African Caribbean Community Initiative - ACCI

💙🏃‍♂️ Thank You for Supporting the Charity Fun Run for Ezron Thomas 🏃‍♀️💙

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Handsworth Park on 17th May for the Charity Run in support of Ezron Thomas.

We're delighted to share that, thanks to your incredible generosity and support, we raised £563 for this worthy cause. 🎉

From the runners and walkers to the volunteers, donors, and supporters, every contribution helped make the day a success. It was inspiring to see so many people come together and show the true power of community.

❤️ £563 raised
❤️ A fantastic community effort
❤️ Every step made a difference

Thank you to everyone who took part, donated, shared the event, and cheered on the participants. Your kindness and support are truly appreciated.

💙🙏🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🎉

Congratulations to Sir Patrick Vernon on being awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours.

For more than 30 years, Sir Patrick has championed racial equality, health equity and social justice, transforming lives and strengthening communities across the UK. From leading the campaign for Windrush Day to advocating for underrepresented voices, his impact has been profound and far-reaching.

As a valued Patron of ACCI, we are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his continued leadership, service and commitment to creating a fairer society.

Congratulations, Sir Patrick, on this remarkable achievement. 👏🏾

📣 We’re Celebrating 39 Years of Impact!

ACCI is proud to announce our 39th Anniversary Gala Celebration 🎉

📅 Saturday 26 September 2026
📍 Wolverhampton Racecourse
🕕 Doors open 6:00 PM

✨ This year’s theme: 'Stories That Connect Us'

For 39 years, the African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI) has been supporting African Caribbean individuals experiencing or recovering from mental ill health — helping people rebuild, recover, and thrive.

Along the way, we’ve been shaped by countless stories of resilience, hope, healing, and empowerment. This Gala is a celebration of those stories — and the people, families, staff, volunteers, and partners who make them possible.

🎉 What to expect on the night:

🍽️ Traditional Jamaican meal
🛍️ African market stalls showcasing local traders & culture
🎶 Live music & cultural performances
🏆 Awards & recognition
💬 Inspiring stories of recovery, resilience & impact
🤝 Opportunities to connect with community leaders & organisations

🎟️ Tickets are now on sale from £60 per person

Early booking is encouraged — prices increase to £70 from 1 August 2026.

📩 Book your place by contact us at 01902 571 230 or email us at [email protected]

Are You Registered for Mummy Matters? 💜

Join us n Wednesday 17 June 2026 for Mummy Matters, a free community event created to support mums at every stage of their parenting journey.

In partnership with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, we'll be bringing together health professionals, support services and local families for a morning of connection, advice and wellbeing.

✨ What to expect:
✔️ Holistic health and wellbeing support
✔️ Antenatal (pre-birth) guidance
✔️ Perinatal support for new and expecting mums
✔️ Postnatal support and advice
✔️ Opportunities to connect with other parents

📍 Graiseley Family Hub
Pool Street, Blakenhall, WV2 4NE

📅 Wednesday 17 June 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 1:00pm
🎟️ FREE to attend

Spaces are limited, so register today and find out more:
🔗 https://linktr.ee/accicharity

🌟 Celebrating Volunteers' Week at ACCI 🌟

This Volunteers' Week, we proudly recognise and celebrate the incredible individuals who generously give their time, skills, energy and passion to support the work of ACCI.

We are fortunate to work alongside an inspiring group of volunteers whose commitment goes far beyond giving their time. They bring enthusiasm, compassion, creativity and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Whether they are supporting community events, assisting with administration, helping at workshops, fundraising or helping our Members, every contribution plays a vital role in helping us achieve our goals.

The impact of volunteering cannot be measured simply by hours given. It is measured in the confidence built, the connections made, the opportunities created and the lives changed. Our volunteers help create welcoming spaces where our Members feel supported, valued and empowered. They embody the spirit of community and demonstrate what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose.

