Empowering the voluntary sector
Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, this project brings together NAVCA and the Public Law Project (PLP) to support the voluntary and community sector to understand the principles and framework of public law. The aim of the project is to strengthen the relationship between voluntary and community organisations and public bodies and significantly increase opportunities to influence funding and other decisions made by public bodies.

It will consist of:
A national programme of public law workshops
A programme of four public law masterclasses in early 2009
A free legal advice line
A quarterly newsletter

Kevin Curley, chief executive of NAVCA says: "Small organisations often feel helpless when they are informed from on high that their funding is being withdrawn or services are being cut. This project will give them the information and support they need to challenge unjust decisions taken by public bodies. It will help them develop the confidence to engage in a robust dialogue, making litigation an option of last resort to tackle those public bodies that continue to shirk their responsibilities.

Mental Health Providers Forum has been funded by the Delivering Racial Equality (DRE) programme to pilot the Mental Health Recovery Star across a range of organisations providing services for people from minority ethnic backgrounds. Over six months a Project Co-ordinator will be working with and supporting the pilot sites in the use of the Recovery Star in their nominated services. The Recovery Star is being piloted across a number of service provision models, including outreach support, day services, floating support and residential rehabilitation.

Project aims
The aim the pilot is to evaluate the Recovery Star's appropriateness, develop potential adaptations and make recommendations for its use in BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) contexts. We want to explore the following key issues:

Does it meet the needs of people from minority ethnic backgrounds who access mental health services
Are the outcome areas right - what needs adding, removing or modifying
Is the presentation suitable - how might it be modified for this client group

Age Concern Support Services Yorkshire & Humber (ACSSY&H) have received funding from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to develop a project which aims to promote the full range of human rights and equalities issues for older people in the region. This will include work to develop an understanding of the full diversity needs of older people from a variety of communities in order for services and activities to be accessible and useful to them. The work is focused around three particular communities of older people:
- BME
- LGBT
- Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Kirklees Equality and Human Rights Agency (KEHRA) has been comissioned, as part of this work, to consult and involve older people from these three particular communities in developing an understanding of issues facing these groups and how service planners can make services more accessible.

To find out more about this project, see attached briefing or contact:
Age Concern Support Services Yorkshire & Humber:

There's an article in todays Guardian by Julia Chain of the Commission for Racial Equality explaining why the CRE has launched a formal inquiry into regeneration. It refers to the riots in Bradford in 2001.

There's a previous item about this at:
www.bme.org.uk/news/20060914/cre-to-put-regeneration-projects-under-scrutiny

Or for more information go to:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/comment/0,,1889529,00.html

A new DVD aimed at encouraging more Muslim women into employment was launched yesterday by QED, the Bradford-based community economic development agency. The Women At Work DVD features successful female role models from ethnic minority communities and explains the barriers they have had to overcome.

It was launched in London at an event hosted by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government. Deputy chief executive of QED, Adeeba Malik, said: "The barriers to employment for most Asian women in the UK include a lack of education, training and qualifications. Coupled with social and domestic pressures, this means women from ethnic minorities often lack the confidence and knowledge to join the country's workforce. We hope this DVD encourages women to come forward to help themselves find employment."

The DVD is the latest scheme from QED UK's Government-backed 'Narrowing The Gap' project which aims to help 2,000 Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and women in the Yorkshire and Humber region to become economically active over the next three years, with 500 of them securing jobs.