Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network

"A Network by and for BME elders as citizens to increase visability, voice, choice and decision making in policy"

The Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network is a new and exciting national initiative funded by the Big Lottery Fund.  The project began in April 2006.  It builds on PRIAE’s considerable work in the past from its regional investment project and before then, engagement with BME elders in all of its health and community enterprise efforts, reminding itself of BME elders' central wish: ‘we have had too much discussion, we need action now’ (PRIAE Royal Commission Report, 1999).

The need for the project arose from:

• BME elders and organisations suffer from poor information and knowledge that could help them access benefits and services
• Mainstream services and national organisations do not sufficiently engage BME elders and so they remain outside the sphere of influence in services where design, development and delivery of health, social care and housing are appropriate
• Lack of cultural sensitive approaches and community focus
• Lack of connection between national policy, regional and local policy and implementation

The Network acts as an important source to increase BME elders’ voice on key issues that affect them through supporting them with clear information and tools. This will help them to influence and connect better with policy and practice at national, regional and local levels and their implementation. The initiative is developing an information link between BME elders and policy-makers, thereby helping to increase the level of visibility, voice, choice and decision-making from BME elders as citizens.

The Network is also a national resource for agencies, organisations and practitioners working in the field of ageing and ethnicity by improving communication and co-ordination of key policy issues through national age and race organisations’ policy and information arm.

The Network will address key issues such as health, social care, housing, income and pensions, community cohesion, citizenship, rights and quality of life. It is for and by BME elders.

Click here to download the Project Flyer - (2.50MB PDF)

For more information on the Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network, please contact

Ian Smith, Information and Policy Manager: ian.smith@priae.org

How to get involved

Sub-networks on health, social care, housing, income and pensions, employment

We invite BME elders, BME voluntary organistions, and others seeking information on BME elder issues to join up to two of our sub-groups. As a member you will receive information and policy briefs reflecting your area of interest and be invited to contribute to consultation activies and help to influence policies as they are being developed. We need YOU to tell us what is working, what isn't working, and what more needs to be done for BME elders, and to champion for BME elders at a local level.

Membership form

PRIAE works with mainstream age organisations, policy makers and service providers, as well as BME elders and voluntary organisations. If you would like to receive information on policy issues for BME elders and contribute to the Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network through engagement and information exchange, please download and return our Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network Membership Form.

Achievements so far

Advisory Group Structure

We were extensively supported in Year 1 of the project by Advisory Groups in the North and South of England made up of BME elders and BME age organisation managers. We would like to thank members from both Advisory Groups for their extensive and valued support. In this second year of this project we are moving from a regional structure to a themed structure. Elders and organisations can now elect to join up to two of of the 'sub-networks' listed above.

Regional conferences - POLICY and PRACTICE in AGEING

North Region Conference, Leeds Town Hall, Monday 11th December 2006: Click here to download the programme and conference report.

South Region Conference, Central Hall Westminster, Wednesday 7th February 2007. Click here to download the programme and conference report.

Policy responses

The following written policy responses have been submitted through the Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network. The responses have given a voice to many BME elders at a national and European level:

• Response to the draft NHS paper 'Modernising Pathology: Developing a Mortuary Service Responsive to Individual Needs', June 2006. Click here to download
• Response to the European Commission Green Paper 'Improving the mental health of the population: Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union', June 2006. Click here to download
• Response to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 'The representativeness of European civil society organisations in civil dialogue', July 2006. Click here to download
• Response to the White Paper 'Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system', September 2006. Click here to download
• Response to draft DWP document 'Vulnerable Customers Guidance', January 2007.
• Response to the White Paper 'Personal accounts: a new way to save', March 2007. Click here to download
• Response to 'Consultation questionnaire on ethnic group, national identity, religion and language for the 2011 Census in England and Wales', March 2007
• Response to the Healthcare Commission's 'Gender Equality Scheme', April 2007. Click here to download
• Response to the 'Call for Evidence for the 'Mayor of London's Health Inequalities Strategy', April 2007. Click here to download
• Response to the 'National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society pre-strategy document', June 2007. Click here to download
• Response to 'A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain', September 2007. Click here to download

Other events and activities

• Ian Smith, Information and Policy Manager, spoke on issues affecting BME elders at the National Pensioners Convention One Day Conference Pensioners' Voices - Pensioners' Rights on 3rd September 2007
• PRIAE contributed to Help the Aged's Mass Lobby for Age Equality at Central Hall Westminster on Wedesday 18th April 2007. We enabled the attendance of over 20 BME elders who were able to Lobby MPs on the issue of age discrimination.
• Ian Smith, Information and Policy Manager, with Mr M A Khan Lodhi, ran a stall at the Capital Age Festival on 20th August 2007
• Ian Smith, Information and Policy Manager, gave a presentation to Age Concern's BME Elders' Forum on 4th July 2006
• Sunjeeda Hanif, Community and Policy Development Manager, spoke at the National Pensioners Convention One Day Conference for Ethnic Elders: Ageing with Dignity, on 21st June 2006

Minority Ethnic Elders' Policy Network Team

Ian Smith, Information and Policy Manager

Sunjeeda Hanif, Community and Policy Development Manager

Farhat Yaqoob, Development Officer - Community Engagement and Marketing