Promoting Social Inclusion by Enabling Individuals and Developing Communities
Groups, projects and organisations the Ujima project has worked with to date:
Devon and Cornwall Black Police Association
Devon and Cornwall Chinese Association
Devon Interfaith Forum
DREC Devon Racial Equality Council
DRIVE
Devon United Women's Group
Exeter Interfaith Forum
Exeter Malayalee Association
Exeter Mosque and Cultural Centre
Global Centre
Multilingua
Olive Tree Association
Palestine Together Group
Planet Rainbow Project
Polish Support Group
Polonika: Exeter Polish Association
Refugee Support Group Devon
Rejuvenation (BME disabled Group)
Saudi Support Group
Details of the Groups:
Devon and Cornwall Black Police Association
The BPA is a support group for black and minority ethnic officers and staff of all ranks and grades from across Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.
This group's aims:
To provide a support network (a critical friend mentoring)
Working more closely other staff associations
Working towards improved relationships between Police and black people
Being instrumental in improving recruitment and reducing wastage
Assisting in the development of new and existing policies where necessary and to share in best practice
Providing a social network
Website: http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/v3/about/BPA/index.htm
Devon and Cornwall Chinese Association
Incorporating:
- Exeter Chinese Community
Our mission is to support the needs of the Chinese Community living in Devon & Cornwall and to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the Chinese Cultural Heritage to the wider public.
Provides a family support group and a Chinese sunday school service which meets at St Sidwells Centre, Sidwell Street, Exeter from 1pm - 3pm.
Address: DCCA Information centre, Han's Building, 2/F 13, Southside Street, Barbican, Plymouth, PL1 2LA
Email: office@dcca.info
Website: www.dcca.info
Telephone: 01752 - 266866 (Monday - Friday 12:00pm - 3:00 pm)
Devon Interfaith Forum
Aims of forum:
To affirm the contribution of the faith communities to the spiritual, environmental, social and economic life of Devon (which includes Plymouth and Torbay;
To promote good relations and respect between people and break down barriers of prejudice;
To enable better awareness, understanding and support between different faith traditions and their involvement in community life;
To promote inter-faithand multifaith dialogue;
To involve faith groups in the civic life and community activities of Devon and encourage their participation in community affairs;
To improve the quality of life for local people by working together on agreed projects, demonstrating partnership between different faiths;
To encourage dialogue and provide an opportunity for faith organisations to network with eachother, with strategic partnerships and with other relevant public bodies;
To promote the interests and concerns of the faith communities in Devon;
To recognise the contribution of faith to schools, education and the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE).
Email: martyn.goss@exeter.anglican.org
Website: www.devonfaiths.org.uk
Devon Racial Equality Council
'Eliminating Racial Discrimination, promoting Equality of opportunity'
Aims to:
-promote racial equality for everyone
- assist and support people who have been discrimated against because of their race, religion, colour, national or ethnic origin
Incorporating:
- Business for Inclusion Network
A network of BME new and old business people in support of each other. Assisted by Business Link & the Devon REC
- Complainant Aid
to provide specialist adice on race discrimination complaints
- Work with families, schools and colleges
to support isolated or vulnerable children
-Gypsy/Traveller Community
to provide advice and support
- Training
on Racial Equality and Diversity to Voluntary, Statutory and Private Sector organisations
- Consultancy
Public Sector Critical Friend - providing advice and support to statutory public bodies on Policy, Impact Assessments, Diversity Training and Community Engagement
- Arts Development
promoting Black and Minority Ethnic art of all media
- Social Inclusion
encouraging participation in the community
Website: www.devonrec.org.uk
Telephone: 01392 - 422566
Devon United Women's Group
'BME Women’s support group'
Devon United Women is a group of women who work to empower women especially those from minority ethnic backgrounds, they do this in a way that promotes diversity through inclusive supportive activities. They aim to raise awareness of the needs of women in Devon to the wider community. This is achieved through their ongoing work with supporting families, delivering equality and diversity training, encouraging community involvement and providing information and advocacy. These activities enhance and equip women to develop their confidence to enable them to find employment and tale on leadership roles within their communities.
Contact : Suaad Genem- George
Email: sgenemgeorge@yahoo.co.uk
Address: c/o Devon Racial Equality Council, 15 York Road, Exeter, EX4 6BA
Telephone: 07792373347
DRIVE
'Diversity, Racial, Inclusion in Volunteering for Everyone!'
