Black Mental Health UK Top 30 list for 2016

Human rights campaigns group Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK) has launched it's Top 30 list for 2016, spotlighting those who have supported our work over the past year in addressing the injustice in the way the Mental Health Act is used against black people of African descent and the discrimination that they face from these services.

This list 'Biggs Up' the best in the sector and is essential reading for anyone working in this area of health care or who has an interest in human rights, and seeing an end to the institutional racism in both the police and mental health services that effects black Britons held in the mental health system.

Recipients include; Lord Herman Ouesely, Dr Kanyana Mutombo, former principal adviser on racism and director of African Popular University , Alicia Spence, from the African Caribbean Community Initiative and George Ruddock, The Voice Newspaper.

BMH UK's Top 30 list for 2016 is of particular significance to people from the UK's African Caribbean communities, as the one group that continue to be disproportionately subject to detention under the Mental Health Act, even though there isn't' a higher prevalence of mental illness amongst this group.

BMH UK broke new ground in 2016 as the only black led civil society organisation that gave evidence to the United Nations Committee the Elimination Against Racism Discrimination (CERD) and the Council of Europe's European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), that focused on the anti-black/African-phobic racism faced by African Caribbean communities living in the UK, particularly those who are forced to used mental health services.

Matilda MacAttram director of Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK) said:

“Significant breakthroughs have been made over the past year, BMH UK's parliamentary campaign calling for a ban on the use of Taser firearms against detained patients shattered the silence on a hidden human rights abuse that has gone unchecked for the past 10 years.

OBV Staff reporter

*Top 30 list

Government

1. Lord Herman Ouseley. 

2. Charles Walker OBE MP former chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Mental Health.

3. The Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP, former minister of state for mental health and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for health.

4. The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, former Secretary of State for International Development.

5. Lord Richard Rosser Labour's shadow health minister

6. Baroness Joan Warmsley Liberal Democrat Health's spokesperson's

Campaigns

7. Matilda MacAttram, Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK),

8. Dr Kanyana Mutombo, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) former principal adviser on racism and director of African Popular University (UPAF).

9. Djamela Balcott nutritionists and health activists,

10. Simon Woolley, founder and director Operation Black Vote (OBV

Human rights

11. Pastor Murillo independent expert, United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD

12. Francisco Cali Tzay independent expert and former president United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

13. Afiwa-Kindena Hohoueto independent expert, United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

14. European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).

15. The United Nations Human Rights Council's (HRC

16. United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT)

Community mental health

17. David Pinder, mental health advocate and community activist.

18. Alicia Spence, African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI

19. Vanette Wilson Nyabingi Mental Health Service

20. Kelvin Goodwin Black People's Mental Health Association,

Service user

21. Harry Sarkodie widely respect activist

Media

22. George Ruddock, The Voice Newspaper

23. Paul Gallagher The Independent Newspaper.

24. Dan Parton, Mental Health Today,

25. Basel Mahmood Voice of Islam Radio (VoI)

Faith

26. Pastor Desmond Hall Christians Together in Brent.  

27. Archdeacon Daniel Kajumba, Committee for Ethnic Minority Anglican Concerns (CEMAC

28. Jeffrey Muhammad, Nation of Islam (NoI)

Unions

29. Mick Nicholas, Black and Minority Ethnic Members (B&EMM) National Secretary, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU)  

30. UNISON Black Members Group

www.blackmentalhealth.org.uk/index.php/expert-opinion-mainmenu-127/1701-black-mental-health-uk-bmhuk-has-launched-its-top-30-list-for-2016