Covid, inequality and hope: what we can learn from one borough’s story

Covid has shone a harsh light on inequalities that persist in the UK. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on many who already face disadvantage and discrimination – affecting people not just over a lifetime but in a matter of weeks. In Brent, north west London, the impact of the virus has been absolutely devastating on people from ethnic minorities communities, on older people and those with a learning disability.

How is the virus repeating patterns of existing health inequalities? What factors are driving the disproportionate impact on the health of ethnic minorities communities? And what needs to happen next?

Our panel will discuss issues that have come to the fore in Brent, and what we can learn from this borough’ experience about the combined effort needed across multiple sectors to address health inequalities in the UK.

Chair

Cllr Ketan Sheth, Chair, Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee Brent Council.

Panel

Dr MC Patel, Chair Brent CCG at NHS Brent

Professor Mala Rao OBE, Senior Clinical Fellow at Imperial College London, Medical Adviser to NHS England’s Workforce Race Equality Strategy

Shyama Perera, writer, broadcaster, Chair of SADAA (the South Asian Diaspora Arts Archive) and trustee of the Youth United Foundation.

Georgina Elizabeth Nutton, Headteacher at Preston Park Primary School

Judith Davey, CEO of The Advocacy Project

The talk will be delivered via a live stream on Zoom. Once you've booked your place, the joining instructions will be included in the Eventbrite confirmation and also sent via email.

Previous speakers have included:

• Jonathan Ellis, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Hospice UK
• Dr Dele Olajide, former Medical Director of SLAM
• Janet Gurney, Director of Training for 'Us in a Bus,'
• Megan Karnes, HoardingUK
• Kate Mercer, Black Belt Advocacy
• Gail Petty, Advocacy Lead and QPM Manager at NDTi
• Tim Farmer, author and founder of TSF Consultants
• Jamie Renton, CEO of Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea
• Joe Batty, Senior Community Development and Engagement Officer at Kensington and Chelsea Social Council
• Bernie Flaherty, Bi-Borough Executive Director of Adult Social Care
• Alex Ruck Keene, Barrister at 39 Essex Chambers