The Devon Inclusive Housing Project (led by Rupert Blomfield)
This project was funded by the Ethnic Minorities Innovation Fund to prevent Homelessness amongst the BM&E population of Devon. This was to cover Refugees, Migrant Workers, Gypsies and travellers and the wider minority ethnic population of Devon, an ambitious aim to be sure. Rupert hoped to achieve this with the help of two project workers, one based in Exeter at the Devon Racial Equality Council (DREC) and another based with the Monitoring Group’s Rural Racism Project. All three posts were co-located with the local authority housing services departments and voluntary sector partners. The project lasted for 24 months and focussed on investigating how BM&E service users may be disadvantaged in accessing housing services throughout the county. Rupert investigated how the voluntary sector and the statutory sector work together, to gain a better understanding of the various working practices and to highlight where good work was being done to support those from minority communities who were homeless or at risk of homelessness.
EHCR women's prejudice reduction community project
The REC was fortunate to get some funding from the new Equalities and Human Rights Commission for 2008-09. It was for a project aimed at breaking down some of the barriers in the wider communities. It had several strands and included the delivery of prejudice reduction workshops at a range of community venues, which are areas of high deprivation, such as North Prospect and Barne Barton. In these we aimed to engage participants in looking at prejudice and its effects on us all. While BME/ASR issues were at the core of the work, we also examined the other strands: age, disability, sexual orientation, gender and religion. The project also investigated prejudice around certain areas in Plymouth. After these sessions we brought together groups of women from a range of cultures to take part in workshops that reflected the diversity and commonalities of their lives.
Participants decided to work together to produce a patchwork quilt which would contain multi-cultural images of their lives as women. This part of the project was in partnership with the museum, who were keen to continue working with us and who contributed a substantial donation towards the project. We also worked in partnership with the Theatre Royal, with a group of Asylum Seeker and Refugee women, as well as a trans-generational project in partnership with Lipson College, (young people working/learning with parents from a range of ethnic backgrounds). Lorraine Frances, the officer working on this project, commented “It's daunting, but very exciting, while not thinking we will solve all the problems that exist around barriers between the communities in Plymouth, we have been surprised by the positive response this far. We genuinely believe that if we can get people to look at what they share, as opposed to what is 'different' then perhaps we can begin to make some inroads into the fear, suspicion that exist between communities.”
Living Memory Lab Project (led by Fiona Evans)
Plymouth and District Racial Equality Council facilitated and hosted a new and exciting project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, delivered and directed by Fiona Evans. Living Memory Lab was a partnership between P&DREC, BBC South West and Creative Partnerships and was created to mark ten years of the Respect Festival. The project which ran for eighteen months offered a hundred members of the public the opportunity to make a three-minute film to mark the Bicentenary of the Act to abolish slavery. No film-making experience was needed but a very basic knowledge of using a computer was desirable. Living Memory Lab ran a series of four-day short courses in basic film-making absolutely free. At the end of the four days everyone will produce a short film.The project culminated in an exciting launch of the films at Plymouth University. We would like to thank and congatulate Fiona for this amazing and innovative piece of work.
Work with Gypsy Traveller Communities
Our work with Gypsies and Travellers was facilitated by a partnership between PETRA, Plymouth City Council, Social Inclusion Unit (SIU), and Devon Consortium Traveller Education Service (DCTES). These four organisation came together to support the residents of the Chelston Meadow (a static caravan Park for the Gypsy and Travelling community), to create a residents forum that enables the residents to have a voice and a mechanism in which to communicate with Plymouth City Council. In a short space of time this group was able to make improvements to where they live, as there is a lack of permanent and transit sites to accommodate the Gypsy Traveller community. The PDREC also visited gypsy traveller encampments with SIU, Health Visitor, DCTES and the Police Diversity Unit, which has been useful in providing information on the rights and services available to these communities.
Work with Young People
‘Word on the Street’ Drama Project was a joint piece work with PDREC, Relate Counselling Service and Olwyn Foot, a local well known Drama Practioner. The overall aim of this project was to explore issues such as bullying, racism, family and peer relationships and conflict resolution. The participants for this project were BME young people who may have experienced bullying or trauma.
Unfortunately, and despite the success of and necessity for this project, funding for this work ceased and we were unable to secure further funding.
