A national voice for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector Equality and the Big Society Jemma Grieve Combes Voice4Change England Making civil society work for everyone

To strengthen the BME VCS to meet the needs of BME and other disadvantaged communities. 1. Increase the involvement of the BME VCS in decision making processes and structures Advocate for the BME VCS Empower VCOS to influence decision makers Support and develop the VCS to better meet the needs of their beneficiaries About Voice4Change England Mission, aims and objectives Advocates for the BME voluntary and community sector 3. Improve the capacity and quality of BME VCOs to meet the needs of BME and other disadvantaged communities. 2. Increase the awareness of the BME VCS’ impact and value

Voice4Change England Big Society and Tackling Inequalities Project Voice4Change England and Women’s Resource Centre delivery partners – commissioned by the OCS. Aims To identify the challenges that inequalities present to the Big Society agenda and how to address them; To identify opportunities for tackling inequalities that the Big Society agenda offers. Making civil society work for everyone

Big Society: we’re all in it together? “The Big Society is about helping people to come together to improve their own lives”. “It’s about putting more power in people’s hands” “Wherever possible, we will increase choice by giving people direct control over the services they use.” “We recognise and value the special ability of voluntary and community organisations to mobilise and support people, particularly those who sometimes struggle to find a voice” Making civil society work for everyone

Equality: a dirty word? “Equality has become a dirty word because it has come to be associated with the worst aspects of pointless political correctness and social engineering.” Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality Theresa May Making civil society work for everyone

The equality context 1.Spending cuts 2.Proposed cuts to legal aid 3.Cuts to English for Speakers of Other Languages 4.Fewer centralised regulatory regimes 5.Changes to equality legislation 6.Lack of support for equality infrastructure 7.Equality Act – red tape! Advocates for the BME voluntary and community sector

Equality and the Big Society: Barriers 1.Exclusion of minority voices in local decision making 2.Spending cuts to local government funding 3.Commissioning processes that make it difficult to influence processes and win contracts 4.Lack of accessible information and support to get involved in Big Society 5.Low equalities awareness of decision makers and lack of ways to hold them to account. Making civil society work for everyone

Equality and the Big Society: solutions 1.Voice and involvement 2.Recognise specialist infrastructure 3.Fair funding 4.Fair commissioning 5.Value specialist public service delivery 6.Strategic oversight 7.Accountability Making civil society work for everyone

Equality and the Big Society: What we can do? 1.Connect [increase reach & share stories] 2.Collaborate [maximise impact] 3.Celebrate [diversity & achievements] 4.Campaign [locally but build national solidarities] 5.Citizen activism [claim your rights in opportunities offered to you] Making civil society work for everyone

Next steps Solutions workshop Big Society and Equality: report to the OCS JUST West Yorkshire: ‘The Big Society: The Big Divide? Working with the Office for Civil Society strategic partners Compact and Public Law training Modeling fair and equitable collaborations News and information about policies, events, research Making civil society work for everyone

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