Social Entrepreneur Support Manager
19th July 2022
3:47pm
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging are critical to UnLtd being a foundation of, not for, social entrepreneurs. We are committed to helping social entrepreneurs across the UK make a difference in their communities, and anti-racism is critical to making this a reality. We are delighted to share the Welsh Government's recently launched Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, aiming to make Wales an anti-racism country by 2030.
In 2020 the Wales Social Enterprise Working Group launched the New Vision and Action Plan for Social Enterprise in Wales to focus on putting social enterprise at the heart of the economy and future, to tackling some of the most pressing social issues in Wales. One of the key outcomes of this plan was to increase diversity and prioritise inclusion, and UnLtd is pleased that the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan will support this and the other outcomes.
Members of the working group include Cwmpas (formerly the Wales Co-operative Centre); the Wales Council for Voluntary Action; Development Trusts for Wales; and Social Firms Wales - our Ecwiti fund partner, and all share our delight in the 2030 goal for an anti-racist Wales.
The purpose of the Plan is to make a measurable change to the lives of ethnic minority people by tackling racism. The Plan is intended to guide Welsh Government, public sector and other sectors which Welsh Government can influence. It is based on the values of being open and transparent, rights-based and putting lived experience at the heart of all Welsh Government does.
Why have the Welsh Government adopted an anti-racist approach? Anti-racism is about changing the systems, policies and processes which for so long have embedded institutional white supremacy. It requires us to acknowledge that even if we do not see ourselves as 'racist' we can, by turning our eye away, be complicit in allowing racism to continue. By adopting an anti-racist approach, Welsh Government aims to take radical action, rather than the 'small steps' of the past.
The Plan is focused on changes to collectively make to people's experiences of racism in six different aspects of their lives:
The social enterprise sector in Wales has a role to play in helping to build an anti-racist Wales. Some of the actions for the sector outlined in the plan include:
There are also specific actions for organisations operating in education, health and social care.
Social enterprises like BExcellence are already playing a role in creating an anti-racist Wales. They are dedicated to galvanising inclusion and increasing social mobility for the Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in South Wales, including within the business and education sector.
This includes the TAN network – a solution-based network dedicated to providing support to anti-racism professional learning for all teaching assistants across Wales. They also created a school resource suitable for KS2 pupils (age 8-11) to help them enhance a greater sense of Cynefin (belonging). Super Citizens covers 6 topics/missions, to help pupils explore subjects such as anti-racism, environment, and community.
There is also support to find, fund and deliver support to social entrepreneurs in Wales, with a focus on those from marginalised backgrounds. The Ecwiti Fund from UnLtd and Social Firms Wales will be looking to fund social entrepreneurs in Wales who:
More information on the fund is available.
Furthermore, the Plan calls for third sector support organisations to demonstrate how they will ensure anti-racism and race equality are embedded within their organisations both as employers and service providers.
UnLtd's Equity Audit is an example of where this is already happening. Other members of the Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group are also considering how to make their organisations anti-racist and we look forward to sharing these journeys in more detail soon.
Follow Cwmpas, Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Development Trusts for Wales, and Social Firms Wales to keep up to date with the work of the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, or reach out if you would like to support the work too.