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Community Voices Group What is CVG? What is CVG? What is CVG? What is CVG? Community Voices Group Do you identify as Black, brown, Asian or from another language, ethnic or migrant community? Do you want to improve how public services are delivered locally? Do you want the chance to speak directly to representatives from the Council and NHS and get your voice heard? Members of the group attend meetings as individuals or as representatives of a community group they belong to. We meet monthly, either online or in-person, to discuss issues that matter to us and to talk to representatives from Brighton and Hove Council and NHS Sussex about how they can be delivered. Past meetings Past meetings Past meetings Past meetings Reports Reports Reports Reports Community Voices (October, 2024) Read the October 2024 report on CVG, which outlines our achievements, feedback from our members and the next steps. Read the report here. Bridging Change NHS Workshop (November, 2023) Bridging Change was awarded a grant by NHS Sussex to deliver a face-to-face, 2.5-hour workshop in November 2023 with racialised minority communities based in Brighton and Hove. The event's aims were two-fold: to close the community engagement loop by feeding back to communities and to engage with the local communities. Read the report here. Become a CVG member Become a CVG member Become a CVG member Become a CVG member Interested in joining us? Contact Beth Harrison at Bridging Change, email: hello@bridgingchange.co.uk If you do not speak English and would like to be involved, email: laura@sussexinterpreting.org.uk or call 01273 234016 and leave a message in your language

Podcasts Talk In Equality (Transcipts down below) Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan and Lillian Ndawula (Ethnic Minorities in Canterbury) explore, with guests, the role of research in addressing health inequalities experienced by minoritised ethnic groups. This series is funded by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex and supported by the Research Design Service Southeast and Clinical Research Network Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Episode 1: What do community development organisations think? In this episode, guest host Dr Gary Hickey from Agora Digital Centre at University of Southampton, quizzes Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan from Bridging Change, Lillian Ndawula from Ethnic Minorities in Canterbury and Patrick Nyikavaranda from Diversity Resource International. He asks them about their perceptions and experiences of health inequalities experienced by ethnic minority communities and their hopes for increasing the representation of people from ethnic minorities in both the participation and involvement in research. Click below to listen. Episode 3: A perspective from the Health Research Authority In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Dr Matt Westmore, Chief Executive at Health Research Authority. They quiz Matt about the steps taken by the Health Research Authority to increase representation in research and the important role that community organisations can play. Click below to listen. Episode 5: A researcher's perspective In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Dr Ibidun Fakoya, Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London. Ibi shares her experiences of undertaking research with people from ethnic minority communities, emphasizing the importance of developing relationships and the need to take a holistic approach to research rather than focusing on a single illness or condition. Click below to listen. Episode 2: What do funders think? A perspective from the National Institute for Health and Care Research In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Jeremy Taylor OBE, Director of Public Voice at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Jeremy talks about the work the NIHR is doing to increase representation in research from people from ethnic minorities and the importance of engaging with communities and developing trust. Click below to listen. Episode 4: A perspective from the Academy of Medical Sciences In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Simon Denegri OBE, Executive Director at The Academy of Medical Sciences. Simon speaks not only about what The Academy of Medical Sciences is doing to promote the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda, but also developments in other countries. Click below to listen. Episode 6: Reflections In this final episode, Gary Hickey (Agora Digital Centre at University of Southampton) returns as a guest host to ask Anusree, Lillian and Patrick to reflect on their podcast journey, what still concerns them and what positives they can take from the guests they have spoken to. Click below to listen. Transcripts Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6

Infrastructure Fundraising www.resourcecentre.org.uk/information/planning-a-funding-application Budgets for community groups , Bank accounts for community groups , Constitutions , Fundraising ideas and Writing a funding application . Responsibilities of Registered Charities Charity Reporting and Accounts

