Nearly 6.4 million people make up the BME population in England and the current makeup of the population living within the Lewisham and Southwark is predominantly from a BME background. The BME communities make up 73% of the population within the Lewisham and Southwark.

The provision of services within mental health for new arriving communities has been a growing concern over the years for many service providers and organisations have realised the need to improve services that are currently available.

Many Somali people fled Somalia due to civil war, many entered Lewisham and Southwark as refugees and asylum seekers in the late 1990s however more recently, a large number have come from other EU countries to settle in

Lewisham and Southwark because of availability of religious schools and community based mosques.

The self-esteem and dignity of Somali people is often closely linked with their standing in their communities and this can be irreparably damaged by the negative connotations around mental illness. Mental health is seen as a taboo subject within the communities

There are strong indications in regards to mental health problems in the Somali community primarily post traumatic stress disorder however due to the stigma and lack of awareness around mental health in the Somali communities' people may be finding it difficult to seek help.