Standing Firm in Power and Pride: A Black History Month Reflection
Black History Month is a profound and necessary time of reflection, celebration, and education. For 2025, the theme, “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” resonates deeply with my own journey and the principles that guide my work every day at Cygnet.
From E-Commerce to Empathy: Finding My Calling
My story begins in Zimbabwe, where I was born and raised. My upbringing instilled in me a strong sense of resilience and an entrepreneurial work ethic. I first came to the UK on a student visa after completing my A-levels. Initially, my career was in technology; I earned a degree in computer science and worked in e-commerce.
However, my path took a transformative turn. After being made redundant, my sister-in-law, a mental health nurse, encouraged me to explore a career in healthcare. She believed I could apply my skills and knowledge to truly improve the lives of others.
While training, I had an epiphany moment on a general surgical ward. Spending time with a young patient who had just lost his leg, I realised my passion was in therapeutic support, not general nursing. Seeing the heartfelt gratitude from him and his family confirmed that mental health was where I belonged, leading me to pursue a master’s degree and work towards becoming a psychotherapist.
A Culture Where Patients Come First
I joined Cygnet in 2018, looking for an organisation whose priorities aligned with mine. Having worked previously across the sector, I had seen first-hand the challenges that arise when services are under pressure. I wanted to be part of an organisation where the focus was always on putting patients and staff first.
I will never forget when our CEO, Tony Romero, visited Cygnet Hospital Maidstone, a site I was opening. He said something that has stuck with me ever since:
“You look after the patients and the staff; everything else will fall into place.”
This focus on people over profit immediately resonated with my core family and personal values and was all I needed to hear. At Cygnet, I have been truly empowered to thrive and succeed, and I feel my opinion and clinical background are genuinely valued, allowing me to focus on my purpose without distraction.
The Importance of Compassionate Care and Education
The themes of Black History Month are inextricably linked to my drive to improve health outcomes, particularly for my community. I am acutely aware of the unconscious biases in healthcare that can mean Black people, and Black men in particular, receive poorer health outcomes. At one point in my career in inner-city London, Black males made up 3% of the general population but a staggering 68% of the inpatient services in my area, highlighting a severe, disproportionate inequality.
This issue is not academic to me; it is deeply personal. I know from the experiences of close relatives, how important compassionate care is. When a family member had a mental health crisis, the police turned up, and his first experience was being put in handcuffs, forcing me to fight for him to be assessed and admitted.
This is why education among the police and healthcare professionals is vital to ensure compassionate care is given and lives are saved. I used my experience to make a difference, working closely with the police, going on night shifts, and inducting new recruits on mental health to build better awareness and relationships.
This experience continues to drive me today: the care I want my relatives to receive is the care I strive to ensure every patient at Cygnet receives.
Visibility, Mentorship, and a Hope for the Future
The theme of this year’s Black History Month – Standing Firm in Power and Pride – is about acknowledging that resilience and providing a platform to showcase the successful contributions of the Black community. That is why the work of the Multicultural Network at Cygnet is so important.
Visibility and representation matter immensely, as they challenge negative stereotypes in the media. I realised that simply by being in a senior leadership position, I was demonstrating what is possible to achieve at Cygnet. I have since become an informal mentor to Black colleagues, which means so much to me personally.
As a parent, my greatest hope is for my children, and all people, to be judged, as Dr. King once famously said, “not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” It is a daily mission that Cygnet, through its values and networks, helps us to achieve.
More about Simba
In 2015, Simba was awarded a UK Government Mental Health Hero Award in recognition of his for outstanding leadership and passion in caring for those experiencing mental health crises, ensuring that the right care and compassion is always available for those who need it.
One of just ten regional winners, Simba met the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, at Downing Street to receive his award.
Simba was praised by multiple sources for his work, including the Metropolitan Police and Norman Lamb MP, Minister for Care and Support at the Department of Health.
At the time Simba said: “I feel honoured and privileged to be one of the recipients of this award. I do hope that this initiative that the Deputy Prime Minister has launched will go some way in raising awareness of mental illness, dispel some of the stigma and prejudice associated with it.”