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Top award for global majority mental health charity
Bristol-based charity Nilaari Agency has won a major impact award for supporting ethnically marginalised communities.
Bristol24/7 charity partner for 2024/2025, Nilaari Agency, has scooped one of this year’s GSK IMPACT Awards, a coveted accolade for healthcare charities in the UK.
The charity, based at Stapleton Road, was recognised for its work in providing culturally sensitive and tailored mental health support to adults from Black, Asian, and minoritised communities.
is needed now More than ever
Despite increased awareness of mental health and well-being, deep-rooted stigma still persists, especially among men from Black and ethnic minority communities who are hesitant to seek help. Nilaari is set to breaking down this stereotype.
Nilaari provides culturally sensitive and tailored mental health support to adults from Black, Asian and minoritised communities
Jean Smith, chief executive of Nilaari Agency, said: “Serving minoritised communities is a privilege, and I am truly humbled by the recognition of our team’s hard work at Nilaari. A heartfelt thank you to The King’s Fund and GSK judges for acknowledging and appreciating what we do.”
The award judges were particularly impressed by the charity’s extensive reach into communities, delivering services where they are most needed and across a range of venues, including health centres, GP practices, churches, mosques, and other faith settings.
Staff at the charity also communicate in the seven most prevalent languages of the Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities in Bristol.
After a rigorous selection and assessment process, Nilaari Agency was chosen from a record number of award entries as one of the 10 winners of the 2025 GSK IMPACT Awards.
“Serving minoritised communities is a privilege, and I am truly humbled by the recognition of our team’s hard work at Nilaari,” said Jean Smith, chief executive of Nilaari Agency
Now in its 28th year, the awards are delivered in partnership with leading health and care charity The King’s Fund.
The awards are widely regarded as a mark of excellence in the charity health sector and are designed to recognise outstanding small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the UK.
As an award winner, Nilaari Agency will receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding, as well as a place on a highly sought-after leadership development programme provided by The King’s Fund.
The NHS Race and Health Observatory identified that psychotherapy services need better tailoring to meet the needs of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities, with individuals experiencing worse outcomes and longer waits for assessment than the white population.
Evidence also shows that Black people are more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, while Public Health England has previously identified that people with severe mental illness are at greater risk of developing other diseases at a younger age and dying prematurely.
The charity’s name, Nilaari, means ‘to have self-worth’ in Yoruba – a West African language. Established in 1999, the charity provides community-based advice, support, and counselling to individuals aged 18 and over from Black and other racially minoritised communities affected by the devastating impact of substance misuse, particularly crack cocaine.
Their diverse team of therapists and practitioners now provides trauma-informed mental health care and support.
In addition to one-to-one counselling, they offer wraparound care for individuals facing challenges such as debt, housing issues, domestic abuse, immigration problems, and hate crimes. They also deliver wellbeing groups, telephone support, and awareness-raising about mental health to ensure people can access the right support at the right time.
For the year ending March 2023, Nilaari Agency supported 1,670 individuals: 46 per cent accessed one-to-one personalised support, 35 per cent accessed one-to-one counselling, and a further 19 per cent attended group counselling.
Based on feedback collected, 9 in 10 reported an improvement in their mental health as a result of the charity’s work.
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While the financial context in which charities operate is increasingly challenging, the award judges were impressed by Nilaari Agency’s commitment to meeting the targeted needs of its local community. This includes running two monthly women’s groups and two men’s groups, where members can come together to share experiences and connect.
The charity works closely with local NHS organisations, for example, partnering with two GP practices in Bristol to pilot a project to improve access to physical health checks for patients with severe mental illness.
Lisa Weaks, senior associate at The King’s Fund, said: “Nilaari Agency’s reach and ability to be flexible in response to identified mental health needs within its local community is highly impressive.
“It takes a health prevention approach, considering the whole wellbeing of an individual, as well as partnering closely with the NHS.
“The charity plays a key role in Bristol and the surrounding areas to ensure that those who may not access traditional healthcare routes do not fall through the gaps when it comes to getting the support they need to live well.”
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.
All photos: Nilaari
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