Black Minds Matter UK
Pardner Hand
£3,461
FUNDS RAISED
118
MEMBERS
Join us in supporting
Therapy: We assess and match Black individuals and families to Black therapists
Awareness: We create and share resources, run workshops and deliver talks aimed at educating the community about Mental Health and Mental Illness
Advocacy: We advocate for transformational systems change with an aim to influence policy
Standing Together in Joy, Community & Care
When Black Minds Matter UK began in 2020, we made a promise: to stand firmly with our community by offering free, culturally appropriate mental health support. Together, we’ve raised over £3 million, delivered thousands of therapy sessions, and walked alongside hundreds of people on their journey to healing.
As one year comes to an end and a new one begins, we’re reminded of the traditions that have always helped us navigate life’s highs and lows. One of the most powerful is the Pardner Hand, a shared practice of giving, receiving, and holding each other up. Known across the Caribbean and African diaspora as Pardner, Susu, Sou-Sou, or Ajo, it is built on trust, unity, and the belief that everyone thrives when the community thrives.
We’re carrying that spirit with us into the year ahead.
For some, this time of transition brings hope and renewed energy. For others, it can feel uncertain or heavy, especially for those living with anxiety or navigating mental health challenges. That’s why we’re continuing to create space for care, rest, and connection.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing gentle tools to support wellbeing, ways to steady anxious moments, and small acts of self-kindness for anyone who may need a little extra support!
An Invitation to an Act of Kindness
In the same way the Pardner tradition brings people together, many in our community choose to make a small monthly contribution as a quiet act of care, a way of keeping the community strong for someone who needs support.
There is no pressure. Just an open invitation to take part in a legacy of kindness.
With £1 a month or more, your Pardner contribution becomes part of something deeply meaningful: a shared fund that helps provide therapy for Black people across the UK, especially during times when support matters most.
It’s a simple gesture.
A steady, hopeful act of community.
A way to say: no one should face their struggles alone.
Want to learn more about our Pardner Hand? Check out the FAQs below.
FAQs
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On 22 June 1948, the HMT Empire Windrush brought hundreds of Commonwealth citizens from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after the war.
Despite their hard work, many were denied bank accounts and loans because they had no UK credit history, making things like buying a home nearly impossible. So, the community pulled together and created Pardner Hand, a simple, trust-based savings club where everyone chipped in to help each other get ahead.
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The Pardner Hand is rooted in traditions of mutual support within Black communities, where people come together to pool resources and uplift one another. By using this model, we’re not only raising funds but also building solidarity and accountability. It reflects the belief that mental health is not an isolated journey but a collective act of healing.
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On 6th May 2025, we reopened our therapy waiting list. Just four months later, over 600 people joined the waiting list for help. That’s 600 lives on hold, families, friends, and futures, all in need of support. Meeting this need will cost over £1 million, but right now, our budget only stretches to help a little over 200 people.
We can’t leave the rest behind. And we can’t do this without you.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand with us. By joining our Pardner community, and giving as little as £1 a month, you can be part of a movement of 100,000 people raising £100,000 every month. Together, we can clear the waiting list and make sure no one is left without the therapy they deserve today, and for generations to come.
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Your contribution goes directly towards providing free, culturally appropriate therapy sessions for Black individuals across the UK.
Just like in a traditional pardner, your monthly contribution helps someone today, and builds a system that can support you or your loved ones tomorrow.
Even £1 a month helps us extend access to life-changing support.
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In addition to your monthly contribution, you can support the Pardner Hand by spreading the word within your networks, family, friends, workplaces, and community groups. Every conversation helps break the stigma around mental health and brings more people into the Pardner Hand community.
Click here to select an image and Share our campaign on your socials
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This campaign draws on the Caribbean Pardner hand tradition, but differs in one key aspect: contributions / donations are gifts that remain with BMMUK and are not returned to donors. The money remains in the fund to provide therapy for the Black community. Unlike the original system, there is no drawdown.
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Yes, absolutely! Sharing stories of how traditions like Pardner Hand, Susu, or Ajo shaped and supported your family is at the heart of this campaign. These stories honour the resilience of the Windrush generation and show how community care, trust, and solidarity have always been part of our heritage.
By sharing your story, you’re helping to connect past to present — showing how the spirit of Pardner Hand lives on today as we build a Black mental health fund, by us, for us.
You can share your story in three ways:
Email us at BMMUK info@blackmindsmatteruk.com
Tag us in your post and use the hashtag #BMMUKPardnerHand
DM us directly on our social channels
Your voice helps inspire others to join this community and stand firm in power and pride.
