Agenda and minutes

Present: Rutendo Nyatsine (Co Chair) RN, Cllr James Hill (JH Co - Chair),

John Rawlings (JR – Quakers), Weekes Baptiste ( Spears- Indi- Theatre, WB), Jenny Campbell  (Inspiration FM JC), Mario Chori (Inspiration FM MC), Robert Henry (Nubi Wise CIC, RH), Abade Ahmed (Somalian Community AA),Alaa Abouzanad (Supplemantary Schools AA1), Alice Morgan (AM –NBC), Nisha Mejer (NM- NBC)*

*Took minutes

Apologies: Anjona Roy, Pauline Woodhouse, Neelam Agarwal Singh, Matthew Torreson, Jonathon Lewis

JH welcomed everyone to the meeting. The speaker will no longer be attending the meeting so the agenda has changed.   The action plan can be looked at in more detail.

Minutes were recorded as true to record.

ACTION: Progress check to be carried out on Hate Crime.

Page 4 of minutes stated that schools are under no obligation to report Hate Crime. JC questioned why this can be.  If the public is unaware, how can anything be done about this?

AM:  Steve Bedford from Northampton Police attended the Youth forum discuss hate crime and this issue was discussed.  Schools record internally, but are not under obligation to report hate incidents to the Police.

Cllr Hill: Cases are reported to DFE.  

JC expressed her disappointment that Jonathon Lewis could not attend the Forum meeting to give an update. Asked the Forum whether a further breakdown is needed across different ethnicity e.g. African, Caribbean, Polish etc

PW asked this question when Jonathon gave presentation and he was to give update on this.

(Agenda changed due to Jonathon Lewis unable to attend).

Forum members read through the action plan.

Hate Crime:

AM: An online survey has been created to capture people’s experience of Hate Crime. Cllr Hill would like to increase awareness of the survey.

All NBC Forums to come together:

AM: There is also an opportunity for all forum members to meet. This will be at the Mayor’s Parlour hosted by Cllr Malpas. This meeting can be an opportunity to be introduced to others and perhaps have future meetings.

Raising awareness of Forums:

Cllr Hill: Would also like to see younger people involved to help increase numbers.

JR: Suggested that meetings can be held in different locations and the forum members should access communities.

JC: Location is not always the issue. JC asked AA1 why people from supplementary schools do not attend. AA has invited people from Supplementary Schools to attend but they are governed by parents.

AM has attended Tamil, Chinese schools to invite communities to attend the Youth Forum. But there has not been much response.

JC: Discussions have to be relevant to people to engage them.

ACTION: To distribute leaflets about the Forum at the Carnival on 11^th June.

AA: Suggested organising a community football game to help promote integration and cohesion.

JR: Would also like to see more representation form Eastern European communities.

JC approached young people to create a stop and search app to use on phones. However, apps take up too much space on phones.  Asked youngsters to look at another project and Inspiration FM radio station can publicise this.

Suggested that videos can be created by youngsters so they can watch it if they want to.

ACTION: AM/NM to facilitate a meeting with Cllr King to create something with the Youth forum.  

Supplementary Schools

AM: There is the Youth Forum for youngsters. AM has tried to recruit youngsters from Supplementary Schools. It is not always convenient for parents to bring people to the meeting.

AA1: can reconsider this in September.

Housing

AA: Brought up the issue of Housing and how unaffordable it has become.

ACTION: AM/NM to create a year plan and consult with the Forum as to what to have as agenda items should go on the meetings.

Forum members agreed to have the following issues on the year plan: promoting and encouraging equality, Hate Crime, Education and Housing and Health.

JR: The need of NHS organisations similar aim as Forum. We could try and influence hospitals

JC: We don’t have stats for Dementia for BME communities.

ACTION: AM/NM to invite a representative from NHFT or Pink Rooster?

RN: Finds Forum meetings very useful. Learn new things to let communities know.

ACTION: Ask a contact from education for next meeting to attend.

Speak to Police as would like to see recruitment of BME communities in Police.

5. Community Information Exchange

WB: Play called Caribbean Soldiers 17^th June at Earls Barton WMC, Starts 8:00pm. Tickets £5.

AM: Bollywood Dance at the Diwali  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Discussed as part of the Action Plan

WB: Play called Caribbean Soldiers 17^th June at Earls Barton WMC, Starts 8:00pm. Tickets £5.

AM: Bollywood Dance at the Diwali event. Would like Forum to be part of this.

AM: Early stages of organising the International Men’s Day which will be held on 19^th November.

NM: Niff AGM 21^st June at Sikh Gurdwara, St Georges Street.

WB: Charles Bradlaugh event 20^th August.?

AA: Spoke about a campaign to raise awareness of FGM and to speak out against it. Highlighting that this is abuse and not religious.

ACTION: Email poster to Forum members

14^th July, The Holding Room, The Guildhall

July 14^th 6:30 – 8:30pm, The Holding Room, The Guildhall