Events Event Title Event Time Event Date Change the event description to include your own content. Adjust the settings to customize the style. July 2026 MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN Upcoming events Gather & Grow (50+) Date: Tuesday, 7th of April (monthly) Time: 12:30-15:30 Venue: Leach Court, Park Street, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 0DE I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Rooted in Wellbeing Date: Thursday, 9th of April (monthly) Time: 11:00-15:00 Venue: Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton in the Conference Room, BN1 3XG Our NEW Rooted in Wellbeing programme will be a space to support living well, looking after our mental health and wellbeing. It is a community and preventative initiative with activities and light touch social prescribing to support racialised minority communities in Brighton and Hove, across the city. This space will provide a person-centred approach, which is a place to connect with others and learn about activities and services that can help with improving and sustaining your wellbeing. CVG: Adult Social Care Date: Wednesday, 22nd of April Time: 18:00-19:30 Venue: Online I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Infrastructure Training Date: Wednesday, 29th of April Time: 18:00-20:00 Venue: Online I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

Podcasts Talk In Equality (Transcipts down below) Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan and Lillian Ndawula (Ethnic Minorities in Canterbury) explore, with guests, the role of research in addressing health inequalities experienced by minoritised ethnic groups. This series is funded by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex and supported by the Research Design Service Southeast and Clinical Research Network Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Episode 1: What do community development organisations think? In this episode, guest host Dr Gary Hickey from Agora Digital Centre at University of Southampton, quizzes Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan from Bridging Change, Lillian Ndawula from Ethnic Minorities in Canterbury and Patrick Nyikavaranda from Diversity Resource International. He asks them about their perceptions and experiences of health inequalities experienced by ethnic minority communities and their hopes for increasing the representation of people from ethnic minorities in both the participation and involvement in research. Click below to listen. Episode 3: A perspective from the Health Research Authority In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Dr Matt Westmore, Chief Executive at Health Research Authority. They quiz Matt about the steps taken by the Health Research Authority to increase representation in research and the important role that community organisations can play. Click below to listen. Episode 5: A researcher's perspective In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Dr Ibidun Fakoya, Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London. Ibi shares her experiences of undertaking research with people from ethnic minority communities, emphasizing the importance of developing relationships and the need to take a holistic approach to research rather than focusing on a single illness or condition. Click below to listen. Episode 2: What do funders think? A perspective from the National Institute for Health and Care Research In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Jeremy Taylor OBE, Director of Public Voice at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Jeremy talks about the work the NIHR is doing to increase representation in research from people from ethnic minorities and the importance of engaging with communities and developing trust. Click below to listen. Episode 4: A perspective from the Academy of Medical Sciences In this episode, Anusree and Lillian speak to Simon Denegri OBE, Executive Director at The Academy of Medical Sciences. Simon speaks not only about what The Academy of Medical Sciences is doing to promote the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda, but also developments in other countries. Click below to listen. Episode 6: Reflections In this final episode, Gary Hickey (Agora Digital Centre at University of Southampton) returns as a guest host to ask Anusree, Lillian and Patrick to reflect on their podcast journey, what still concerns them and what positives they can take from the guests they have spoken to. Click below to listen. Transcripts Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6

