By Matthew McKenzie – Chair of ethnic mental health carer forum.

For my latest spoken word video, “Today I Prayed,” I present a piece from my PCREF poetry collection that I am working on, Unpaid, Unseen and Yet Unbroken.

Grounded in the spirit of the Patient Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), this poem centers on the often hidden realities faced by unpaid Black mental health carers.

The poem explores spirituality not just as a source of private comfort and endurance, but as a solitary lifeline when formal systems fail and the heavy emotional weight of duty takes its toll.

I think watching this video is an invitation to witness the quiet strength of minority carers, plus raise awareness of systemic gaps in our care frameworks.

I hope the poem ensures that these vital carer voices are finally seen, heard, and respected.