As Mental Health and Wellbeing continues to be a prominent point of discussion, conversations develop from this around “what is available?”, and “how do I access support?”. A question that cannot be simply answered when we consider the growing waiting times within NHS services, increasing demand for services, and the Community Transformation of Mental Health Services, as outlined by the government. Consequently, communities such as our own, the South Asian community, are often labelled “hard to reach”. A growing body of work within the NHS is being completed around “health inequalities”, identifying barriers communities are facing toward engaging in mental health services.
These barriers range from; stigma, cultural taboos, and communities feeling services are not culturally informed regarding customs and religious practice. Consequently, the south-Asian community is underrepresented within services.
The effect of this is evident, given the recent number of suicides within our community. Accordingly, we reflect, looking at why this is happening and how we can prevent this. A mechanism of change around this, we and other organisations have identified, would be to upskill the community and offer something services cannot, in the form of culturally sensitive peer support within the communities we strive to support. The crucial aspect being that services and support will come to the community, rather than there being an expectation communities must come to services.
The Sikh Alliance Yorkshire, in collaboration with Taraki, worked to facilitate a peer support training programme for Panjabi Men with 12 men voluntarily taking part in the training. As a part of Taraki’s “Cha in the City Movement” Sikh Mental Health & Wellbeing have begun working alongside Taraki, to create Peer Support Spaces for Panjabi Men, throughout Yorkshire, to socialise and improve their mental wellbeing through discussion and interaction. With the hope of this later informing a support group/safe space where Panjabi Men can speak to others, discussing their wellbeing and share positive coping strategies.
The project will now sit within Sikh Mental Health & Wellbeing, to link further with the community and projects. Such as the 13 Community Clinics run throughout Leeds’ Gurdwara’s monthly.
Please see the following link for our upcoming Peer Support Spaces, which will be held at a range of venues throughout Yorkshire.
You can also get in touch with the team through the following email: [email protected]