We would like to invite you to have a FREE stall at the Leeds BME Network Event.

Venue: St Georges Centre, Leeds City Centre
Date: 25th November 2008
Time: 10am -2:30pm

This event will give you the opportunity to:
·Promote your services
·Disseminate your information to a wide range of BME community and voluntary organisations
·Talk to BME groups to see what else you could offer to service their needs
·Network with other specialist and mainstream service providers and funders

The event will be a drop in, so with over 200 organisations on the Network we hope to be very busy all day! There will be free tea and coffee and lunch provided.

If you would like a FREE stall on the day, then please email sophie@leedsconnectingcommunities.org

The Commission for the Compact is carrying out a consultation to review the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Code and look at how equalities and race relations issues are woven into future Compact documentation. The consultation will ensure that the BME Code remains relevant, useful and challenging, and takes into account recent developments in equality, diversity, race relations and human rights law. A legal analysis of the Code was recently undertaken by the human rights and equalities lawyer, Karon Monaghan QC, on behalf of the Commission for the Compact. You can download a copy of the analysis at the link below.

Your views are very important. Get involved by participating in the following activities:

A debate on the results of the legal review and what it means for the BME Code and for wider equalities issues in the Compact has started on the Compact's new online Forum.

A survey on the current BME Code, and how it can be strengthened for the future.

A series of regional workshops discussing the findings of the analysis: Leicester 7th November 2008, Manchester 24th November 2008 and London 28th November 2008.

The Scrutiny Board need to hear from you as part of the scrutiny into Investment Planning.

How has Investment Planning worked for our region?
What impact has Investment Planning had on the sub-regional economies?
What lessons do we need to learn as we move into Geographic Programmes?

Over the next month the Assembly’s Scrutiny Board will be speaking with key partners in the region and would like to hear your views. There are a number of ways to do this:

· Come to the public discussion and pose your questions to Yorkshire Forward on Tuesday 21 October 2008 at Wheelers Hall, Leeds, 10.30- 3pm. Booking form attached.

·Write to us or email us with your views and experiences to scrutiny@yhassembly.gov.uk by Friday 10 October 2008. A response form is attached.

·Log onto the Assembly website to access key documents and feed in your views - www.yhassembly.gov.uk

Futurebuilders England is a unique governmentbacked fund offering investment and support to develop the capacity of third sector organisations to deliver public services.
These free information events are for all CVSs, infrastructure bodies and local authority workers who offer funding advice
to third sector organisations. Groups who are planning to apply are also welcome to attend. Come and find out about
the new funds that are available and the changes we have made to the application process. There will be presentations,
investee stories, tips on making a successful bid and the chance to discuss proposals with a member of the team.

For more information about each event, please contact Marianne or Sharon on 0191 2692873. To request a booking
form please contact Emma on 0191 2692852 or e-mail emma.kassube@futurebuilders-england.org.uk
N.B places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Cambridge Friday 3rd October 10 - 1pm
Exeter Wednesday 9th October 10 - 1pm

As part of its 'Planning for BME Communities' project, Yorkshire Planning Aid has developed this free one-day event to help groups and individuals to understand what is involved in making a Planning Application.

For anyone thinking of extending their home, changing business premises, or developing new community buildings it is likely that Planning Permission will be needed. The event will explain about the process and offer an opportunity to discuss individual applications with planners. It will also cover how to comment on a neighbour's or a developer's plans.

The session is being piloted in Kirklees and will run from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday 8th October in Huddersfield and on Saturday 18th October in Batley. If successful it will be repeated in other Local Authority areas.

Places need to be booked in advance via Lynsey Brownnutt on 0113 237 8425.