Supporting ambition, creativity, vision and leadership in BME communities

With support from Glasgow Caledonian University, the Runnymede Trust is piloting a support network for Black and Minority-Ethnic (BME) individuals and groups (and/or for People of Colour) who are actively leading and developing their own projects and ideas, or founding their own organisations.

For example, you may be writing a proposal, shaping a new service, developing a budget, seeking funding, working in a collaboration, researching content, formulating a legal entity, re-activating an old idea, innovating an arts practice or writing a business plan: whatever your `next step’ is, this network aims to help you define that `next step' and support you while you complete it, and then the next step, and the next, and so on.

This network is for you whether you are active or want to become active, working at the many tasks it takes to realise a project or idea.

Join the Common Cause Glasgow Network to:

• Gain clarity about your project or idea with peer group feedback and guidance.

• Define and take those smaller `next steps' necessary to develop your project or idea.

• Improve your research, organisation and presentation skills.

• Learn more about yourself as you take on a leadership role.

The Common Cause Glasgow Network is open to all BME individuals and BME-led groups and organisations (including those that define themselves as People of Colour) working in all sectors - arts, media, creative industries, heritage, business, academia, health, social issues and community development. This initial phase of the Network will offer five half-day Network meetings scheduled across the year approximately once every 2-3 months, featuring Expert Speakers, Case Study presentations and the chance to step into the role of `funder' and decide how and why a small fund is spent.

In between meetings, the Network will offer Action Learning, help finding a suitable Mentor, access to a Skills Bank, guide to local and regional opportunities and a Listening Service. In its broadest sense, joining the Network a chance to develop a reflective practice as you take action on your ideas and projects and step into a leadership role.

The research and development stage of any new venture can be frustrating, demoralising and unpredictable. The Common Cause Glasgow Network offers a safe way for you, as an independent, self-directed person or group, to test your thinking, present your ideas and activate your plans with peers who are just like you, and who will both challenge and support you.

Joining this network is free. When registering for this event, you will be sent a registration and monitoring form to complete and return. We have a very limited budget for travel, but we can help people travelling from outside Glasgow.

Finally, the venue is fully accessible, but please talk to us about any support or access needs you may have. We cannot guarantee we can always help or resolve these, but we will endeavour to do all that we can to enable you to attend.

Please call Carol Sidney for an informal chat or email Carol or Laurie at the Runnymede Trust with any queries or concerns:

E: commoncause@runnymedetrust.org.

T: 0207 377 9222.

The event will run from 2pm-6pm. But please also join us for informal drinks and nibbles between 6pm-7pm.

This first event will be lead and facilitated by:

Carol Sidney, Project Manager of Common Cause Networks, from the Runnymede Trust

Dr Ima Jackson, Senior Lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University

Rhea Lewis, Creative Practitioner and Co-Founder Project-X

Registration is limited to people who identify as Black, Asian, from a minority-ethnic background or as a person of colour, and is intended to come within positive action as defined by s.158 Equality Act (2010).