Since its inception in 2003, CEMVO Scotland’s key achievements to date include:

2004-present

Delivering the structured Capacity Building Programme where over 150 ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations and community groups throughout Scotland were supported for organisational development with over £2.5 million worth of funding secured.The programme was externally evaluated by Heriot Watt University in 2007 (Commissioned by Communities Scotland).

2005-present

Delivering the Social Enterprise Capacity Building Programme to over 40 ethnic minority organisations, helping them develop social enterprise initiatives, access mainstream social enterprise support and secure over £1.5 million worth of funding and business premises. The research report “Encouraging Social Enterprise and Co-operative Business among Ethnic Minority Groups in Scotland” was published and launched at our Social Enterprise Market Day event in 2007.

Developing the first Black Leadership Network (BLN) in Scotland where over 50 ethnic minority managers come together regularly to provide peer support, share information and good practice, and develop individual and collective leadership in addressing race equality within Scotland. In 2009, CEMVO Scotland successfully completed a pilot project through the BLN in which we conducted an audit for 6 Scottish NHS Boards on performance against their Race Equality Schemes 2005-2008 and providing guidance for their Schemes 2008-2011.

2006-present

Initiating an innovative approach to increasing ethnic minority civic and democratic participation through the development of the Ethnic Minority Civic Congress (EMCC), which provides a structured platform for over 90 ethnic minority voluntary organisations and community groups to engage directly with policy and decision makers.

2006-present

Working in partnership with the Electoral Commission to increase the awareness and understanding of civic, electoral and democratic structures amongst ethnic minority communities through the Inclusive Democracy Project, with over 1250 ethnic minority people having participated.

2006-2008

Tackling poverty through working in partnership with HMRC to increase awareness and uptake of Family Tax Credits and Child Trust Funds amongst ethnic minority communities.

2009

Raising awareness of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 among ethnic minority communities.

2009

Working with the Scottish Government to deliver a series of National Conversation events where ethnic minority communities were engaged in this important debate and consultation on Scotland’s future. The final national conference “A National Conversation – Future of Scotland and Ethnic Minority Communities” was addressed by the First Minister on 30 September 2009.