The need for culturally relevant mental health support for Black people remains urgent. However, demand for BMMUK's therapy service has been greater than our current capacity and funding can safely support.

Rather than continuing to build a waiting list that people may sit on for too long, we are pausing the offer while we review the service model, our resources, clinical capacity and the feedback shared through our consultation.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We know that stopping or changing a service affects trust, particularly when people have already faced barriers to accessing mental health support elsewhere. We want to be honest about where we are, rather than make promises we cannot responsibly keep.

We are not able to confirm a date.

Our priority is to make sure that any future therapy offer is safe, clinically sound, financially sustainable and clear for the people using it. Until we are confident we can deliver that, we will not be reopening applications.

We will share updates through our website, newsletter and social channels when we have something concrete to share.

If you have already been in contact with BMMUK about therapy, we understand you may want clarity about your position.

Where we are able to contact people directly, we will do so with updates about the service and any relevant next steps. Please check your inbox and junk folder for any communication from BMMUK.

We are not currently able to offer new therapy assessments, new therapy placements, or a guaranteed place on any future pathway.

BMMUK is not a crisis service and we cannot provide urgent mental health support.

If you need urgent help, please:

•     contact your GP

•     call NHS 111 and select the mental health option

•     contact your local crisis support service

•     contact Samaritans for free at 116 123 if you need someone to talk to

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.

We will continue to share wellbeing resources, information and updates through our website and newsletter.

We know that trust is built through honesty, consistency and accountability.

We are committed to being transparent about what we can and cannot currently offer. We will avoid making commitments before they are confirmed, and we will update our community as soon as there is clear information to share.

We also recognise that Black communities are often asked to wait, adapt or accept reduced access to support. That is why we are taking this pause seriously. Our aim is not simply to reopen a service quickly, but to understand what model can genuinely serve our community safely, respectfully and sustainably.

BMMUK exists to make mental health support, education and conversation more accessible, relevant and culturally informed for Black individuals, families, communities and organisations.

While our therapy offer is paused, our wider work continues. Right now we are:

•     reviewing the feedback from our consultation to understand what a safe and sustainable future therapy offer could look like

•     delivering workshops and talks for organisations on mental health through a Black lens

•     sharing practical resources and wellbeing information

•     working with community groups, workplaces and partners to challenge stigma and improve understanding

•     fundraising through Pardner Hand to support our wider work

Therapy is an important intervention. We are not pretending that workshops, resources or conversations are the same as individual therapeutic support. They are not. But our work has never been only about therapy.

Black Minds Matter UK is a registered charity operating in the UK.

Our purpose is to create and champion safe and accessible mental health support with and for the Black community. Our vision is a community of Black people readily accessing mental health support, recovering fully from mental illness and thriving.

A brief overview of our journey:

•     June 2020. BMMUK crowdfunder launched by Agnes Mwakatuma and Annie Heyes.

•     July 2020. Around 2,600 people signed up to access therapy with BMMUK.

•     January 2021. BMMUK granted official charitable status.

•     March 2021. Launch of the #BMMUK21K challenge to raise funds for therapy access.

•     2022. Focus on clearing the waiting list and developing infrastructure.

•     January 2023. Change in leadership signals a new phase of growth.

•     June 2023. Waiting list cleared and recruitment drive launched.

•     June 2024. Staff team grew by 100 percent.

•     2025. Community consultation on the future of the therapy service.

•     2026. Decision to pause the therapy offer while we review and rebuild.

If you are in a position to support BMMUK, donations help us continue working towards safe and accessible mental health support with and for the Black community.

You can give a one off or monthly donation through Pardner Hand, our community fundraising programme rooted in Caribbean and West African rotating savings traditions brought to Britain by the Windrush generation.

We want to be clear: donating does not create access to therapy and does not guarantee that the therapy offer will reopen by a specific date.

Your support helps us continue the wider work, including service review, community engagement, resources and building the foundations for sustainable mental health support in future.

Visit our Pardner Hand page to give or to find out more. https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/pardner-hand

You can fundraise for BMMUK by:

•     making a regular or one off donation through Pardner Hand

•     fundraising through your company or employer

•     organising your own fundraising event, such as a cake sale, quiz night or poetry evening

•     taking part in a challenge event such as the London Marathon

•     making a corporate donation through your business

To find out more about fundraising with us, get in touch at info@blackmindsmatteruk.com.

Yes. BMMUK delivers workshops and talks for organisations on Black mental health.

Our workshops create space for learning, reflection and practical conversation. They help people better understand mental health, recognise the impact of racism and inequality, talk about wellbeing more openly, and think about how to support themselves and others at work.

They are not a replacement for therapy, clinical assessment or one to one mental health treatment.

To enquire about a workshop for your organisation, visit our Talks and Workshops page or email partnerships@blackmindsmatteruk.com

You can stay up to date with BMMUK by signing up to our newsletter, where we share updates on our work, fundraising opportunities and ways to get involved.

Sign up at blackmindsmatteruk.com/newsletter