COMMISSION ON RACE AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES' FINDINGS: BRIDGING CHANGE RESPONSE The report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has been deeply disappointing. This report after reflecting on the impact of education, community, health (including COVID-19), employment, crime and policing on minoritised ethnic people concluded that institutional racism does not exist. Bridging Change strongly disagrees with the validity of the findings, its conclusions and the "changing the narrative" motivation which has sought to undermine the experience of racism of minoritised ethnic people in Britain. Whilst reading the report we have chosen not to make a detailed response at this time, as the problematic framing of issues in the report are too extensive to broach here. However, this response will draw on a few of the report's findings. In every area the Commission examined disparity, they constructed imaginative ways to excuse racial or ethnic disparity, suggesting instead that they were due to factors such as: . . . living in a densely populated inner-city area, socio-demographic characteristics (deprivation and occupation) living in larger and multi-generational households. The report also blames poorer outcomes for Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic people with: poor and/or lone parenting; co-morbidities; counting methods or simply not liking the numbers. The report, for example, describes stop and search figures from Devon (where there are lower numbers of Black and Asian minoritised ethnic people, specifically Black people) as 'skewed' - but the fact remains, not liking the odds does not diminish simple mathematics. Suggesting that the 'national relative rate is not always accurate' at measuring stop and search rates is problematic, it appears in this report 'not always accurate' refers to when facts do not suit the Government's narrative. Whilst the report acknowledges the disparity of maternal deaths for Black (5 times higher) and Asian (2 times higher), it calls for using absolute numbers, as not to do so was 'unfair to expectant mothers everywhere'. Previous commentary have contextualised the figures in terms of per 100,000, in absolute numbers and/or disparity is attempted to diminish the significance and importance of disparity. It does not change the fact the Black women are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth compared to white women; Asian and mixed heritage women are almost 2 times likely more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Further, disparity in maternal health is symptomatic of negative outcomes faced by men, women and children from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic groups, particularly those minoritised ethnic people who are not white. Using the highly divisive stereotype of 'model minority' as if this was an antidote to racism is a privileged and uninformed construction of meritocracy. This 'model minority' construction was pitted against other minoritised ethnic people who were constructed as living with family breakdown, being unprepared and demotivated to succeed, as were 'attitudes to integrate'. Both stereotypes are equally damaging in suggesting that one group of minoritised ethnic people are hapless whilst the other minoritised ethnic group simply floats through British life without barriers or experiencing racism. Outrageous still is the polling by British Future for the Commission who heralded their poll as 'encouraging' around perceptions on anti-Black prejudice, which asked respondents if they 'saw a lot' of prejudice against Black people. They asked people who were not Black if there were increased level of prejudice for Black people. The only people who can credibly pass comment on the Black experience of racism is Black people , how can any other ethnic group assume to know how racism is experienced by another ethnic group? The report is constantly looking for creative adjustments, reframing, excusing and attempting to undermine disparity for Black and Asian minoritised ethnic people. The report is outrageous in its findings, in its bid to 'change the narrative' and to conclude that institutional racism does not exist is astonishingly inaccurate, premised on creative, misleading evidence and lack academic rigour. At Bridging Change we will focus on the reality of instititional and systemic racism and move away from the Commission's misleading conclusion in its attempt to 'change the narrative'. We want to reclaim the narrative which acknowledges the impact of the 'hostile environment' and the disproportionately negative impact and outcomes for Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic people in the the UK.

BRIDGING CHANGE Bridging Change aims to create a more equal and diverse society with positive outcomes for Black Asian and minoritised ethnic people. We do this through the building of strong alliances, connections and networks. About Bridging Change Bridging Change is an independent organisation with the intention of building strong, dynamic and successful Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic groups, communities, organisations, businesses and individuals that are empowered to flourish, free from inequality and discrimination. Bridging Change was established by Nora Mzaoui and Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan who met as fellow elected Community Works Reps, representing Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities in Brighton and Hove. They realised that there was a gap in support and representation of minoritised communities within the community, voluntary and public sector. Bridging Change want to fill that gap. They were driven by the belief that Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic organisations, groups, communities and individuals were strongest when they worked together to challenge systemic barriers. Bridging Change want to see a society where all individuals and communities have equal opportunities and feel valued and a sense of belonging in their locality. Meet The Team Nora Mzaoui Founder Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan Founder Beth Harrison Project Coordinator Beth has worked in the community and voluntary sector for over twenty years in community development, information and advice, public involvement and English language teaching. She is a trained community development worker with a Masters in Applied Anthropology and Community and Youth Work. She has worked for a number of organisations including Brighton and Hove Black History, Age UK East Sussex, the Hangleton and Knoll Project and the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey, Sussex. She is passionate about inclusion, diversity and equity with a particular focus on the Health and Education sectors. Rini Ghosh Finance Rini is a qualified ACMA (CGMA) accountant with several years of’ experience working for global charities and not-for- profit organisations concentrating in the International Development sector.. She works closely with external and internal business partners and stakeholders, and brings her 20+ years of financial management expertise to aide strategic decision making for senior management teams. She also helps organisations to implement their long-term financial plans and ensure that they align with the approved business strategies and objectives. She currently work as a finance business partner for an animal welfare charity concentrating on process transformation for effective financial reporting to help interpretation of financial information for project delivery. She also has experience of writing and submitting commercial funding proposals for all sizes of budgets and projects. Our Supporters

