Wokingham Borough Black and Minority Ethnic Forum

The Black and Minority Ethnic Forum meets 4 times a year and is open to everyone. These meetings are an opportunity to provide information and discuss issues about our services and how we support Black and Minority Ethnic residents.

Black and Minority Ethnic Forum meetings are open to everyone.

To formally join and be able to vote on key issues, including election of the Chair email: community.engagement.localities@wokingham.gov.uk.

You can also view the Black and Minority Ethnic Forum Terms of Reference (PDF document.)

The forum's chair is elected every 2 years. The current acting chair is Councillor Parry Batth.

Wokingham Borough Black and Minority Ethnic Forum was established in 2002. It was set up to influence our policies, practices and services to ensure the needs of our Black and Minority Ethnic communities are met. It also provides an exchange of information between us and our Black and Minority Ethnic communities.

Although the forum is administered by us it is community-led in terms of its priorities and activities.

The forum celebrates Black History Month every October with a range of events and activities. The first celebration of Black history began in 2004 as part of the borough’s Cultural Partnership work. A few years later the annual celebration became directly co-ordinated by the Black and Minority Ethnic Forum.

The annual Black History Month Mall Gallery Exhibition at Shute End is now a firm fixture in our calendar, highlighting a particular issue important to the forum. 

The Taster and Performance Evenings mark the end of the month’s celebrations and provide a wonderful showcase of local talent from the borough’s Black and Minority Ethnic communities. The event has a strong family theme with many performances from local children and young people.  

See copies of our exhibitions for 2020 below:

• Black History Month - Carter Woodson (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Contribution to NHS (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Contribution to World War One (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Diwali 2020 (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Guyana Independence (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Ramgarhia Sabha Sikh Centre (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Windrush Generation (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Windrush Personal Experience (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Performance and Taster event (PDF document)
• Black History Month - Performance and Taster event alternative (PDF document)

Black History Month 2021 invited Black and Brown people of all ages throughout the UK to share what they are proud to be. For example, Proud To Be Black, Proud To Be Brown, Proud To Be Black and LGBTQ+, Proud To Be Me.

Below are some of the campaign resources that were used to promote Black History Month 2021, paying tribute to the hard work and dedication of the Black community who have strived to make Britain what it is today:

• Black History Month – Campaigners Throughout History (PDF document)
• Black History Month – Key Moments in Black British History (PDF document)
• Black History Month – Making A Difference (PDF document)
• Black History Month – Quotes From History (PDF document)
• Black History Month – Sporting Greats (PDF document)
• Black History Month – Writing Their Names Into History (PDF document)
   

In March 2021 we invited existing BME Forum members and people who have recently engaged with the BME Forum to participate in one-to-one discussions with Judeline Nicolas Associates to share their thoughts and experiences about the work of the BME Forum.

Read the full report and findings in our Wokingham BME Forum Report (PDF document.)