Brand-new podcast out now! Loveness and Tracy on race, ethnicity and cultural heritage
This month (October) is Black History Month 2026, and this year’s theme is “Honouring Our Communities,” recognising the people and places that sustain Black life across Britain.
Across October, we are using our platform to amplify the lived experiences of our colleagues, service users, carers and communities; shining a light on their vital contributions; and highlighting how, together, we are taking action every day to become a safe, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation.
This week, we are shining a spotlight on our Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) programme, and some of the brilliant programme team who are driving real and meaningful change across mental health services in Greater Manchester and beyond.
Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage
Racism remains a persistent challenge across the NHS, with staff and service users experiencing discrimination, abuse and racial inequalities daily. REACH was developed to address these realities at GMMH, in direct response to concerns raised by staff.
By listening to, and learning from real experiences, REACH is helping mental health services to create safer and more inclusive environments based on the specific needs of their local communities, whilst improving confidence of individuals to report and appropriately challenge racist behaviour when they see it.
Brand-new podcast out now!
In this brand-new podcast, Loveness Ncube and Tracy Slaughter discuss their work within the REACH programme to reduce racism-related incidents and improve how services respond when they occur.
Throughout the conversation, you’ll hear valuable reflections on collaboration, culture, and the collective responsibility we all share in responding to hate crime and creating environments where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.
Out now on YouTube or simply press play below.
Widening our REACH
Starting off as two local pilots in Salford and Manchester, the REACH programme has now been adopted by NHS mental health services and partner organisations across Greater Manchester and beyond. Participating teams meet regularly to share learning, insights and resources in order to create the most impact possible.
The REACH team continues to receive national and international recognition for its contributions as a sector leader anti-racist practice in healthcare.
We are proud to announce this month that our REACH team has been shortlisted for the Inclusive Culture Initiative Award at the national Inclusive Awards 2026!
The annual Inclusive Awards ceremony is one of the UK’s most established cross-industry celebrations of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The “Inclusive Culture Initiative Award” recognises internal initiatives, strategies, campaigns and resources that have been implemented with diversity and inclusion at their core. GMMH has been shortlisted alongside Skyscanner, Thames Valley Police, United Utilities, Balfour Beatty and Network Rail.
Leah Norton, Quality Improvement Project Officer said:
“Through REACH, we are building a community of passionate and driven individuals, teams, partners and services, who are taking action to bring about positive change. Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. Our mutual commitment to learning from each other fuels our efforts and impact.
“We are very proud to be shortlisted for the Inclusive Culture Initiative Award and hope that this platform will encourage and inspire other organisations across the UK and beyond to take action to foster safe, inclusive, and supportive working practices.”
The winners will be announced at the Inclusive Awards on November 12, 2026 at the Hilton Hotel, Liverpool.
Our REACH team have been invited to present at the upcoming NHS Race and Health Observatory) launch event on 22 October.
The NHS Race & Health Observatory works to identify and tackle ethnic inequities in health and care by facilitating research, making policy recommendations and enabling long-term transformational change.
The event will bring together organisations from across the health sector to explore how anti-racism principles can be translated into meaningful organisational change.
As part of the event, the REACH team has been invited to showcase GMMH's approach to racial equity improvement, share learning and provide practical examples to support others in their anti-racism improvement work.
Alison Schofield, Quality Improvement Lead at GMMH said:
“We are proud to represent GMMH at the NHS Race and Health Observatory event to contribute to the vital conversation about creating more equitable, inclusive and anti-racist healthcare services.
“The invitation by the Race and Health Observatory recognises the significant progress that we have made through REACH and provides an opportunity to demonstrate how quality improvement methodology can be been used to support culture change, engagement, and improved experiences for those from minority ethnic backgrounds.”
Find out more and get involved
You can find out more about our REACH programme here: Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) or get in touch with the REACH team on QualityImprovement@gmmh.nhs.uk if you want to be involved.
And please stay tuned for more spotlights on our people and programmes throughout Black History Month!
