Campaign Group 4WardEverUK plans to launch the new volunteer-led Red Alert Support & Signposting Service in the not too distant future in association with Catalyst 4 Change CIC.
4WardEverUK was established by Tippa Naphtali in 2006, three years after the death in custody of his cousin, Mikey Powell. 4WardEver UK is a community collective providing news and information sharing services. The collective supports the call for police, penal and mental health reforms in the UK and internationally.
Initially covering Birmingham and The Black Country, we aim to roll the service out across the West Midlands and beyond.
Red Alert HELP! will provide free-phone 24-hour telephone, text and online support and advice/advocacy for families affected by deaths or abuses in custody, or concerned about vulnerable relatives or friends detained in police, prison or immigration custody, or those held under the Mental Health Act. Our franchise model will replicate these services.
The services are available primarily (but not exclusively) to people from BME, racialised and marginalised communities.
Tippa Naphtali said;
“When my cousin Mikey Powell became ill my Aunt had no idea who to call, particularly as he was not physically ill. In her desperation she turned to the police for assistance and not the mental health service, but this was to end tragically with Mikey’s death.
“My Aunt is not alone in this respect. There are large sections of our communities that are disengaged with or unaware of what community health services are available to them.
“We need something in place which is truly grassroots and community-led to act as a conduit to ensure people are aware of both their basic rights and of relevant support services they can access free of charge in their localities”
It is on this basis that Red Alert HELP! is being established in Birmingham. A group of people have joined forces to develop the concept with both personal experience of custody matters, and extensive experience within the voluntary & community sector.
Founder Tippa Naphtali, has almost 40+ years experience of working with voluntary & community organisations, as well as working within statutory agencies. The majority of his work has been in marginalised and BME communities from inner city areas.
Prior to returning to Birmingham in 2005, Tippa had strategic responsibility for a collection of healthy living programmes including sports and arts development, charity shops, healthy eating projects, youth and advice services in East London.
Red Alert HELP! 