Co-POWeR: Consortium on Practices for Wellbeing and Resilience in BAME Families and Communities

Two viruses – COVID-19 and discrimination – are currently killing in the UK (Solanke 2020), especially within BAMEFC who are hardest hit. Survivors face ongoing damage to wellbeing and resilience, in terms of physical and mental health as well as social, cultural and economic (non-medical) consequences. Psychosocial (ADCS 2020; The Children’s Society 2020)/ physical trauma of those diseased and deceased, disproportionate job-loss (Hu 2020) multi-generational housing, disrupted care chains (Rai 2016) lack of access to culture, education and exercise, poor nutrition, ‘over-policing’ (BigBrotherWatch 2020) hit BAMEFC severely. Local ‘lockdowns’ illustrate how easily BAMEFC become subject to stigmatization and discrimination through ‘mis-infodemics’ (IOM 2020). 

The impact of these viruses cause long-term poor outcomes. Co-POWeR investigates their combined impact on practices for wellbeing and resilience across BAMEFC in the UK to create and holistic idea of vulnerabilities damaging BAMEFC, broadening/deepening existing work as well as conducting new research. Systemic deficiencies have stimulated BAMEFC agency, producing solidarity under emergency, yet BAMEFC vulnerability remains, requiring official support. We produce evidenced recommendations enabling official mitigation of disproportionate damage to the wellbeing and resilience of BAMEFC. Empowerment is a core consortium value – co-design, co-production, capacity-building and engagement informs our methodology. 

Impact

Alongside recommendations, regular reports and meetings, outputs to benefit BAMEFC within the grant period include digital educational resources and cultural materials (films, plays, exhibition).

Project website

https://co-power.leeds.ac.uk/