Coronavirus: Helpline launched for BAME families

As the UK continues to cope with lockdown measures, ‘Boloh’, the first helpline specifically supporting vulnerable BAME families, will be on hand to offer support and advice.

Boloh, which means ‘speak’ or ‘be invited to speak​​​​​’ in Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati, will provide therapeutic support from trained specialists who speak a range of languages and are from a diverse set of cultural backgrounds.

The service aims to offer a lifeline to communities struggling to deal with issues, such as sickness and bereavement, rising hate crime, and loss of support services due to the pandemic, on top of existing inequalities, including poverty, overcrowded housing and physical and mental health problems.

Barnardo’s CEO, Javed Khan, said, ‘As thousands of vulnerable children and families across the UK bear the brunt of the Covid-19 crisis, the urgent need for specialist advice and support has never been greater.’

He added, ‘I know from personal experience that families in Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities have been hit hardest by the pandemic. Black people are four times more likely to die of the virus compared to white people, while Covid and recession are worsening existing inequalities. As a result, children are suffering bereavement, mental health problems and fear for the future - yet many remain hidden from essential support services and have been left to suffer in silence.’