A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

1. GMBME NetworkInfluencing Change|: Empowering Communities Kunle Olulode Director Voice 4 Change England 4 July 2013 A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

2. Vision and mission

3. How will we do it? InfluenceIncrease involvement of the BME VCS in decision making CampaignIncrease awareness of the BME VCS’ impact and value Develop Improve the capacity and quality of VCOs to meet the needs of BME and other disadvantaged communities A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

4. What is public policy landscape? A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

5. New policy landscape • Equality and race equality • Public spending cuts • The Big Society

6. BME VCS: already delivering the Big Society • Communities coming together to self define solutions to problems – the Big Society! • Response to failure of mainstream services. • Sensitive to cultural, religious and linguistic needs. • Engage ‘hard to reach’ communities. • Empowering users and strengthening social mobility. • Building bridging social capital and creating social cohesion. A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

7. Race and equality “We must recognise acknowledge and accept that racism exists. Of all the issues that came out of the Lawrence report to my mind this is the most important. It is my mantra.” IMRAN KHAN, DOREEN LAWRENCE’S LAWYER “The UK still has a problem with racism” DAVID CAMERON, JANUARY 2012 • Government Integration Strategy: • BME VCS briefing • EDM 2874 • Campaign for race equality strategy 50% Young Black people unemployed 31% Young Asian people unemployed

8. Public spending cuts “The social, economic and physical wellbeing of vulnerable BME communities are likely to be sacrificed to efficiency savings” JUST WEST YORKSHIRE £3.3 billion Predicted reduction in Gov spending on the VCS between 2010-2015 • What V4CE are doing: • In-work poverty events • Support brokered from OCS strategic partners • Training and resources on funding and sustainability • Consultations and campaigns • What can VCOs do? • Marketing/promotion; free digital media • Partnerships/collaborationsSupport tools • Join FREE membership

9. Big Society Big Society Policy Roadshows: Leeds, Brighton, Manchester Consultations: commissioning, reducing bureaucracy, building a stronger civil society • Promoting social action • Opening up public services • Localism and community empowerment The V4CE definition of ‘mainstreaming’

10. Barriers in achieving equality in the Big Society “Lack of support provided for engagement of marginalised groups” “Trust in the system that they [service users] feel are abandoning them” “Commissioning is proving to offer nothing to local equalities-led organisations because they are too small to be lead organisation on a tender and larger organisations are not cascading the contracts out/down to the smaller organisations.” “Language, mobility, fear of hostility” 2011 - V4CE Big Society and Tackling Inequalities survey - emerging findings

11. Big Society: What do we want to see? • Voice and involvement • Recognise specialist infrastructure • Fair funding • Fair commissioning • Value specialist public service delivery • Strategic oversight • Accountability A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

12. Shared Vision: Pledge your support • We believe the BME VCS is a crucial part of civil society. • We support the BME VCS to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges identified in A shared vision. • We call on policymakers to act on the recommendations and commit to disseminating the messages from A shared vision findings through our networks. Website: http://www.voice4change-england.co.uk/shared-vision.html A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

13. How do we rise to the challenges ? • Developing strong partnerships • Engaging with local commissioners • Identifying priorities for communities • Marketing ourselves • Evidencing outcomes / impact • Fast, innovative, flexible • VFM and excellence in service delivery • Campaign locally but seek support nationally within the sector(build solidarity) A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

14. Influencing positive change • Continue to use your local and national Compact • Support the Race equality Campaign and EDM 2874 • Shared Vision – Communicate, Celebrate and Communicate • Challenge ‘C’ words Commission, Cohesion, Citizenship tests • Interrogate ‘I’ words Integration, Islamophobia, institutional, identity, immigration) • Rely on our ‘R’s Rights, responsibility, research, respect, records, restorative justice • Encourage the use of ‘E’ s Equality, economic equity, evidence, empowerment and enforcement A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector

15. Contact • Email Info@voice4change-england.co.uk • Telephone 0207 697 4242 • Website • http://www.voice4change-england.co.uk/ • Membership http://www.voice4change-england.co.uk/content/membership • Twitter http://www.twitter.com/v4ce Advocates for the BME voluntary and community sector