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During Black History Month, and in honour of the International Day of Care and Support (October 29), we chatted with the Black Carers Collective at Camden Carers to better understand the strength within our local community.
We interviewed Kemi Bandele-Forbes, Service Manager at Camden Carers, to explore the connection between Camden Carers and UCL, and to highlight how care, culture, and community intersect in the work of the Black Carers Collective.
Q: How did Black Carers Collective Start?
The Black Carers Collective was founded in October 2020 in response to carers expressing that they felt the mainstream carer support groups at Camden Carers did not fully meet their needs and that a group dedicated to Black carers that understood the additional barriers they faced, particularly around mental and physical health services would be greatly received. Now in its fifth year, the group has around 150 members and is one of Camden Carers’ most attended support groups.
We hold monthly meetings both online and in-person and invite guest speakers to talk with members on a number of culturally relevant topics, such as:
- Specialist nutritionist discussing Vitamin D deficiency and supporting carers to advocate for themselves to get appropriate treatment from their GPs
- Health workers discussing the prevalence of certain cancers in the Black community
- Black teachers discussing decolonising school curriculums
Q: What support do you provide for Black Carers?
As an organisation, Camden Carers offer a wide range of support including statutory Carers Assessments, which act as a gateway for carers to access a range of internal support services, services in the wider community and financial support to improve their wellbeing. We also offer counselling to support carer’s mental health, health and lifestyle checks and employment support.
As well as our general services, Black carers can get involved in days out organised by the Black Carers Collective including trips to the theatre, art galleries and live music.
Q: How can UCL students get involved?
Camden Carers supports unpaid carers aged 18+ who either live, work or study in Camden or care for someone in Camden. Any UCL students that have a caring role can access our support services for free by referring here.
Q: What collaborations do you have with UCL and the local community?
Camden Carers has collaborated with UCL Medical School for over a decade by offering placements to Year 1 and 2 medical students. Students join us for half a day, meet with staff and carers and learn, firsthand, how being a carer can impact your own health and wellbeing and how health professionals should consider unpaid carers as experts when it comes to supporting their patients.
This summer we began a similar collaboration with UCL Pharmacy School, taking on 8 students for 2x 1 week placements where they learnt about how health inequalities impact carers and what they can do as professionals to support them. We received fantastic feedback from the Pharmacy students.
We would like to thank Kemi Bandele-Forbes and the Black Carers Collective at Camden Carers for sharing their experiences and insights with us. Their continued dedication to empowerment, support, and community remains a powerful source of inspiration.