Muslim Mind Collaborative

Launching the MMC Faith Equity Capacity Building Programme 2026

This new programme will support mainstream mental health services to strengthen how they understand, engage with, and support Muslim communities.

Delivered in partnership with the Association of Mental Health Providers, the programme goes beyond awareness training to help organisations build confidence in faith-sensitive practice, improve cultural competence, and develop more meaningful relationships with the communities they serve.

Participating services will receive targeted learning, practical guidance, and insight to help them:
• improve engagement with Muslim communities
• better understand faith, identity, and lived experience in mental health settings
• strengthen equitable service delivery and access
• build trust through more informed and responsive practice

Learning and outcomes from the programme will also inform MMC's 2026 Capacity Building Report, highlighting best practice models and helping shape wider sector change.
If your organisation is ready to take practical steps towards more inclusive and faith-equitable mental health support, we invite you to apply.

Apply by 5 May 2026 👇
https://muslimmindcollaborative.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MMC-Faith-Equity-Capacity-Building-Programme-Cohort-2026-1.pdf

Value Every Mind | Al Risalah Secondary School
We delivered our Value Every Mind programme at Al Risalah Secondary School, working with students, parents, and staff to explore mental health and emotional wellbeing through a faith-sensitive lens.

Across separate assemblies for girls and boys, students were invited into honest conversations about emotions, stress, and self-care, grounded in Islamic teachings that affirm our humanity. A key message resonated strongly: caring for the mind and body is not separate from faith; it is part of it. Students reflected on how emotional struggle does not reflect weak īmān (faith), and how seeking support is an act of strength and trust in Allah.

Alongside this, we held a parent coffee morning that created space for open discussion about adolescence, mental health, and the realities young people are navigating today. Parents spoke candidly about pressure, identity, and the responsibility of caregiving, recognising emotional attunement as both a parenting and spiritual practice.

Creative wellbeing workshops followed, where students explored Islamic calligraphy as a form of mindfulness and reflection. Through rhythm, repetition, and patience, creativity became a grounding practice, connecting emotional regulation, self-expression, and cultural heritage in a way that felt familiar and meaningful.

💬 This session made me feel relaxed but also excited. Itmade me explore how art can be tied to Allah and I found another way to express my faith.”

💬 “Even simple things like art can make you feel calm.”

Moments like these remind us why Value Every Mind exists: to normalise mental health conversations, reduce stigma, and offer young Muslims tools that honour who they are, emotionally, culturally, and spiritually.

Delivered by Muslim Mind Collaborative, with the support of Muslim Aid, this work continues to show what’s possible when wellbeing is approached with compassion, relevance, and trust.

🔗 Learn more about the programme:
https://muslimmindcollaborative.co.uk/value-every-mind-muslim-secondary-school-wellbeing-programme

Value Every Mind | Tayyibah Girls’ School Spotlight

At Tayyibah Girls’ School, we delivered a whole-school wellbeing programme that brought together students, parents, and practitioners to explore mental health in a way that was faith-sensitive, practical, and deeply relevant to young Muslim girls today.

The day began with a whole-school assembly led by Dr Hina Dadabhoy, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead at The Reflection Project opening up honest conversations about stress, anxiety, and emotional wellbeing grounded in psychology and Islamic tradition. Young people were encouraged to see emotional struggle as something to be understood and supported, not judged. Students reflected on how faith can offer compassion, understanding, and strength in times of difficulty, not silence.

Alongside this, a parent coffee morning offered a supportive space to discuss adolescent mental health, identity, and the realities young people are navigating today. Parents recognised the role of care, patience, and open communication in supporting their children’s wellbeing within a faith-informed framework.

The programme concluded with a creative wellbeing poetry workshop for Year 9 students, led by award-winning poet Rakaya Fetuga. Through role play, improvisation, and guided writing, students explored emotions, identity, and self-expression using poetry, an art form deeply rooted in Islamic civilisation. Creativity became a tool for calm, confidence, and voice.

💬 “I feel like this workshop has helped me feel more connected to my faith and made me view poetry differently.”

💬 “I learnt how to manage stress, feel more calm and I would like to start writing poems to express my feelings and personal experiences”

Delivered by Muslim Mind Collaborative and supported by Muslim Aid, Value Every Mind continues to show how faith-literate, culturally grounded approaches can strengthen emotional literacy, reduce stigma, and help young people feel seen, supported, and confident in who they are.

🔗 Learn more about the programme:
muslimmindcollaborative.co.uk/value-every-mind-muslim-secondary-school-wellbeing-programme

2025 has been a defining year for Muslim Mind Collaborative (MMC) as we continue to strengthen faith-sensitive, culturally grounded approaches to mental health for Muslim children, young people, and communities across the UK.

Our work this year focussed on school-based delivery, sector collaboration, and shaping national conversations through research and reporting.

The Reflection Project Muslim Aid Chiltern Learning Trust Muslim Researchers' Network Islamic Relief UK