Past Achievements:

• Capacity Building Programme (2004 – 2010)
• Social Enterprise Capacity Building Programme (2005 – 2010 Present?)
• Black Leadership Network (2005 – 2010)
• Ethnic Minority Civic Congress (2006 – 2010)
• Inclusive Democracy Project (2006 – 2009)

Capacity Building Programme:

Over 150 ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations and community groups throughout Scotland were supported for organisational development with over £2.5 million worth of funding secured. The programme was externally evaluated by Heriot Watt University in 2007 (Commissioned by Communities Scotland).

Social Enterprise Capacity Building Programme:

Over 40 ethnic minority organisations, helping them develop social enterprise initiatives, access mainstream social enterprise support and secure over £1.5 million worth of funding and business premises. The research report “Encouraging Social Enterprise and Co-operative Business among Ethnic Minority Groups in Scotland” was published and launched at our Social Enterprise Market Day event in 2007.

Black Leadership Network (BLN):

Developing the first BLN in Scotland where over 50 ethnic minority managers come together regularly to provide peer support, share information and good practice, and develop individual and collective leadership in addressing race equality within Scotland. In 2009, CEMVO Scotland successfully completed a pilot project through the BLN in which we conducted an audit for 6 Scottish NHS Boards on performance against their Race Equality Schemes 2005-2008 and providing guidance for their Schemes 2008-2011.

Ethnic Minority Civic Congress (EMCC):

Initiating an innovative approach to increasing ethnic minority civic and democratic participation through the development of the EMCC, which provides a structured platform for over 90 ethnic minority voluntary organisations and community groups to engage directly with policy and decision makers.

Inclusive Democracy Project:

Working in partnership with the Electoral Commission to increase the awareness and understanding of civic, electoral and democratic structures amongst ethnic minority communities through the Inclusive Democracy Project, with over 1250 ethnic minority people having participated.

2006-2008

Tackling poverty through working in partnership with HMRC to increase awareness and uptake of Family Tax Credits and Child Trust Funds amongst ethnic minority communities.

2009

Raising awareness of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 among ethnic minority communities.

Working with the Scottish Government to deliver a series of National Conversation events where ethnic minority communities were engaged in this important debate and consultation on Scotland’s future. The final national conference “A National Conversation – Future of Scotland and Ethnic Minority Communities” was addressed by the First Minister on 30 September 2009.

Financial Inclusion Programme

Overview

CEMVO Scotland has developed an exciting new pilot programme in partnership with Money Advice Scotland (MAS), funded by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. This programme will seek to raise awareness of money advice amongst ethnic minority (EM) communities in Glasgow. It will also seek to extend the reach of money advice related services provided by both the ethnic minority third sector and mainstream advice providers in Glasgow. This innovative project will bring about a new way of working to deliver money advice to some of the most marginalised and excluded communities in Glasgow.

Free Money Advice

Who is it for?

  • Any mainstream advice organisation in Glasgow
  • Any ethnic minority (EM) organisation in Glasgow with the capacity to embed money advice as part of their service provision and already engaged in service delivery from their own premises

What are we looking for?

  • 5 ethnic minority organisations to sign up and commit to support to develop money advice to national standards
  • 5 mainstream advice agencies to sign up and commit to 12 months support including 5 days training and consultancy support to develop a better understanding of ethnic minority communities and promote equality in assessing information and advice, to these communities.

What’s in it for us?

This programme is about developing a more structured and accessible approach to the delivery of money advice to ethnic minority people in Glasgow.

Ethnic Minority Organisations will receive:

  • Money advisor to run half day/full day surgeries in money advice
  • Installation of ADVISERNET software in your organisation (1 year Licence)
  • Opportunity to shadow money advisor in giving advice
  • 1 days free training: Introduction to Money Advice provided by MAS
  • Support to develop money advice as a competency
  • Real potential to develop money advice as a service and access funding to develop it further
  • Opportunity to build partnership working and links with the ethnic minority third sector

Mainstream Advice Agencies will receive:

  • Access to 5 days free one to one training/consultancy support in race equality, community cohesion and participation
  • Opportunity to build partnership working and links with the ethnic minority third sector
  • Develop an enhanced understanding of barriers to access and develop practical solutions to improving access
  • Increase your reach to new clients