Drive aims to:
- encourage, support and recruit volunteers from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds to volunteer in our local communities
- provide satisfactory and interesting volunteer experiences, create new, engaging and quality volunteering opportunities
-encourage and support volunteers in projects they want to set up
Website: www.exetercvs.org.uk
Email: diversity@exetercvs.org.uk
Telephone: Gervaise 01392 - 202055 (9.30am - 4pm)
Exeter Interfaith Forum
This is an unconstituted meeting that seeks to willingly engage creatively across faith boundaries
Open Meetings are on the 1st Tuesday of every month at the Mint Methodist Church from 5pm-7pm
Email: andrew@asails.freeserve.co.uk
Exeter Malayalee Association
'to promote and support both cultural and artistic values among the Malayalee community in Exeter’
Promotes and supports both the cultural and artistic values among the Malayalee community in
Exeter Mosque & Cultural Centre
Website: www.exetermosque.org.uk
Email: enquiries@exetermosque.org.uk
Telephone: 01392 - 250597
Global Centre
'Promoting Global awareness for a fairer future'
The Global Centre also provides an important focal point for individuals and groups in Devon who are making links with or campaigning on behalf of communities in the south/developing world.
Incoporating
- ‘Cultural Champions’
A Cultural Champion is a devon resident from another culture or religion, who comes into the classroom (or other space) to give pupils an authentic, personal view of their culture. In this way, Devon children and Devon adults can learn about other cultures and people that live here, broadening their minds and breaking down barriers.
The programme will recruit 8-12 people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds in Exeter. We will offer training and support to enable them to run interactive sessions about their country/culture in schools. In this way we will meet two needs at the same time: giving people in Exeter schools a better understanding of cultures and countries around the world, and enabling people from disadvantaged backgrounds to find work.
Website: http://www.globalcentredevon.org.uk
Email: dde@globalcentredevon.wanadoo.co.uk
Telephone: 01392 - 438811
'Devons Community Interpreting Service - making communication easier'
Multilingua offers the following services:
- Interpreting for public services, including courts, hospitals, GPs, social services and schools
- Specialist interpreting in legal, medical and other fields
-Telephone interpreting
-Face-to-face interpreting
-Voice-over
-Translation by request
-Training workshops for organisations interested in find out more about 'Working with interpreters'
- Accredited training courses for those interested in owrking as interpreters
Website: http://multilingua.webs.com/
Email: devonci@uk2.net
Telephone: 01392 - 435385
'Working for all Communities'
OTA aims to support further development of educational, cultural, creative, activities among BME communities. Some of the activities that have been organised by the OTA:
Social trips for women and families
Crèche for the ESOL lessons
Sewing classes and sewing machines for the women
IT equipment for the Islamic Centre
Learning opportunities
Funding for Hikmat
Incorporating:
- HIKMAT
'Drop-in Centre for BME Elders'
The Hikmat (Wisdom) Social Contact Centre is a BME elders project which is run by the Olive Tree Association. The drop in day centre is based at the St Sidwells Centre and is open on Tuesday for Chinese elders and Thursday for Muslim Elders. The day centre is open to older people in and around Exeter who are black, asian or from an ethnic minority. There is also a women's only room on Thursdays.
Hikmat offers help with locating services for matters such as financial advice, pensions and health awareness and also arranges social events such as trips.
- MOSAIC
Turkish and Kurdish support group
- ESOL
English for Speakers of Other Languages
- UCLAN BME Mental Health Project
University of Central Lancashire BME mental health consultation.
For further details, see http://www.exeter.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4057
Website: http://www.diversedevon.org/projects/index.html
Email: o-t-a@btconnect.com
Palestine Together Group
Further details to follow, or contact through Ujima.
'Supporting Mixed-Heritage families in Exeter & Devon'
The Rainbow Project's mission is to promote mutual support between 'mixed-heritage' families and to advance the integration of these families into the local and wider community. In so doing, the PRP will celebrate, explore and support the diversity to be found in every community. PRP puts on a variety of events and has family gatherings on the first Saturday of each month at the West Exe Children's Centre.
The PRP eveolved after the need for support for M/H families was recognised by a community member. Exclusion, isolation, prejudice and mental health issues such as low self-esteem and identity confusion were identified as growing concerns for this unique minority group. therefore the PRP aims to bring together M/H families in order to promote positive identities and a sense of belonging, while promoting their inclusion in local services and the wider community.
Email: planetrainbow2004@yahoo.co.uk
Telephone: 01392-217452
Polonika: Exeter Polish Association
More details to follow
'Support and information for Asylum seekers and Refugees'
RSG Devon aims to:
- Promote the well being of all asylum seekers and refugees in Devon and to assist them in making informed choices about adapting to life in the UK.
- Encourage the positive participation of the wider community in the lives of resident asylum seekers and refugees, and to raise awareness of the general public about the misinformation and prejudice surrounding asylum seekers and refugees.
- Provide a voice for this community and make representations on their behalf on issues such as: the voucher system, UK immigration policy and UK dispersal policy. For details see
Website: www.rsgdevon.org.uk
Email: info@rsgdevon.org.uk
Telephone: 01392682185
Rejuvenation
'Meeting of the BME disabled group'
Friendship / befriending
Getting together to share laughter, opinions and experiences. An opportunity to make friends
Support / Advocacy
Do you need our support? We can help you get the help you deserve
Isolation / Socialisation / les isolation
We want diabled people of black and minority ethnicities to come together and have their voices heard
Meet monthly
Saudi Support Group
Further details to follow, or contact through Ujima.
