Bristol charity supporting the mental health of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities wins top UK health award

The charity has won the award for its work providing culturally tailored mental health support to adults from Black, Asian and minoritised communities.  

The award judges were particularly struck by the charity’s deep reach into communities, delivering services where they are most needed and across a range of venues, including health centres, GP practices, churches, mosques and other faith settings. Staff at the charity also communicate in the seven most prevalent languages of the Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in Bristol.

Following a rigorous selection and assessment process, Nilaari Agency was chosen from a record number of award entries as one of the 10 winners of the 2025 GSK IMPACT Awards.

Now in its 28th year, the awards are delivered in partnership with leading health and care charity The King’s Fund. The awards are widely seen as a mark of excellence in the charity health sector and are designed to recognise outstanding small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the UK.    

As an award winner, Nilaari Agency will now receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding as well as a place on a highly sought after leadership development programme provided by The King’s Fund.  

The NHS Race and Health Observatory identified that psychotherapy services need better tailoring to meet the needs of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, with individuals experiencing worse outcomes and longer waits for assessment than the white population. Evidence also shows that Black people are more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, while Public Health England has previously identified that people with severe mental illness are at greater risk of developing other diseases at a younger age and die prematurely. Nilaari Agency works in Bristol and the surrounding area to help overcome many of these issues.

The charity’s name, Nilaari, means ‘to have self-worth’ in Yoruba – a West African language. The charity was established in 1999 to provide community-based advice, support and counselling to individuals aged 18 and over from Black and other racially minoritised communities affected by the devastating impact of substance misuse, particularly crack cocaine.

Their diverse team of therapists and practitioners now provides trauma-informed mental health care and support. In addition to one-to-one counselling, they offer wraparound care for individuals facing debt, housing challenges, domestic abuse, immigration issues and hate crimes, and delivers wellbeing groups, telephone support and awareness-raising about mental health to ensure people can access the right support at the right time.  

For the year ending March 2023, Nilaari Agency supported 1,670 individuals: 46% accessed one-to-one personalised support and 35% accessed one-to-one counselling, with a further 19% attending group counselling. Based on feedback collected, 9 in 10 reported an improvement in their mental health as a result of the charity’s work.  

While the financial context in which charities operate is increasingly challenging, the award judges were impressed by Nilaari Agency’s commitment to meeting the targeted needs of its local community. This includes running two monthly women’s groups and two men’s groups, where members can come together to share experiences and connect.

The charity works closely with local NHS organisations, for example partnering with two GP practices in Bristol to pilot a project to improve access to physical health checks for patients with severe mental illness.

Lisa Weaks, Senior Associate at The King’s Fund, said: "Nilaari Agency’s reach and ability to be flexible in response to identified mental health needs within its local community is highly impressive. It takes a health prevention approach, considering the whole wellbeing of an individual, as well as partnering closely with the NHS.

"The charity plays a key role in Bristol and the surrounding areas to ensure that those who may not access traditional health care routes do not fall through the gaps when it comes to getting the support they need to live well."  

Commenting on the award, Jean Smith, CEO of Nilaari Agency, said:  "Serving minoritised communities is a privilege, and I am truly humbled by the recognition of our team’s hard work at Nilaari. A heartfelt thank you to The King’s Fund and GSK judges for acknowledging and appreciating what we do."   

Developing leaders in the charity sector is a key aim of the GSK IMPACT Awards programme and all winners are invited to build on their success and take part in a tailored leadership development programme run by The King’s Fund.