Catalyst 4 Change: 2025 marks 10 years into the journey

Site Admin • 11 August 2025

published : 11 August 2025

In 2025 Catalyst 4 Change will be proudly marking 10 years since its inception. The organisation was first conceived in 2015 by founding directors Tippa Naphtali and Sandra Griffiths, and was formally incorporated as a Community Interest Company on 19 June 2017. Its formation drew inspiration from the lived experience of Mikey Powell's story.

Catalyst supports community organisations, social enterprises, faith groups or businesses that have a significant African and Caribbean mental health / wellbeing service user base. We do this by providing learning seminars, networking/collaboration opportunities, capacity building, incubation support, representation, research support and access to a professional services directory.

Catalyst has a powerful social mission to strengthen the capacity and networks of voluntary, social enterprise, grassroots, service user led, statutory organisations and businesses to ensure that they provide the right care, at the right time and in the right place to African and Caribbean people with mental health support needs and their carers living in the West Midlands.

Since the organisation was conceived in 2015, we have spoken with numerous and varied faith-based organisations, statutory and voluntary sector organisations, grassroot organisations, black people with lived experience of mental health problems and their carers to create a better understanding of the current mental health experiences of African and Caribbean communities in the West Midlands. See our 2018 update on progress here >

Here are just some of our key projects and developments:

Black Thrive comes to Birmingham: new chapter for Catalyst 4 Change (October 2021)

In 2020, Black Thrive Global received a significant grant from The National Lottery Fund to expand into Birmingham, Lambeth and Haringey, London.

Black Thrive will be working closely with partners in Birmingham to:

Dismantle systemic inequalities facing Black communities through solutions led by and embedded in Black communities
Develop and deliver community led research to better inform policy
Invest in Black leadership by supporting Black people in leadership roles and investing in future generations of Black leaders

Catalyst launched the LEx Leaders Development Programme (April 2021)

In April 2021 we announced our first major initiative, the LEx Leaders Development Programme, which was been made possible with 2-year funding from the National Lottery's Leaders with Lived Experience 2020. The programme was to support lived experience (LEx) leaders and their organisations to be central to recovery and renewal efforts as we moved through and beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic crisis.

The initiative also developed the LEx Leaders Living Toolkit

www.catalyst4change.org.uk/leaders-living-toolkits

Catalyst launched West Midlands-wide Support-Connect helpline (December 2020)

Catalyst 4 Change (in partnership with four West Midlands African & Caribbean mental health service providers), launched the SUPPORT-CONNECT helpline service on 21 December 2020. This new regional initiative is funded by the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund), and also by The Heart of England Community Foundation.

The initiative also developed the Support-Connect DIY Support database

www.catalyst4change.org.uk/revamped-catalyst-support-connect-database-and-appeal-for-data

Podcast series: Covid Conversations, Black Perspective (September 2020)

The Red Earth Collective in collaboration with Catalyst, produced a radio advertising campaign and a series of podcasts and interviews to support the wellbeing of African and Caribbean communities around the impacts of COVID-19.

See more about current Catalyst services (Advocates for Change, MASH Meet & Eat, Community Led Research, Pathways to Independence etc) and developments here - www.catalyst4change.org.uk/our-services

Here are just some of our key events:

Catalyst 4 Change - 1st Black Thrive Community Assembly (May 2022)

On the 14 May 2022 more than 100 Black community members, community organisations and allies gathered for the launch of Catalyst 4 Change’s Black Thrive Birmingham programme.

Looking Back : Moving Forward – National Family Fund event report (September 2021)

This event took place on 10 September marking the 18th anniversary of the death of Mikey Powell in West Midlands police custody, and celebrated 6 years of the National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund.

Tackling Mental Health Conference (December 2017)

This major Birmingham conference made its mark as a rallying cry for Black communities to play a much greater part in determining their own wellbeing and to push for improvement, was made at this cross-sector mental health conference.

Others included those below and more;

National Family Fund Caring Matters event (May 2023)
African & Caribbean Mental Health Community: CaFI Study (March 2020)
Seni’s Law: The Mental Health Use of Force Act seminar (July 2019)

See more events listed here - www.catalyst4change.org.uk/events-learning

Here are just some of our key landmarks:

Announcement of Catalyst regional community development outreach (October 2023)
Catalyst commissioned for consultation on the Patient Carers Race Equalities Framework (July 2021)
Catalyst involvement in the SYNERGI National Pledge (August 2020)
Catalyst 4 Change: Making an impact update (December 2018)
Catalyst supports MASH short and long term development plans (April 2017)

Stay with the journey of Catalyst as we move into another decade of development, where we'll be continuing to shape better and more appropriate mental health and wellbeing services and interventions for African and Caribbean communities in the West Midlands.

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