Hannah Neale updated the meeting on the BAME Voice that was launched on 4 February at Vestry Hall.  The landscape has changed in recent years and the borough has had 5 BAME Mayors and 17 Councillors. This shows progress but there are still issues that the BAME community need support.

1 in 3 of Merton’s residents is from a minority ethnic background and this will change to 30%.

The borough is becoming more diverse  and has newer communities such as Tamil and Eastern European. Over 100 languages are spoken in schools.

Disparities exist in social conditions, particularly in East  Merton where the life expectancy of a male in Cricket Green is 77 years compared to 85.3 years in Hillside.

There is an over representation of the BAME community in mental health, these communities have higher claimant rates for Job Seekers Allowance.  Also there are many highly qualified migrants who want to convert their qualifications.

These are just some of the reasons why BAME Voice has an important role to play to tackle issues and be positively and actively involved in decisions. Rev  Neale informed the meeting that BAME Voice needs to work strategically to be represented and influence decisions that affect BAME people’s lives.  The new organisation wants to hear all voices and be heard at the highest levels.

Action is also needed within the community.  There is a need for the newly settled to learn English, feel settled and become familiar with the values and customs of the country and innovative ways to do so.

BAME Voice has been given £40,000 for 2015/16 and 2016/17 by Merton Council. The key focus over the next two years will be:

·         Mapping BAME organisations and their services in Merton and  the surrounding areas. 

·         Identifying suitable BAME grass roots residents, and providing them with training, where necessary, to participate in various decision making bodies.

·         Marketing culturally appropriate packages to the various sectors working with BAME communities e.g. Social Services, NHS, Schools, the Police.

·         Running Workshops/programmes to encourage intercultural communications, particularly between the more established BAME communities and the newer settlers in the area.

·         Securing additional funding to extend awareness of the heritage of the various BAME communities in Merton as a legacy for future generations.  

·         Preserving the BAME contribution to Merton’s growth and development, through the production of written and oral publications/DVD’s.

·         To make BAME VOICE a visible presence through joint community action in the disadvantaged areas of the Borough. e.g. Community gardening, ‘Harmony’ spaces where people of different ethnicities can meet and work out issues affecting their community.

Rev  Neale then introduced Nuria who was supported by AECHO and attended workshops to build her confidence and skills. Nuria informed the meeting how the support from AECHO helped her and her family.

There was general discussion about the importance of BAME Voice and some of the issues faced by the BAME community such as; difficulty gaining employment with qualifications obtained abroad and getting promoted at work. Stereotyping of some communities has also been a problem.  There was a general consensus that most of the issues mentioned have been the same for decades and it was now time for change.

There was a discussion about the complexity of the issues faced because not all BAME communities have the same experience and it was felt that some groups have it worse than others.

Councillor Macauley encouraged everyone to support the new organisation.