Black Systems Change Leadership Academy

Key information:

• Partner: The Ubele Initiative
• Amount: £149,000
• Duration: Two years
• Programme: Innovation

What are we doing together?

From our work in Lambeth and Southwark, we know that there can’t be health equity without racial equity. One in four people in our boroughs are from a Black background – and evidence shows that they are much more likely to experience poorer health than their neighbours from other ethnic backgrounds.

That is why we are partnering with The Ubele Initiative, an African diaspora–led organisation that empowers ethnically minoritised communities, to help strengthen the power of organisations representing Black communities to address health inequalities.

By supporting an accredited course through the Black Systems Change Leadership Academy, we aim to give leaders from Black community organisations the skills and experience to advocate for long-term changes to the systems and policies that drive health inequalities.

Aim of the partnership

• Empower Black leaders from community organisations in Lambeth and Southwark to take a more active role in addressing health inequalities, leading to more inclusive and participatory solutions.
• Create the conditions for a stronger and more economically sustainable Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector in Lambeth and Southwark, with the capacity to drive long-term changes.
• Provide a dedicated and supportive space for Black leaders to collaborate, exchange knowledge, build networks and co-create practical strategies to tackle health inequalities.

Connection to our strategy

Investing in the Black Systems Change Leadership Academy is an important opportunity to act on health inequalities and empower communities to address the social, economic and environmental drivers of poor health.

People are the experts in their own lives – and decision-makers can only make lasting, systematic impact on health inequalities through properly engaging with communities and including people with lived experience in how they make decisions. By supporting Black leaders to speak up for their communities, decisions made together can have a stronger impact.