engaging learning experience. The event provided insight into race trauma which should be part of the health systems drive to be more trauma informed.”
Duncan Stanway, Assistant Director at Barnardo’s said:
“Barnardo’s is proud of the young people leading the work of Black & Brown Minds Matter. We believe the asks that the group make will make a massive difference to Black & Brown young people’s experience of mental health support”.