During Volunteers' Week, we want to take a moment to honour every volunteer who has devoted their time to ACCI over the years. Your dedication strengthens our organisation and enables us to continue delivering meaningful services and initiatives. Your kindness, commitment, and willingness to give back inspire us every day.

To all our volunteers – past and present – thank you. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your passion. Thank you for believing in our mission and helping us make a lasting difference.

Please join us in showing our appreciation to all volunteers' who make a difference every day.

Happy Volunteers' Week and thank you to every volunteer who helps make ACCI stronger. ❤️

For Mental Health Week last week, we launched our latest campaign, Take A Stand. The campaign aligns with the 2026 Mental Health Week theme of taking action and calls on individuals, organisations and communities to come together, take action and help build a future where holistic and culturally responsive mental health support is accessible to
under-represented communities.

Throughout the week, we hosted a range of activities including a walk in Telford, Cycle for Health, a Sip, Paint and Poetry event, life coaching classes, creative sessions, agricultural activities at Pendeford Nature Reserve and discussions around My Identity within the Women’s and Men’s Group.

We need your support to help spread awareness of this campaign. By donating just £5 per month, or simply liking, commenting on and sharing our campaign, you can help us reach more people and ensure those in need can access our services and support.

Donate just £5 per month 👉🏾 https://acci.org.uk/donate-now/

🧠💚 5 Ways You Can Take Action This Mental Health Awareness Week —

Mental health awareness is more than a conversation — it’s about action. Here are 5 meaningful ways you can make a difference this week and beyond:

💬 S for SPEAK
Check in with your loved ones. Talk openly about mental wellbeing with friends, family, and colleagues. Sometimes a cup of tea or a scenic walk is all it takes to start an important conversation.

🌿 T for TAKE CARE
You cannot pour from an empty cup, this week is a great time to take stock and check in with yourself and your own mental wellbeing. If you support a lot of people (including at work) take extra care to do something special each day just for you.

📢 A for ACCOUNTABILITY
Mental health awareness also means challenging stigma and understanding inequalities. Learn more about mental health provisions in the UK, raise your voice, and hold decision-makers accountable for creating lasting change.

🤝 N for NOVELTY
It is easy enough to get active for mental health awareness week, but it is even more important to have longer-term support from your networks, especially after the novelty of MHAW is gone. Mental health is like a scale we all exist on, so we have to look after it.

❤️ D for DEVOTE
Change does not happen overnight; it happens when people commit their time, energy and voice to a cause bigger than themselves. Find an organisation already doing the work and get behind it. The Take A Stand Campaign is one such avenue. By devoting yourself to the campaign, whether through pledging £5 a month, volunteering, or simply amplifying our voice, you become part of a movement that is tackling systemic inequality, breaking stigma, and demanding change that lasts beyond this week. Devotion turns awareness into action.

Awareness is important. Action changes lives.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is Take Action.

Now more than ever, action matters. Here’s why:

- Detentions under the Mental Health Act have continued to rise — exceeding 52,000 admissions for the past two years in a row.

- Black people are still 4x more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than their white counterparts, and 8.5x more likely to be placed on a Community Treatment Order (CTO).

- Deprivation has created a postcode lottery for treatment — people living in the most deprived areas are over 3.5x more likely to be detained than those in the least deprived areas.

- People of Chinese heritage have the lowest detention rates across ethnic groups, with some believing this may be linked to traditional holistic wellbeing practices.

This week, let’s raise awareness, challenge inequality, support wellbeing, and push for change.

Follow us for more ways you can take action this Mental Health Awareness Week.

⚠️ Come and attend our Mummy Matters community event in June ⚠️

We've teamed up with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to host a community event for mums.

✅ Access holistic health and wellbeing
✅ Get Pre-natal support
✅ Get peri-natal support
✅ Get post-partum support
✅ Meet other parents

📍 Location:
Graiseley Family Hub, Pool Street, Blakenhall WV2 4NE
Price- 🆓

Wednesday 17th June 2026
10:00 - 13:00

Register or find out more -> https://bit.ly/mummy-matters