Becoming an anti-racist organisation
In the weeks and months that followed the murder of George Floyd, Rethink Mental Illness has had honest – and at times painful - conversations with employees, people severely affected by mental illness, and partners across the health and social care sector. In 2021, we made a firm commitment to become a truly anti-racist organisation.
What does this mean to us? It means putting equity (or fairness) at the heart of everything we do. It means campaigning for better mental health support for people from Black, Asian, or minority ethnic communities, working with them to co-design the services they need, and challenging the inequalities that underpin poor mental health. It also means creating a truly inclusive and anti-racist workplace.
We will seek out and listen to the experiences of those affected by racism and ensure they have a platform. We will lend our support and our voice to the work of organisations tackling racial inequality, and we will continue with our efforts to ensure a truly anti-racist workplace.
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Becoming an anti-racist organisation - progress update March 2024
Our latest Anti-Racism Progress Report is an open, honest and frank assessment of the progress we have made and the distance we still have to go. It is not a list of everything we have done over the last two years. It's a look at the key activities and the foundational changes we have made to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
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Becoming an anti-racist organisation - progress update May 2023
We knew that we needed to move from mere words and performative gestures to real and tangible action. Three years since the murder of George Floyd and since we published our Becoming an anti-racist organisation: Progress Update, June 2022 we can say that, whilst we know that there is still much more we need to do, we are making real and tangible progress on our commitment to becoming truly anti-racist organisation.
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Becoming an anti-racist organisation - progress update June 2022
Peter Alleyne, Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Race Equality, and Nisa Chisipochinyi, Head of Equity and Racial Justice, explain where we are in our mission to become an anti-racist organisation after looking through the results of the independent review by Oxytocin-Learning.
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Becoming an anti-racist organisation - progress update Sept 2021
We are resolute in our aim to become an anti-racist organisation. This is critical to our remit as a charity. People from racialised communities are more likely to experience mental illness and less likely to receive the care and support they need. Change is essential and actively challenging racism is central to this.
Read our September 2021 update Read our September 2021 update -
Becoming an anti-racist organisation - progress update May 2021
Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, we made a firm commitment to become a truly anti-racist organisation. Our update provides an overview of progress towards that admission one year on.
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Our anti-racism statement
We are pleased to be publishing this statement of our commitment to becoming an anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider. This commitment will also apply to our work influencing policy and wider societal factors impacting mental health.
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Our equality and diversity statement
At Rethink Mental Illness we believe in equality. Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity. That’s why we strive to prevent discrimination and protect our staff, the people who use our services, and our members from being discriminated against.
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Rethink Mental Illness reaction to The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report
On 31 March 2021, The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities released its report looking at racial inequality. Brian Dow, Deputy CEO of Rethink Mental Illness, comments on what we see as a missed opportunity,
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Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) mental health
If you are from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, you may face specific issues relating to your mental health. This section gives information on your options for support and treatment and to help resolve any specific issues. This section is for people of colour who experience mental health issues and their carers.
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