Steve Machin, Chief Executive, North West Regional Assembly ENGAGING THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN CIVIC/REGIONAL ACTIVITY 24 NOVEMBER 2003

The North West Cumbria Lancashire Greater Manchester Greater Merseyside Halton Unitary Cheshire Blackburn with Darwen Blackpool Unitary Authorities Warrington Unitary

The North West - Population Total Population = 6.7 million Cheshire= 674,000 Cumbria= 488,000 Greater Manchester= 2.4 million Lancashire= 1.1 million Merseyside= 1.3 million Unitary Authorities = 598,000

The North West - Population Largest region outside London / South East by population Higher than the population of Scotland and Wales combined Larger economy than 5 EU member states

The North West - Population Age (% of population) Age:>20= 25.7% 20-64= 55.6% <64= 18.7%

The North West - Population Minority Ethnic Population as % of Total = 4.9 % Mixed= 15 % Asian or Asian British= 59.8% Black or Black British = 16.3% Chinese = 5.3% Other ethnic groups = 3.7%

The North West – Economic Indicators Deprivation NW contains 7 of the 10 most deprived wards in the country Wealth Cheshire has the highest number of millionaires per square mile in the UK

Your Region, Your Choice “3.8 regional assemblies will need to be inclusive bodies whose policies reflect the interests of communities of all kinds, across all parts of the region, and encourage participation. Assemblies should value their region’s diversity and seek to make it an asset in their pursuit of regional development.”

Equality & Diversity “The North West Regional Assembly is committed to the creation and accessibility of opportunity for all citizens of the North West and to the removal of discrimination that prevents the realisation of human potential regardless of: “Age, class, colour, disability, family responsibilities, gender, marital status, mental health, nationality, parental status, racial origin, religious belief or sexual orientation.”

A Course of Action The NWRA will work closely with its regional partners to enable, facilitate and support: Work with the ethnic minority communities to lobby for DDA employment provisions to apply to all employers irrespective of size. More effective policing of equality and diversity Encouraging a significant number of large employers in the region to review their recruitment and retention practices in relation to ethnic minority communities The identification of ethnic minority communities role models and the establishment of a mentoring scheme A series of Job Fairs across the region

A Course of Action (2) The establishment of a North West Employers’ Network on ethnic minority communities issues Clarification of the routes to assistance for ethnic minority communities Assurance that Equality and Diversity Strategy is formulated in a way that meets the needs of ethnic minority communities in the region Encouraging LSCs to undertake Skills Audits of ethnic minority communities looking for work or wishing to progress their employment. Urgent meetings with key players in the Small Business Service to prioritise equality and diversity issues on their agenda.