SCOTTISH ALLIANCE OF REGIONAL EQUALITY COUNCILS

1. SCOTTISH ALLIANCE OF REGIONAL EQUALITY COUNCILS WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO 1

2. Who We Are? SAREC is a national alliance of local organisations which delivers services on the ground championing equality and human rights and challenging all forms of discrimination SAREC is a national voice for its four member organisations and works to assist their development in addressing the changing Equality and Human Rights landscape 2

3. What We Do? SAREC is a unique venture as a national strategic organisation with grassroots service delivery experience across Scotland SAREC adds value to the existing minority ethnic infrastructure in Scotland by bringing strategic support to the grassroots REC’s in Scotland 3

4. Our Members • Central Scotland Regional Equality Council • Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council • Grampian Regional Equality Council • West of Scotland Regional Equality Council SAREC members organisations govern the organisation and the chair and vice chair of each REC act as directors on the SAREC Board 4

5. Our Aims • To embrace the broader equality and human rights agenda • To work to reduce inequality and all forms of discrimination • To promote equality for all and strengthen good community relations • To be a user led network of grassroots organisation across Scotland • To promote equality standards of excellence 5

6. Our Business SAREC is a membership organisation which gives local and regional organisations an opportunity to input to national equality work SAREC works to include its members in national policy consultations and research which affect their stakeholders and influence positive change 6

7. Terminology SAREC is committed to the promotion of a non colour coded community based ethnicity framework. We prefer to use the term ‘minority ethnic’ instead of ‘black and minority ethnic’ This approach demonstrates our commitment to recognising and respecting the diverse identities and the cultural and religious backgrounds of the communities that comprise the changing face of modern Scotland

8. RRRI Project Four regional projects each run by member REC funded through the Scottish Governments Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Fund. Projects work with minority ethnic communities and equality groups to increase their participation in the community planning process Project take on a cross equality characteristic work that recognises the many equality needs an individual may have i.e. disability and race, sexual orientation and civil partnership 8

9. RRRI Project Notable successes have been • The establishment of the North East Scotland Equalities Network (NESEN) by GREC • Work of WSREC’s Connecting 2 Communities Project in Renfrewshire to begin to build minority ethnic infrastructure in Renfrewshire with community planning • Running the ‘Accessing health Services in the Forth Valley’ seminar by CSREC • Engaging minority ethnic communities in the Dalkeith and Woodburn locality Plan by ELREC

10. Our Future SAREC aims to continue its development to include: • The promotion of all equality issues to policy shapers and decision makers in Scotland • Supporting its members to put in place services and projects which benefit diverse communities across Scotland • Increase of equality/community organisations in Scotland using their experiences to influence policy development in Scotland by becoming members of SAREC 10

11. Contact Us For more information or to contact the SAREC Board please contact: Strategic Development Officer Scottish Alliance of Regional Equality Councils c/o Napiershall Street Centre 39 Napiershall Street Glasgow, G20 6EZ Tel: 0141 337 6626 Email: info@sarec.org.uk www.sarec.org.uk 11