About Us

The Partnership Development Project is a project managed by MENTER, the regional network of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) organisations and communities for the East of England. Its main aim is to assist with the integration of asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers in the East of England and to improve local community cohesion through partnerships working. We look to review the relevance of accumulated knowledge for other transitional groups. We aim to be working with groups working for the benefit of other migrant communities such as Gypsies and Travellers, and issues dealing with race and social cohesion.

The project’s steering group consists of EELGA SMP (East of England Local Government Assembly Strategic Migration Partnership), the Refugee Council, the British Red Cross, the East of England development Agency (EEDA), Government Office of the East of England (GO-East) and MENTER.

The PDP project is now funded until March 2011 by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) through the Tackling Race Inequality Fund.

Aim of the project: to promote community cohesion in the East of England by reducing inequalities, tackling disadvantages and increasing civic participation through partnership working with existing local Multi Agency Forums (MAF) member organisations

Purpose of the project–The project is funded to address two outcomes listed below
Outcome A1: Reduced inequalities of access and reduced gaps in outcomes for migrants, refugees and Gypsies/Travellers in a range of public services
Outcome A2:  Increased levels of civic participation, volunteering or representation in civic or political institutions amongst migrants, refugees and Gypsies/Travellers

Project objectives:

• Ensure good service provision including new provision or new ways of providing services
• Promote cohesion and integration and reduce community tensions/race hate crime
• Ensure a region wide consistent approach to migration, equalities and impact assessments
• Eliminate waste through unnecessary duplication
• Save resources through coordination
• Improve the knowledge and evidence base through collaboration
• Help improve services through appropriate information, training and dissemination of good practice models including those from other regions
• Help improve services through increased understanding and access to specialist information e.g. migrant community or refugee needs

Partnership Development Project of MENTER