News / Nilaari
‘The spirit of Nilaari saved my life twice’
Despite higher prevalence of wellbeing needs, Black adults are the least likely ethnic group to seek mental health support or treatment. According to the NHS, just six per cent of Black adults in the UK will seek support compared to 13 per cent of white people.
Nilaari is a Black-led charity based in Easton that have made it their mission to offer culturally responsive mental health services to people in Bristol.
Its name, Nilaari, is a West African word meaning ‘self-worth’, encompassing the vision that the charity has. The number of service users have increased greatly in the two decades since Nilaari started, attending either group sessions aimed specifically at men or women or making use of mental health support and 1-2-1 talking therapies offered.
is needed now More than ever
Jean Smith, CEO of Nilaari, says dedicated services within communities are important – photo: Nilaari
It is strikingly apparent the contribution Nilaari is making in the local community. Testimonials from those who have used their services show what an incredible difference they are making.
One such testimonial reads: “The acknowledgement and understanding of how cultural upbringings and past experiences could have impacted my childhood until now, and the different techniques and support to manage myself, understand myself better and build my relationships, have been amazing.
“You’d be surprised how few decent positive Black male role models I’ve had in my life. You may never truly realise it but your blessed spirit and the spirit of Nilaari saved my life twice”
Bristol24/7 will be partnering with Nilaari over the course of the next twelve months to help amplify their cause, connect them with local businesses who may be able to help with things like HR, fundraising and marketing and offer them promotion across our site and publications.
The team at Nilaari will be invited to Bristol24/7’s Better Business meetings – photo: Milan Perera
Bristol24/7’s Head of Audience, Meg Houghton-Gilmour, said: “Working with our annual charity partners is one of the most rewarding parts of my job and I’m really excited to get to know the Nilaari team better and understand how we can leverage our audience and network to support them to reach their goals. I hope we can amplify their voice, thus in turn connecting them with new people in Bristol who might benefit from their support.”
These annual charity partnerships are supported by Bristol24/7’s Better Business network, which is currently made up of 65 community-minded organisations in Bristol, and also by our supporter members.
Find out more about Nilaari and how you can support their work.
Become a member of Bristol24/7 to support our work with charities and our projects to create opportunities for young people and amplify marginalised voices.
Main photo: Nilaari
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