Welfare needs of BME communities – programme now available

Thursday 18 July 2013, 10am – 4pm (tbc)
Middlesex University, Hendon Campus

Full programme on SPRC website. Deadline for registration: July 8th.

The current economic crisis and the ongoing welfare restructuring are having a disproportionate impact on Black and Minority Ethnic communities throughout the UK. As far-reaching government changes to benefits, housing, healthcare, advice provision and other services affect an already deeply unequal population, local community organisations need to work and advocate even more effectively for their clients and members. At the same time, recent funding and policy trends – from the shift to service commissioning to the ‘social cohesion’ agenda – have raised new challenges for the sustainability of BME sector as a whole.

This event aims to bring together practitioners, community activists, local policy makers and academics in an opportunity to engage with these issues through case studies, examples of good practices and ‘knowledge exchange’. Key themes to be explored include:

• the impact of the current economic crisis and welfare restructuring on BME communities in London
• advice and welfare needs and gaps in service provision
  priorities and challenges for BME community organisations (including issues of sustainability)
• the role of community based research to gather evidence, inform decisions and empower communities

This event is organised by Alessio D’Angelo, Elena Vacchelli and Preeti Kathrecha from the Social Policy Research Centre (Middlesex University), working in partnership with Advice UK, BAN (BME Advice Network) and other community organisations. It is co-funded by the Third Sector Research Centre CBC (Capacity Building Cluster).

The event is free to attend but registration is essential. A detailed programme, including list of speakers, will be circulated over the next few days. To express your interest in this event, pre-book a place or for any query please email: P.Kathrecha@mdx.ac.uk

Full programme on SPRC website. Deadline for registration: July 8th.

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