The Partners
Community Development Exchange
CDX's mission is to be a strong and effective voice for community development. We are a diverse membership-led organisation, aiming to bring about positive changes towards social justice and equality by using and promoting the values and approaches of community development.
Our membership base is varied, including local authorities, policy-makers, academics, non-profit organisations and 'grass roots' workers throughout the UK. They represent a range of interests, experience and perspectives whilst sharing a belief that a clear set of values and commitments should be at the heart of developing active and sustainable communities.
CDX acts as a catalyst for change by sharing information, experience and practice through a variety of means including conferences, networks, newsletters, website and research.
Black Training & Enterprise Group
The Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) is a national organisation with a successful track record in policy advice and advocacy for BME service providers and represents them on government advisory groups and seeks in particular to ensure fair access and outcomes for black and minority ethnic communities in employment, education, training and enterprise. BTEG currently supports over 600 third sector organisations through its networks and also provides technical assistance support for voluntary and community organisations and public bodies. BTEG will continue their role as Employing Body for V4CE until it becomes a separate legal entity.
Black Development Agency
The Black Development Agency (BDA) has been providing support and services to Bristol's Black Voluntary Sector for over ten years. It manages schemes to promote volunteering by people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and has also championed community development initiatives. As well as being an umbrella organisation for local BME groups, BDA supports and hosts a number of projects to engage Black & Minority Ethnic Groups within the wider political playing field.
Connections for Development
Connections for Development (CfD) is a young but dynamic national organisation, which was established in 2005 to provide a forum, network and platform to facilitate the effective engagement of the UK's Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) civil society with international development issues. It was founded through a collaborative effort involving BME civil society representatives and the government, through the Department for International Development (DFID), out of the long standing need for sustainable BME-led organisation to mobilise, network, inform, champion, and provide an umbrella framework to facilitate their effective involvement and participation in international development issues.
Confederation of Indian Organisations
CIO works in partnership to address many of these inequalities. We have more than 200 partner organisations across England, helping building their capacity and providing them with information to enable them to best serve the South Asian Community. We also are a service provider through our unique culturally appropriate counselling sessions accessing many individuals and community groups. We aim to work from individual, community and national level to develop long term sustainable partnerships.
Social Business Company
The Social Business Company was established as a vehicle to develop and support individuals/ communities to provide the answers to social and economic deficits that are still prevalent in many of the areas that they live in. Voice4Change England Chair Caryl Agard is currently the Chief Executive. He is committed to actions/interventions, which support and build social capital and in so doing, increase the opportunities for communities through public and private sector partnership work.
Carl can be contacted via the Voice4Change England office on info@voice4change-england.co.uk
BECON (North East BME Network)
BECON is the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) voluntary and community organisation’s network for the North East. It’s work includes promoting, supporting and providing information and training opportunities to the BME voluntary and community sector in the North East; facilitating BME groups to network, support each other, share experiences and resources, and influence decision makers.
Black South West Network
BSWN is the BME network for the South West of England. It provides access to information on policy and funding programmes with the aim to; unlock further funds for the sector at a regional level; advocate effectively at a regional level; and, ensure that the sector is consulted and recognised. It also looks to increase the effectiveness of the sector through the provision of advice, information, training; representation, publications and development services.
MENTER (East of England BME Network)
MENTER is the East of England BME Network and exists to develop the BME sector in the priority sectors of infrastructure support; health; education; employment; training; arts; culture; leisure; sport; and, promote race equality and advocate for the sector.
MiNET (London BME Network)
MiNet (Minority Network) was set up in 1999 as the London Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) strand of the Cabinet Office funded regional Third Sector infrastructure network. MiNet is a network of other regional BAME VCS infrastructure networks. It has been facilitated and hosted on behalf of London’s BAME third sector by ROTA since 2002.
One North West (North West BME Network)
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One North West is the regional BME Network working with the five sub-regions of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Cheshire and Lancashire to promote strategic opportunities for influencing decisions from a BME perspective, whilst also promoting collaborative working. One North West aims to -
- Increase Knowledge: Developing a two-way process of information sharing, where the priority needs of the BME third sector will be channeled upwards and government policy made accessible.
- Increase Influence: Opening up strategic opportunities for advocacy and proactive ways to influence policy-making at a regional and national level
- Increase Network Support: Promoting collaboration and shared learning between BME third sector organisations
- Increase Shared Understanding: Developing a pan-equalities approach
In practical terms, this will include informing the BME third sector around the region through -
- Policy Briefings
- Knowledge Management
- A dedicated website
- A e-bulletin
- An annual Report
- Toolkits
Involving the BME third sector around the region by -
- Building a Regional BME Policy Forum
- Developing Advocates
- Holding an Annual Conference
- Undertaking Research
- Consulting and Shared Learning using the internet: E-Engagement
For more information, please contact the Project Coordinator, Daniel Silver on 0161 236 6493 or visit www.onenorthwest.org.uk
UNI (South East England BME Network)
Uni is a regional black minority ethnic (BME) network representing the geographical areas in the South East and was formed after the 19 ChangeUp Additional Support Programme [ASP] project leads came together. Its mission is to develop those 19 networks to meet the needs of their communities, and by working together, influence public policy. Uni means 19 in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.
West Midlands Race Equality Advisory Board
The West Midlands Race Equality Advisory Board (WMREAB) was established in May 2007 by key regional agencies to provide a BME perspective to the regional agenda. It has clear objectives grounded in the principles of empowerment of BME communities. Reflecting policies on the diversity of the West Midlands, which is the UK’s 2nd most diverse region, is essential to alleviate the social and economic disparities that some sections of BME communities still find themselves in. Evidently, we want to work in partnership with regional stakeholders to deliver our vision for the West Midlands: “A region which proactively responds to the challenges of race inequality, and empowers BME communities and the BME third sector.”
