Essentially, assisting in the development of well governed and managed community-based services (reducing the dependency on statutory provision) is at the core of our mission. Lived experience leadership needs to be at the forefront of strategies for the future of civil society and wellbeing of African and Caribbean communities.

To achieve this we provide capacity building, funding support, service incubation, networking opportunities and access to professional services for community groups / organisations.

We know that African and Caribbean communities are holders of huge reserves of social capital, of assets and resources, skills and talents, knowledge and experience. Much of this social capital remains unknown and little understood or utilised by our public agencies. And that our public agencies have become increasingly drawn into a ‘culture’ of management and bureaucracy that are making them ever more distant and remote from the communities which they are seeking to serve.

The effect of this separation has seen a disregard and neglect of our greatest resource - our communities and their members - leading to a loss of confidence and trust in our public institutions. This has resulted in varying degrees of social exclusion, particularly in areas that have suffered from multiple deprivations with a resulting increase in health and social welfare inequalities right across our society. 

We are committed to meaningful consultation with, and involvement of, service user/survivors and those with lived experience of coping with mental distress and illness – both within and outside the system.