This project aimed to help older people from the
Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) community access local services
across North Somerset.
Run in partnership with Somerset Racial Equality Council
(SREC), the organisation employed a Community Development
Worker to help run the project.
The Community Development Worker worked to identify older
members of the BME population and to understand what they needed
from services. They worked with the older people to help them
to access and develop services to meet their needs.
The project linked with local organisations, clubs and
groups to develop awareness of existing services and identify
potential areas for development.
Older people were also assisted to develop local
services where needed and to create the over 50s BME forum. This
has recently further developed into a social support network and
renamed the Multicultural Friendship Association. Older people were
also supported to participate in the Senior Community Link run by
Age Concern
Somerset .
Older people from the BME community were encouraged to be
involved in the evaluation of POPP services through
The Evaluation
Trust.
