Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Voluntary and Community Sector Voice and Influence - 'Very Small, Very Quiet, A Whisper' Presentation by Phil Ware, TSRC Research Fellow. First given June 2013, updated to this version January 2014.

1. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)
Voluntary and Community Sector Voice
and Influence – ‘Very Small, Very Quiet,
a Whisper’
Funded by:
Hosted by:
Phil Ware
Honorary Research Fellow
TSRC

2. Research Outline
• The research aimed to identify the voice and
influence of the BME Community and
Voluntary Sector in relation to: • a) The community and voluntary sector as a
whole
• b) Local, regional and national policy makers
and funders
• c) Mainstream provision

3. Research Methodology
• Literature Review
• 14 semi-structured interviews with BME led
community groups in Birmingham, Greater
Manchester and London
• 7 semi-structured interviews with strategic
voluntary and statutory organisations.
• Focus Groups in Greater Manchester and
Birmingham – 35 participants in total.

4. Timescales
• The project was set up in November 2011
• Interviews were undertaken from March to
November 2012
• A TSRC Working Paper and Briefing Paper have
been completed.
• Findings of the project have been
disseminated through TSRC networks, BME
networks and participants.

5. Findings 1
• Issues influenced included Equalities, Service provision, and
specific campaigns e.g. anti-deportation and single cause.
The range of strategies being used: –
1. Capacity building and Partnership working
2. Political approaches - resisting takeover of agenda by large
national organisations. “race...never on their agenda”.
3. Demonstrating needs
• The uncertain position of the BME VCS within the wider VCS.
“The voluntary sector is not immune from racism, so has ways
of marginalising certain voices...”

6. Findings 2
• The current climate is affecting different parts of the Sector in
different ways “..completely leaving communities like ours
[Refugees and Asylum-seekers] out in the cold because...
we’re not local.”
• Collective v Internal approaches
• Some organisations less affected by funding issues.
• The impact of the Equalities Act 2010. “Race , Gender,
Disability... all need to be addressed in [their own] way.”
• Successes – message of persistence e.g. Lawrence. Southall
Black Sisters. Smaller groups reliant on own income. “The
very smallest groups... actually might be in better place .”

7. Findings 3
• There is an identifiable BME Voluntary and
Community Sector (VCS)
• Range of views within the Sector
• Issue of leadership (lack of)
• Lack of voice and influence beyond individual
and community levels
• Many participants challenged by a lack of
resources and political antipathy

8. Findings 4 - Resilience
• Small organisations – not state funded and
therefore are surviving
• Campaigns – many participants could point to
examples of small campaign successes
• Increased diversity; increased ways of working
• Dependency on volunteering and own
resources – is it sustainable?

9. Challenges and Questions
• Has the Single Equalities Act diluted voice and influence?
• Are more established/white organisations claiming voice on
behalf of BME VCS? How are gender issues impacting?
• Is there a BME VCS sector? “..the BME sector is diverse, there
is a lack of politicisation.”
• Have BME organisations been distracted by agendas such as
Community Cohesion and Preventing Violent Extremism? “We
set out to meet the need not follow the money”.
• Have BME groups been disproportionately affected by cuts?
“disparity between [the white VCS] and the way funding is
dispensed to the BME sector.”