Summer Activities
PDREC seek funding each year to run a programme of holiday activities during the summer holidays, July and August, which include outdoor activities for young people, Family days and Workshops, and local community events. In 2007, we additionally applied for funding to carry out some creative workshops in the October half term. These activities target multicultural, marginalised, low income and hard to reach groups that do not traditionally engage with mainstream organisations. We aim to offer these families the opportunity to feel safe, build relationships, networks of other support agencies, as well as offering an affordable activity which enables them to enjoy, achieve and spend quality time together as a family. We often work in partnership with organisations such as Barbican Theatre and Plymouth Youth Afloat. See our News and Events page for information on our current summer activities.
World Cuisine - Plymouth Flavour Fest (August 2007)
This exciting new addition was thanks to sponsorship from Plymouth City Council, and a partnership between Business Link and Plymouth and District Racial Equality Council, who scoured the South West to promote the inclusion of more exotic dishes and food providers – focusing on World Dishes and Black and Minority Ethnic Communities.The aim of the event was to promote the wonderful diversity of people we have in the region, and the positive benefits they bring both culturally and economically to the local community. Click here for more information, and photo gallery, for this event.
Toby’s Story
Across much of Europe, Gypsies, Roma and travellers still experience such persecution and discrimination that they are afforded official protection under Race legislation. Toby’s Story tells the real life tale of a young Polish Gypsy who, in 2001, moved with his family to Plymouth to escape prejudice encountered in Poland. This stunning biography shows how, despite difficulties here, Toby has been able to overcome barriers to develop his love of dance. It is an affirmative tale that will encourage other young people to pursue their dreams.
Somebody’s Brother...
This dramatic and powerful image marked the launch of a city-wide poster campaign aimed at raising awareness and acceptance around ethnic diversity and – more subtly – similarities. Displayed in numerous public points of contact across Plymouth, this poster was a collaboration between Plymouth City Council and PDREC. Everyone who sees this poster has a view about its impact – the comments are overwhelmingly positive. The style that this image launched is now being adopted by other local race equality organisations.
Kids Cook Book/Cultural Cafe
This course attracted young people from many diverse back-grounds in the preparation of meals – drawing on a wide range of culinary roots. Specialist chefs facilitated meal preparation, but just as important as the meals were confidence building and the breaking down of barriers. Production of a book of favourite recipes is another very positive outcome to emerge from the project.
Open to All?
This Guide, for all who work in Plymouth’s statutory and not-for-profit sector, is designed as a training tool around engagement with the City’s Black and Minority Ethnic communities. It deals with a serious subject in an affirmative style – encouraging without hectoring – and includes examples of good practice drawn from across Plymouth and elsewhere in Devon. The Home Office Pathfinder Programme and Plymouth City Council funded the Guide.
Infocus
This periodic newsletter,with a circulation of over 3,000 for Plymouth’s BME people, covered local issues as well as those of national interest too. With a multi-agency editorial panel it set out to fulfil the qualities of its chosen strap line as: Positive + Supportive + Realistic + Challenging + Respectful + Entertaining. Pump-priming funding for the first editions came from the Pathfinder Programme and we are hoping to revive this popular communication by attracting local sponsorship.
Fan Dance
Fans have a long history in China and are still valued today as artistic props. The Fan Dance offered a gentle, effective exercise for people of all ages and is a graceful link to Chinese traditions. The Chinese community is the City’s largest and oldest ethnic minority and the Fan Dance group has proved very popular. It has also, incidentally, provided both opportunities for support and widening friendship circles.
Sweet and Sour : Recollections from the Chinese Elder Communities in the South West of England
The idea for this book, published August 2007, emerged from the work of the Racial Equality Council with the Chinese Community in Plymouth. The REC has forged strong links with this community through a variety of events that we have helped organise over the years. During this time it became apparent that the elders were worried that the younger generation were losing touch with their traditions and history. Some of the elders we spoke with were concerned that as many of the younger generation are no longer fluent in Cantonese, they were unable to communicate with the elders, who are not always fluent in English. We hope this book both begins to give the younger generation an understanding of the hardship their parents and grandparents had to overcome; and that the wider community begins to gain an understanding of the reality of immigrant lives and the price they often pay to come to Britain. Perhaps it will go someway to dispel some of the myths that exist around these communities and encourage discussion, based on facts, as apposed to rumour and media hype.