Toby Ben-Babatunde’s connection to mental health is a deeply personal one that reaches back to her early life and continues to shape her purpose today.
Growing up in Nigeria, she had an aunt who experienced what she now recognises as a mental health condition. At the time, her family and community didn’t have the language or awareness to name it. Because of that, her aunt never received the support she needed.
“When I moved to the UK, I began to understand the importance of compassionate, informed mental health care, and that changed everything for me,” Toby reflects.
It wasn’t an easy journey.
“Working and studying in spaces where I wasn’t always fully represented gave me a deep understanding of what it feels like to navigate systems that don’t reflect your story. That experience built in me a strong sense of empathy and advocacy.”
Today, that empathy guides Toby in her role as a Non-Executive Director and BAME Representative on the Navigo board — a position that allows her to help shape strategy, representation and inclusion across the organisation.
“I’m a proud Nigerian woman driven by a passion for advocacy, inclusion and meaningful change,” she says. “My mission is to help build systems where everyone feels seen, valued and supported.”
Her recent work on a health equity project brought her closer to members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in North East Lincolnshire. Through those conversations, Toby identified several barriers that make it harder for people to access mental health support — from cultural stigma and fear of being misunderstood to a lack of trust and representation in healthcare.
“Seeking professional help is sometimes seen as a weakness or failure,” she explains. “Many prefer to manage distress privately or within family or faith settings, which delays early intervention and can worsen outcomes. And when people have experienced discrimination in healthcare, it’s natural to lose confidence in the system.”
Toby believes representation is transformational, not symbolic. And cultural understanding can also shape how people express mental health.
“When people see professionals who reflect their backgrounds or experiences, it builds trust and may reduce stigma. That sense of belonging can be the difference between disengagement and recovery.
“In many African and Asian cultures, people might describe emotional pain through spiritual or physical terms, saying they feel ‘spiritually burdened’ or ‘under attack’ rather than using words like depression or anxiety,” she says.
“When professionals aren’t aware of those differences, they can easily miss what’s really being communicated.”
Each October, Black History Month offers an opportunity for reflection — something Toby describes as both ‘a celebration and a responsibility’.
“It’s a time to honour the resilience, brilliance and courage that have defined our communities across generations,” she says. “But it’s also a reminder to keep building on that legacy through education, advocacy and unity. History isn’t just something we remember, but something we carry forward every day in how we lead, create and uplift others.”
This year’s theme, ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’, echoes Toby’s own philosophy, one she strives to live out through her work at Navigo. While care for service users will always remain central to the organisation, she believes true inclusion must also continue to extend to staff.
“The most important change I’d like to see is a shift toward a workplace culture where diversity is viewed as a strategic strength, not a challenge,” she says.
“Everyone should feel safe to bring their whole self to work without the fear of being misunderstood, tokenised or undervalued.
“It’s not enough to talk about diversity. We need to live it through empathy, by challenging bias, and by creating spaces where colleagues can share their experiences without judgment.”
This is the basis of See Me First — a new initiative promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across Navigo.
Originally launched by Whittington Health in 2020, the campaign encourages staff to pledge openness and respect, treating all colleagues with dignity.
The scheme was launched at our Annual General Meeting earlier this year, and the response has already been overwhelmingly positive.
It is symbolised by wearing a See Me First badge, which is designed to reflect the different melanin skin tones. It aims to promote open and non-judgemental conversations.
“Ultimately, what fuels me is the belief that kindness is a powerful currency — the more we give, the more it multiplies,” she says. “That’s how we make change real — through empathy, connection and the courage to see one another fully.”
