Reaching and engaging marginalised communities Section Title Reaching and engaging marginalised communities

Jess’ story Jess’ story Lived experience Experience of stigma Work as a campaigner Ways to combat stigma in the Asian community

Jess’ story Community engagement Events we’ve held in Leicester What we found worked well What didn’t work What we plan to do going forward

Our community engagement principles Communication Research Figures of authority Media Partnership working

Group activity Communication What happens if there’s someone at an event who doesn’t speak English? What happens if a person comes from a culture where ‘mental health’ as a concept doesn’t translate? What happens when certain words might cause offence? Some words are stigmatising in themselves – challenging stigma is hard but worthwhile. If a translator is present, they also need an understanding of mental health stigma in order to avoid literal translations of stigmatising words. Thinking about ways to package mental health and wellbeing in a way that people will not be immediately resistant to – examples of Food and Mood initiative, linking body with mind, mental health with overall physical health

Group activity Research Does the community have important places of worship or community groups that are active? Which areas of the city are people from your community more likely to live in or feel safe in? What are some key dates of the year for the community? You can find out which areas of your Hub are populated by which communities through Public Health data – each local authority has its own Public Health JSNA that breaks down areas and communities. Community engagement works best when you go to the area, instead of expecting people to come to your event in the city centre. Examples of events such as Ramadan, Eid, Diwali, Vaisaki, Black History Month, Pride Month, IDAHOBIT, Chinese New Year

Group activity Figures of authority Who do people listen to in the community? Are they people who are sympathetic to combatting mental health stigma? In Asian communities, doctors are valorised and considered very reliable. The Iman in a mosque has a key role in the Muslim community. With the Gurdwara work, we worked with key contacts within the Sikh community centre who had influence in the Gurdwara and were willing to spread an anti-stigma message.

Group activity Media Are there any local radio stations or community media projects? How do people in the community use social media? Are there specific Facebook groups based around specific issues? Media and social media – radio stations, TV programmes, in Leicester we have Pakar News, Sabras Radio, Koh-i-noor Radio, BBC Asian Network, etc. Facebook support groups are key in queer communities

Group activity Partnership working Are there any local organisations that could help you engage with the community? Are there any branches of national organisations that could help? Examples of City of Sanctuary, Council of Faiths, national Mind, Race Equality Centres in your area, LGBT centres in your area. Working across sectors is always a good approach.

Feedback from groups Examples of City of Sanctuary, Council of Faiths, national Mind, Race Equality Centres in your area, LGBT centres in your area. Working across sectors is always a good approach.