At Mental Health Resource, we stand in solidarity with all those who are saddened and horrified by the murder of George Floyd and we wholeheartedly stand with the Black community against racism and inequality.

Our mission is to provide safe spaces and person-centred mental health support to help all members of our community improve their wellbeing. We are and will always be non-judgemental in our approach to mental health care; treating people with dignity and respecting their views, values, preferences and expressed needs.

In England and Wales, nearly a fifth of people come from a BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic background). People from BAME communities often face individual and societal challenges that can affect their access to healthcare and their overall mental health, including racism and social and economic inequalities.[1]

We are committed to listening to the experiences of those in our community who have encountered racism or discrimination and by drawing on these lived experiences, we hope to bring insights to our charity in the development of our work.

We are also committed to identifying ways in which we can increase the ethnic diversity of our charity and actively prioritise diversity and inclusivity at every level.

To the BAME community in West Kent, we stand with you and we want you to know that we are here for you. We hope that by listening and learning, we can play our part in working towards a more equal and inclusive society where race is not a barrier to positive mental wellbeing.

If you have been affected by hate crime, contact Stop the Hate UK, one of the leading national organisations working to challenge all forms of Hate Crime and discrimination, based on any aspect of an individual’s identity.

[1] National Institute for Mental Health in England. (2003). Inside Outside: Improving Mental Health Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in England, London, Department of Health