‘Valuing BME Groups’
Voice4Change England is leading a campaign to lobby the Government to revise/reject the proposals of the Commission of Integration and Cohesion’s Our Shared Future report which calls for “Single Group Funding should be the Exception rather than the Rule”. The proposals are set out in the Annex D of the Report.We are pleased to note that Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government has considered our concerns in her recent letter to Darra Singh, Chair of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. Please see media release section for our comments on her reply letter. Note that the Government’s formal response is due in January 2008.
The support of BME Third Sector organisations in collecting evidence which support our argument is fundamental to our successful campaign. You can contribute either by writing a letter to Voice4Change England’s Director, Vandna Gohil to express your concerns on Annex D in light of your experience of funding to BME groups. You should also emphasise the role that your group in particular and BME groups in general play in community cohesion in Britain.
We will collect your concerns expressed to us and will use the information to strengthen our campaign, which is a campaign for the survival of the BME Third Sector.
You can email your letter to info@voice4change-england.co.uk
Please disseminate this information widely in your family of BME groups and urge them to support Voice4Change England in this joint campaign on ‘Valuing BME Groups’ and their contribution to civil society.
Let us say No to Annex D together and value the contribution BME organisations all make.