Black and Ethnic Minorities Forum

The Black and Ethnic Minorities Forum (BME Forum) was set up in 2006 to enable Kingston Council to consult with black and ethnic minority groups in the Borough. For further information please contact Francis Arokiasamy at francis.arokiasamy@rbk.kingston.gov.uk or call 020 8547 4714.

Aims of the BME Forum

To inform, challenge, check and support RBK’s equality initiatives in order to improve its commitment and effectiveness
To eliminate unlawful discrimination
To promote equality of opportunity
- Between persons of different racial groups
- Between men and women
- Between disabled people and other people
To promote good relations and positive attitudes
To eliminate harassment
To encourage participation in public life
To take steps towards meeting disabled people’s needs even if this means more favourable treatment.

Terms of Reference

To assist, check, challenge, support and inform RBK in:

Reducing inequality in race, disability, gender, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation and age.
Note: It should not be limited to these strands only. The group should also beware that inequality in society exists in other forms such as social class or by belonging to a generalised grouping of people like refugees, asylum seekers or homeless people.
Ensuring that local authority in discharging its functions and duties does so in a fair, transparent and equitable way.
Engaging with the local authority to work together with Kingston Communities as a whole for better understanding and respecting difference.

Outcomes

The group will provide the following benefits:

Informing and influencing decision making
Encouraging policy makers to be proactive in identifying possible differential/negative impact
Improving the Local Authority’s ability to deliver suitable and accessible services that meet varied needs
Increasing trust and confidence within the communities it serves
Helping to develop good practices.

Approach

RBK will, through exchange of ideas, seek to establish a positive, equal and effective dialogue on race equality and all other strands of equality.

We undertake to use this forum to understand and identify issues that are of concern to Black and Ethnic Minority people and look at how best to address these issues Council-wide.

We will ensure our Equality Scheme and Action Plans are influenced by the information, suggestions and outcomes of this Forum. We will keep the Forum informed of the progress we make.

RBK and the Forum will work together in a relationship of co-operation. We will respect and recognise each other’s different roles, but our joint vision is to come together to achieve progress collectively.

Participants

We would encourage individuals, people of all ages, male, female, transgender people, disabled people, community groups and voluntary sector groups representing people from the Black and Ethnic Minorities who are marginalised and disadvantaged in our communities.

Demographic Information

Ethnic Composition of Kingston’s Population in 1991 and 2001

1991	Number	Percentage %	2001	Number	Percentage %
White	133048	92.1	White
			British	111810	75.92
			Irish	3201	2.17
			Other white	9381	6.37
			Mixed
			White and Black Caribbean	591	0.40
			White and Black African	392	0.27
			White and Asian	1398	0.95
			Other mixed	976	0.66
			Asian or Asian British
Indian	3045	2.1	Indian	5322	3.61
Pakistani	848	0.6	Pakistani	1916	1.3
Bangladeshi	147	0.1	Bangladeshi	384	0.26
Other Asian	3328	2.3	Other Asian	3844	2.61
			Black or Black British
Black Caribbean	512	0.4	Black Caribbean	772	0.52
Black African	470	0.3	Black African	1406	0.95
Other Black	292	0.2	Other Black	131	0.09
			Other ethnic group
Chinese	1076	0.7	Chinese	2026	1.38
Other ethnic groups	1748	1.2	Other ethnic groups	3723	2.53