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Good Relations Ethnic Minority Forum
25 June 2010
Increased Number of Latvians Living in North Down
A number of meetings have taken place between Statutory, Community and Voluntary Agencies and ethnic minority communities to progress plans set in place to improve good practice in responding to the needs of ethnic minority people coming to live in North down.
A panel of experts was present at the most recent meeting held at Bangor’s First Presbyterian Church on Thursday 24 June to deliver advice and guidance to various organisations and members of the ethnic minority community through a question and answer forum. The panel included Tony Steed and Dorothy McKee, consultants who provided information about an ongoing research report designed to identify good practice within local areas.
Trevor Polley (Chief Executive of North Down Borough Council) opened the forum by highlighting the importance of working together to achieve better respect and understanding across the cultural, ethnic, religious and racial divides. He commented: “Dialogue between agencies and community representatives is critical to promote shared understanding and identify practical ways that the needs of ethnic minority groups can be met in North Down. The Good Relations Ethnic Minority Forum facilitates this and is a significant initiative for North Down Borough Council and for wider Good Relations practice in Northern Ireland.”
Despite significant work done to date, the meeting showed that there are still gaps in education, health and social care provision for ethnic minority people. Helen Sloan one of the guest speakers and panel representatives from First Presbyterian Church commented: “An increasing number of Latvians are moving to North Down because of the high standard of living, however, it is recognised that some are slipping under the education, health and social tracking system. It is vital that we provide advice and assistant to ensure that gaps in provision are filled. There is more work to be done to change the mind set and existing attitudes”.
Janet Taylor (Children Services-South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust) advised the panel that it is not good enough to find out about ethnic minority families once they have been here for months, they need to be picked up within the first few weeks of arriving and given the support and advice they need.
Una Turbitt (Ethnic Minority Development Officer, East Down Rural Community Network) takes the lead in a project called Visible Communities funded by Peace III to develop relationships throughout North Down, Ards and Down. The project is designed to create a better support network to meet the needs of ethnic minority people coming to live in the Borough.
North Down Borough Council would like to thank everyone who attended the event and contributed to the panel discussion. Thanks are also due to The Red Berry Coffee Company Bangor for providing a Fair Trade breakfast and Green and Blacks for providing chocolate gifts at each of the tables.
For information on any of the guest speakers or and the North Down Good Relation Ethnic Minority Forum please contact the Good Relations Officer at North Down Borough Council on (028) 9127 0371.
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For more information contact Claire Jackson on (028) 9127 8052, 07971 953907 or claire.jackson@northdown.gov.uk
