NCB Now: BAME project gets results

In March last year, NCB's Voluntary Sector Support Programme started to develop links between black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and faith-based charities and voluntary organisations with children's trusts. As part of the programme's aim, it was important to reach small, local groups and organisations working within those communities.

To achieve this, NCB formed a partnership with national organisations; Voice4Change England, FaithAction, Wai Yin Chinese Women's Society and Community Revival, MENTER and Steve Miller.

Combining NCB's experience across three different sectors, regional groups have been established in the North West, East of England and in London of organisations who work with children and families from BAME and faith-based communities. Thanks to the support of VCS Engage, NCB's VSS programme has introduced small, local BAME and faith-based organisations, many of whom had never heard of children's trusts, to what they are, how they work and how they can influence them. Invaluable feedback has been collected from these organisations on their experiences of partnership working with the public sector, which NCB will feed back to the Department for Education. Networking opportunities have been created for organisations to share and learn from one another's work.