News
Africans for Essex
RECC Makes a Difference
November 5th, 2008RECC had a successful exhibition on Migration on the third floor of the Exchange in Ilford as our contribution to Make A Difference Week. We had a lot of very positive feedback from the exhibition and are now prepared to take it to local schools, colleges, libraries and places of worship – in fact anywhere that will have us and make a small donation to help with costs. We have also developed some teaching packs for schools on migration. Please contact us if you would like to know more.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR FUNDING BIDS EVENT
November 5th, 2008
On Thursday 13th November 2008 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. RECC will be holding a special funding event in the church hall attached to our offices at Gants Hill, aimed at helping interested organisations to build partnerships with other groups in order to increase chances of success in submitting bids to outside funders. There is a small charge of £5 to cover expenses, but for this, your organisation can send up to three delegates. Please contact us if you would like a copy of the programme for the day and have not already received one.
RECC MOVES TO GANTS HILL
June 20th, 2008
On Monday 16th June 2008 Redbridge Equalities and Community Council moved to Gants Hill, into offices provided by Gants Hill United Reformed Church. We are out of email contact at the moment but our telephone line is being diverted to a mobile ‘phone until Wednesday next week when, all being well, we should get the new phone line installed. We hope to be online again with a new email address by the middle of next week as well. Things are in a state of flux at the moment with most of the desks now re-assembled but a few more to go, and still some unpacking to do, but we have managed to carry on with our work during the move.
Our new address is:
Redbridge Equalities and Community Council, Gants Hill United Reformed Church, 39 Woodford Avenue, Gants Hill, Ilford. Essex BBC TO AXE ROKKER RADIO April 4th, 2008The BBC is set to cut the radio station which broadcasts regularly to the UK Gypsy and Traveller community, Rokker Radio. The 2-hour programme which broadcasts every Sunday between 7 pm and 9 pm was set up by the BBC 2 years ago to serve the Gypsy and Traveller community but it is due to be axed from the end of April this year as part of the BBC’s drive to save money following the cut in their licence fee.
The programme was first broadcast on BBC Three Counties Radio on April 8th 2006 – Roma Nation Day and now broadcasts on 6 local radio stations in the East of England. The service costs £800 per week to run but the BBC have now decided this is too expensive to maintain.
There are some 300,000 Gypsies and Travellers in Britain and Gypsies and Travellers are Europe’s largest ethnic minority community, numbering some 12 million people, yet they are poorly served by the media in Britain. Rokker Radio has played an important part in attempting to redress this imbalance. It was also helping to establish a link and create greater understanding between the Gypsy and Traveller community and the settled community.
A campaign has now been launched to save the programme and is calling for the BBC to put the same level of resources and commitment into providing programming for the Gypsy and Traveller community as they do into catering for the needs of other ethnic and linguistic minorities in Britain. This would after all seem only fair. Few of us can be unaware of the negative press which Gypsies and Travellers regularly receive which must play a major part in perpetuating myths and discrimination against this section of the community. The need for services across Europe in the Romani language has also been emphasised.
Please give your support to the campaign by signing up to the online petition using the link below and encourage your friends and family to do so as well.
http://www.petitiononline.com/rokker08/petition.html
It would also be helpful if you would take the time to write to the BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, Director General, BBC, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS, urging him to reverse this decision.
On Romany Nation Day this year, 8th April, campaigners and musicians will gather outside Broadcasting House at mid-day to protest and sing a Romany lament.
You can hear the most recent edition of the Rokker Radio programme online at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/three/aod
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY TRAINING
April 4th, 2008
We can offer full day and half day courses on:
Equal Opportunities and Diversity Approaches to Equality
Diversity and Equality Issues in the Workplace
Email us at: david@redbridgeequalities.org