The Network's Aims and Objectives
 

The Network aims to:

• Work in partnership with all sectors at the local level to promote a culturally diverse community and the general well being of Merton's BAME communities

• Bring BAME groups together to pool resources and to take part in all aspect of community life

• Assist BAME groups' development - by promoting, supporting, protecting, preserving good public health, education, training, and enabling access to funding and other services;

• Respond to specific requests of BAME groups, particularly in relation to research.

What the Network does?

Merton Unity Network focuses on the 'bigger, more strategic' issues and explores how these are likely to impact upon member organisations and how they can respond.

The Network understands the complex and continuously changing environment of the voluntary sector, hence its commitment to work in partnership with the statutory, voluntary and business sectors to tackle the issues to do with the development and sustainability of BAME Groups. The Network places emphasis on reducing isolation and exclusion of BAME groups in the London Borough of Merton.

How the Network does this?     

The Network facilitates debates about government proposals or policies and brings BAME organisations together to explore possible responses on both strategic and organisational level.  The Network also assists its member groups to develop their capacity and to effectively identify and respond to the needs of their service users and to represent those needs at the highest level.

 The services the Network provides include:

• Merton’s BME Forum:  bringing groups together to explore the horizon, the impact of issues and policy decisions and respond accordingly.
• DRIP - A peer support & resource “drop-in” service: with access as and when required to a range of resources, e.g. library, research and information and ICT – signposting groups where necessary; the pooling and sharing of resources to ensure the development and sustain- ability of groups.
• Advocacy:  facilitating the representation of the individual, or a collective voice for BAME groups, to resolve issues, reduce the feeling of isolation, and improve community development and engagement
• Capacity building:  helping/empowering groups through one-to-one training, to develop themselves, to identify, articulate, regularly evaluate, and respond to the needs of their organisations and beneficiaries.
• Marketing and promotion:  showcasing the services and contributions made by BAME groups
• Strategic planning and development: enabling Merton’s BAME sector to continually strive for excellence through effective partnership working.

How is the Network managed?

Merton Unity Network is managed by an Executive Committee, which is made up of representation from Merton's BAME organisations.


Some of the Network's Achievements:

Merton Unity Network continues to build on its achievements in supporting Merton's BAME organisations and communities, despite its very low funding base over the years. Some of those achievements include:

• Joint commissioning of researches - Meta Data Research relating to a range of issues for ethnic minorities;

• The establishment of a BME Forum (2005) and Peer Support Network (2008) for BAME voluntary and community organisations in Merton;

• Facilitated the BME Forum in the production of an innovative BME Strategic Plan for Merton (2006-2009); A refresh of the Plan is scheduled for 2010;

• Bi-annual seminars to ensure the involvement and engagement of BAME organisations with policy decision making;

• Health Awareness Days and Funding Surgeries;

• Winners of the Community Diversity Award 2000 for contribution to and success in the growth and development of the BAME sector;

• Facilitated the leveraging of funds (approx. £1million) within Merton to support the capacity building of local ethnic minority groups in partnership with EMF-CEMVO in 2003; A successful bid of approx. £0.4 million in joint partnership with Croydon BME Forum (2008-11) to support the development of the South London BME Partnership; Approx. £0.4 million (2008-2013) for a Development, Research and Information Project for BAME groups within Merton.

• Successful partnership working. A member organisation of Merton Partnership and a range of consortiums, e.g. locally with Merton Voluntary Service Council and sub-regionally with South London Council for Voluntary Services;

• Continually working in partnership with funders to enable access to funding by minority ethnic groups.