Local equalities PLE projects

From April to September 2010 eleven local advice agencies across England and Scotland ran local equalities public legal education (PLE) projects providing information, education and outreach on discrimination and human rights.

Below we summarise what happened where:

Disability Law Service - London

Disability Law Service worked in partnership with an arts organisation and a support group for Asian people with learning disabilities to explore discrimination against people with learning disabilities. They ran a series of workshops with a group of young Asian people with learning disabilities. During the workshops participants explored what discrimination means as an idea, experience and feeling; and learnt about how they can respond to it, the legal protections that are available and the importance of seeking advice. Role play was used to develop the young people's confidence and skills by giving them an opportunity to 'practise' responding to situations involving discrimination.

The learning was supported by an easy words and pictures guide to rights at work. Through the workshops participants developed a short film reflecting their experiences of discrimination and what they learnt about how to respond to it.

Ethnic Minorities Law Centre - Scotland

EMLC ran discrimination workshops with young people from a wide range of backgrounds, including Black and Minority Ethnic communities, new arrivals (for example, from A8 countries) and young people from the white, indigenous community in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire. The workshops featured interactive games and activities designed to engage with young people, to gauge their awareness levels, get them thinking and to reinforce learning. At the end each young person was given a pre-prepared pack of leaflets, postcards and stickers.

Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau - South West

Exeter CAB carried out workshops with migrant workers in Barnstaple, Bristol and Exeter on equality and human rights with a specific focus on employment and service provision (including housing). The project was carried out in partnership with local community groups and networks supporting migrant workers and delivered in community outreach venues.

Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau - West Midlands

Birmingham CAB produced a DVD to highlight discrimination in employment. They asked people in central Birmingham what they thought discrimination was and how it might affect them. The presenter then explains the different types of discrimination and each type is illustrated by a professional actor. They were able to draw on the expertise of Birmingham Repertory Theatre who supported the project by advising on the recruitment of the professional actors and directing the film. It will be screened in the waiting room of the bureau's busiest outlet and has been uploaded to Youtube.

They also put on workshops for people seeking work which focused on enabling people to recognise discrimination in the workplace, to understand that there are laws to protect them and to know where to go for help and advice if they experienced discrimination. These took place at the offices of employment training providers.

Student Advice, University of Surrey - South East

The Student Advice campaign makes the local paper! Student Advice at the University of Surrey ran a multi-media advertising and awareness-raising campaign on their campus using flyers, posters, email and Facebook and by mounting an exhibition in the busy Lecture Theatre Concourse. They produced a brief guide for students on their rights and local sources of legal advice and support and put on workshops on 'The new Equality Act and goods, facilities and services', 'The new Equality Act and employment' and 'Discrimination in Housing' using external speakers to deliver them.

They produced a set of bright, colourful posters and postcards that featured discrimination queries, such as 'They hired someone older because they wanted someone more mature. Is that discrimination?'. The postcards had information about the workshop dates and times on the back.

Village Citizens Advice Bureau - North West

Village CAB ran a programme of 10 public legal education sessions covering the North West and including the large city-regions around Manchester and Liverpool. The sessions were designed to improve levels of awareness in the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities, focusing in particular on younger people, of rights and protections against discrimination on the basis of sexuality. The sessions were tailored according to the needs and wishes of each group. They used informal learning, for example a discrimination quiz at an LGB support group social event in a pub to get the message across.

Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council - East Midlands

'Greg's bottle game', used by NREC at community outreach events This was a multi-stranded project to raise awareness and increase understanding of what discrimination looks like and the practical and legal strategies that can be used to challenge it. The project included a video which has been posted on relevant Facebook sites. NREC also established a new Facebook group and continue to post information about discrimination on it. In addition NREC took materials and games to fetes and fairs over the summer holidays, and one stop shop waiting areas, to meet people they might not normally come into contact with and to increase awareness of discrimination and where to go for advice.

Southend-on-Sea Citizens Advice Bureau - East of England

Southend CAB ran a mixture of workshops and stalls at community events to raise awareness of discrimination and human rights by highlighting real life scenarios and explaining what does/does not constitute discrimination and possible routes to a solution. At their stalls they offered visitors the opportunity to take part in a ‘How much do you know about discrimination?’ quiz with tea towels as prizes.

The project worked with partners to identify suitable venues and make connections with their target audience such as the local prison, Southend MIND and local community groups.

Coventry Law Centre - West Midlands

Coventry Law Centre organised a training session that aimed to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community and of the law relating to transgender discrimination and sexual orientation discrimination. They also put on a session for small community groups in Coventry giving a general introduction to discrimination.

Greenwich Community Law Centre - London

Greenwich CLC ran workshops on discrimination and human rights in NHS settings and community centres across Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich. Most of the workshops targeted in and out patients with mental health problems, their relatives, carers and NHS staff. The focus was on awareness raising, being able to recognise discrimination, having a better understanding of available legal remedies and knowing where to go for help.

Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality - East of England

ISCRE worked with a community group One Voice 4 Travellers to produce a film. In the film real examples of unlawful discrimination faced by the Gypsy and Traveller community were enacted by children from the community. The film also included key messages about what discrimination is; how to deal with it; why people accept it and the importance of not accepting it. The film was screened in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds to audiences made up of people from the community and service providers. It will be made available through 'YouTube' and national web sites.

One Voice 4 Travellers used art (as well as games) to raise awareness and promote the idea of the DVD with a view to getting volunteers from the Community to be in the film. A number of children and young people produced pieces of art for possible use as the DVD cover, one was chosen and the artist given a certificate.

September 2010