The Partners
Below are details of the organisations and networks that make up the Voice4Change England Partnership. A link to their external website is provided where available.
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.
Further information from www.cdx.org.uk
Black Training & Enterprise Group
BTEG works for fair access and outcomes for black communities in employment, training and enterprise, and to act as a catalyst for enabling black groups and individuals to play an active role in the economic regeneration of local communities through partnership with others.
Further information from www.bteg.co.uk
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.
Further information from www.blackdeva.org.uk
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.
Further information from www.cfdnetwork.co.uk
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.
Further information from www.cio.org.uk
National Association of Councils for Voluntary Action
NAVCA is the national voice of local voluntary and community sector infrastructure in England. Our 360 members work with 140,000 local community groups and voluntary organisations which provide services, regenerate neighbourhoods, increase volunteering and tackle discrimination, in partnership with local public bodies.
Further information from www.navca.org.uk
Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations
CEMVO is a national charity whose aim is to support the development of Britain’s minority ethnic communities, organisations and individuals. Its nationwide network of voluntary groups provides an unparalleled gateway into these communities, enabling them to understand their needs and aspirations. Its evidenced-based programmes and activities empower members of minority ethnic communities to become active citizens.
Further information from www.cemvo.org.uk
FATIMA Women’s Network
FATIMA Women's Network aims to represent women's issues at a local and national level, with a view to bring about positive change in the lives of women, and in particular women from BME and diverse communities through consultation, representation and advocacy in local and national policy and all levels of service delivery.
Further information from www.fatima-network.com
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.
Further information from www.becon.org.uk
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.
Further information from www.bswn.org.uk
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.
Further information from www.menter.org.uk
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.
Further information from www.rota.org.uk
One North West (North West BME Network)
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One North West is the regional network for the black and minority ethnic voluntary and community sector in the North West of England. Supported by a strategic grant from the Home Office Active Community Unit and by the European Social Fund, One North West is working for the benefit of the black and minority ethnic voluntary and community sector across the five sub-regions of Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside.
Further information from www.onenorthwest.org.uk
UNI
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.
Further information from www.theuninetwork.org.uk/
Voice East Midlands
Voice East Midlands is an infrastructure support organisation for the sub regional and front line organisations in the East Midlands. Its aim is to enable the East Midlands Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) to influence the regional agenda for the benefit of BME organisations and communities.
Further information from www.voice-em.org.uk
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.”
Further information from www.wmreab.co.uk
Yorkshire and Humber BME Regional Panel
The Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) voluntary and community sector (VCS) Regional Panel works to empower the BME VCS across Yorkshire and the Humber by raising its voice at the regional level and by developing effective linkages.
Further information from www.bme.org.uk