Careers Bridging Change currently has no open roles, but we're always looking for passionate volunteers to support our work, If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to us at: bridgingchange@outlook.com

Upcoming events Event Title Event Time Event Date Change the event description to include your own content. Adjust the settings to customize the style. July 2026 MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN ❗️ Standing Together as One ❗️ You will have seen how local elections in the UK have shown a stronger voice towards far right. Although they might not get a huge vote in Brighton, it seems like the next local elections on June 25th will see more far right voices trying to influence elections. We would like to hold this event in response to the increase in racism, Islamophobia, far-right organising and attacks targeting racialised communities, including the racist far-right march planned in Brighton and Hove on 13 June. Bridging Change has also invited Brighton and Hove Racial Harassment Forum to talk about reporting options, support services and wellbeing strategies when faced with hate incidents and hate crime. We hope this to be a starting space for racialised communities to be heard, build unity in the community and leave feeling more connected, supported and empowered. For more information, contact: development@bridgingchange.co.uk

Other partnerships Introduction Soon to be updated.

OUR FIRST MEETING INTRODUCING BRIDING CHANGE Bridging Change hosted their introductory meeting on Zoom, which was well attended with 58 attendants. If you missed our session you can have a look at our presentation below to give you a flavour of what we spoke about. Please contact us if you would like to know more at BridgingChange@outlook.com

Events & News Bridging Change are reflecting on the issues that impact Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic people in Brighton and Hove. Here you will find news, events we are organising as well as featured articles, publications and reports. Join our team: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WORKER for Brighton and Hove Black and Minoritised Ethnic Infrastructure Network Do you share a vision of a ‘by and for’ BME infrastructure for BME community groups and organisations in B&H? We are looking to recruit a worker who has a passion and commitment for building on this vision. The Project Development Worker will develop a BME infrastructure network to ensure BME groups and organisations can become sustainable, thrive and become more resilient by building on their strengths and skills as well as tackling the needs and gaps identified. To apply please complete the application form and Equality and Diversity monitoring form and send it to bridgingchange@outlook.com by 5pm on 21st January 2025 . Please note: there has been an amendment to the salary banding for this post. Project Development Worker Job Description Application form Equality and Diversity monitoring form Join our team: PROJECT SUPPORT WORKER for Brighton and Hove Black and Minoritised Ethnic Infrastructure Network Do you share a vision of a ‘by and for’ BME infrastructure for BME community groups and organisations in B&H? We are looking to recruit a worker who has the skills, passion and commitment in supporting the project development worker in the development of a BME infrastructure network. To apply please complete the application form and Equality and Diversity monitoring form and send it to bridgingchange@outlook.com by 5pm on 21st January 2025 . Please note: there has been an amendment to the salary banding for this post. Project Support Worker Job Description Application form Equality and Diversity monitoring form VCSE Alliance Newsletter July 2024 Bridging Change's very own Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan features in the July 2024 issue of the VCSE Alliance Newsletter. Read the newsletter here. Community Voices Group Upcoming meetings: Wednesday 22nd January 2025 Topic: Older People's Health and Wellbeing See the flyer here Bridging Change, in partnership with the Hangleton and Knoll Project, Sussex Interpreting Services and the Trust for Developing Communities, invites you be part of the Community Voices Group, please click here for more information. We also have this information in different languages, please contact us directly about this. Please email hellobridgingchange@outlook.com for more information . Sewell Report Runnymede Responds Runnymede hosted a snap event to discuss the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities' findings and why it has failed to address structural and institutional racism in the UK. If you missed it, catch it on YouTube Bridging Change Opinion Read Bridging Change's response to the Sewell Report here. Brighton and Hove becoming an anti-racist city The council has pledged to be an anti-racist council. Brighton and Hove City Council has said that they will work in partnership with Black and Minority Ethnic people including council staff, residents and community groups to directly shape our anti-racism strategy through their lived experiences and diverse perspectives. You can find out more from their website .