BLACK HEALTH INITIATIVE (BHI)

What BLACK HEALTH INITIATIVE (BHI) does

Black Health Initiative (BHI) is a UK-based community engagement charity, founded circa 2009 and headquartered at Suite 3, Call House Business Centre, Enfield Street, Leeds. It serves disadvantaged and minority ethnic communities — predominantly African, African Caribbean and Dual Heritage populations in Leeds and surrounding areas — with a mission of equality of access to education, health and social care. Its programme portfolio spans: free, confidential UKCP/BACP-accredited counselling for adults and young people aged 13+; a Men's Health and Wellbeing programme including the 'Breaking The Silence' mental health initiative, a Prostate Cancer Awareness programme, and the 'Men Behaving Daddly' fatherhood engagement programme; a Supporting Seniors service focused on reducing social isolation; and the BME Cancer Voice, the only BME national cancer programme in the UK, launched at the House of Commons in 2014. BHI also operates community-facing assets such as the Black Music Festival (an annual free festival described as the fastest-growing in Europe) and the annual Legacy Awards at Leeds Town Hall.

BHI operates a referral-based, community-led go-to-market model in which individuals may self-refer or be referred by partner organisations. Core institutional partners are NHS Leeds, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds City Council, schools and education providers, voluntary sector organisations, Macmillan Cancer Support (co-delivery of cancer services including a hair-loss service) and Prostate Cancer UK (commissioned national prostate cancer awareness work). All services are provided free of charge, and the organisation is funded by donations and charitable grants rather than user fees. BHI holds the distinction of being the first third-sector organisation to receive the NHS Personal, Fair and Diverse Champion Award.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: a website-based service-information platform, with no mobile applications, no public API or SDK, and no disclosed integrations, AI or data-science capabilities. Distribution is entirely regional (Yorkshire and the Humber). Following the death of founder/CEO Heather Nelson in 2023 after 14 years of leadership, the organisation is overseen by Chair Sofyanah Ramzan and relocated to upgraded offices in February 2025, suggesting operational continuity but no disclosed revenue, headcount, or fundraising figures to gauge scale.

Name

BLACK HEALTH INITIATIVE (BHI)

Legal name

Black Health Initiative

Website

https://blackhealthinitiative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Health Initiative is a Leeds-based UK charity delivering free, culturally competent health, counselling, cancer-awareness and community programmes to African, African Caribbean and Dual Heritage communities, funded by donations and NHS/local-authority grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Social Care Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health & Health Equity/Social Determinants Units (HLAJAAAO), Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12) (EDAJALAG)

Keywords

• Community health services
• Health inequality programmes
• Culturally competent counselling
• BME cancer awareness
• Community engagement charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: BHI operates as a charity/nonprofit relying on donations and funding from partnerships with NHS bodies, local government, and charitable organisations. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BHI is a community engagement charity that delivers free health and social care programmes for disadvantaged and minority ethnic communities in Leeds. Its core offerings include a confidential counselling service for adults and young people aged 13+, a Men's Health and Wellbeing Programme (mental health, prostate cancer awareness, fatherhood engagement), Supporting Seniors services to reduce isolation, and the BME Cancer Voice national cancer programme. All services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries and are funded through donations, grants and partnership support.

Product overview

Black Health Initiative (BHI) is a community engagement organization offering a portfolio of health and social care services focused on disadvantaged communities in Leeds. The organization provides direct service programmes including Health & Wellbeing services, a Men's Health and Wellbeing Programme (with Breaking The Silence mental health initiative, Prostate Cancer Awareness, and Men Behaving Daddly fatherhood programme), Confidential Counselling services, BME Cancer Voice cancer support programme, and Supporting Seniors services. BHI also operates community-facing programmes including the Legacy Awards and Black Music Festival. All services emphasize equality of access to education, health and social care for minority ethnic communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BME Cancer Voice: BHI programme launched at the House of Commons in 2014, the only BME national cancer programme in the UK.
• Black Music Festival
• Legacy Awards

Products and services

• Health & Wellbeing Services Free community health and wellbeing programmes addressing health inequalities affecting disadvantaged and minority ethnic communities in Leeds, including women's health and general wellbeing initiatives.
• Men's Health and Wellbeing Programme
• Confidential Counselling Service
• Supporting Seniors
• BME Cancer Voice

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NHS LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Leeds is a key partnership for BHI's mission of equality of access to health and social care. The partnership enables BHI to work within the NHS system to address health inequalities in minority communities.
• Leeds Community Healthcare NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to supply equality of access to community healthcare services for disadvantaged communities in Leeds.
• Leeds City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local government to deliver equality of access to education, health and social care provision in Leeds.
• Schools and Education ProviderssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchools and educational institutions serve as referral pathways and community engagement points for BHI services, particularly for counselling in schools programmes.
• Voluntary Sector OrganisationssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with other voluntary sector organisations to extend reach and provide comprehensive support services to minority communities.
• Macmillan Cancer SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHI through BME Cancer Voice developed 'hair loss' services in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support. BHI works closely with Macmillan to reach diverse communities ensuring inclusion in cancer programmes.
• Prostate Cancer UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHI was commissioned by Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness of prostate cancer in black men nationally. BME Cancer Voice programme focuses on the 1 in 4 men statistic for black men.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chinese Community Health and Wellbeing CIC: Birmingham-based community interest company addressing health inequalities and access for minority ethnic (Chinese) communities. Comparable as a culturally specific health-equity organisation delivering community programmes and counselling.
• BME Health Forum Kingston: South London-based charity addressing health inequalities for BME communities. Comparable as a small BME community health-equity organisation funded via NHS partnerships, with similar service portfolio (advocacy, engagement, signposting).
• African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust: UK charity raising awareness of stem cell/bone marrow donation in BME communities. Comparable as a BME-focused health charity working on cancer and blood disorder disparities.
• Sickle Cell Society: UK-wide charity supporting people affected by sickle cell disease, predominantly affecting BME communities. Comparable mission around health equity for BME populations and culturally competent service delivery.
• Race Equality Foundation: UK charity focused on race equality and health equity, producing research on health inequalities affecting minority ethnic communities. Comparable as a BME health-equity advocacy and service organisation.
• Cancer Black Care: London-based charity supporting Black and minority ethnic communities affected by cancer. Directly comparable to BHI's BME Cancer Voice programme, serving the same beneficiary population with culturally competent cancer support.
• Friends, Families and Travellers: UK charity working with marginalised communities on health and social care access. Comparable as a community-based health-equity organisation addressing inequalities among excluded minority groups.

Broad incumbents

• Macmillan Cancer Support: One of the UK's largest cancer charities, an existing strategic partner of BHI. Operates broadly across cancer support but is increasingly partnering with BME-specialist charities to address the cultural gaps BHI is positioned to fill.
• Prostate Cancer UK: National prostate cancer charity that has commissioned BHI to deliver awareness work in black men. Large incumbent in the same health-condition space, relying on BHI's cultural reach to serve BME beneficiaries.

Regional players

• Black Cultural Archives: London-based BME heritage and cultural organisation. Comparable as a BME-focused charity operating in a different region with adjacent community development and engagement functions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-health-initiative-bhi-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BLACK HEALTH INITIATIVE (BHI)