Mission Statement:

'Support service for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, individuals and families encouraging integration, community cohesion & reducing social exclusion'

Our Aim:

BME Community Services is a charitable organisation established with an aim to address the gap in services for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities on the West Sussex Coastal Strip. These communities consist of diverse ethnic origins, with different religions, languages and cultural values. As an umbrella organaisation our main aim is to support the establishement ethnic minority community groups and to support individuals and families in addressing their needs to help reduce marginalisation and isolation. Our areas of coverage are Chichester, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Worthing, Shoreham and the surrounding rural towns.

Our Objectives:

• To advance education, relieve poverty and hardship, social exclusion and prevent crime
• To relieve sickness and preserve health among the Black and Minority Ethnic community
• To provide practical culturally appropriate emotional support and advice the Black and Minority Ethnic community
• To improve the capacity of Black and Minority Ethnic community groups so that they are able to participate fully in the regeneration of their communities
• To identify unmet needs, advocate for and collectively prioritise issues and concerns working towards securing resources for the Black and Minority Ethnic communities to enable them to participate fully in the community
• To provide practical culturally appropriate emotional support and advice the Black and Minority Ethnic communities

Our reference to ‘Black and Minority Ethnic’ ‘BME’ or ‘Ethnic Minority:

Our reference to ‘Black and Minority Ethnic’ ‘BME’ or ‘Ethnic Minority ’ refers to An umbrella term, covering all the characteristics of a 'racial group', as well as the religious and cultural bonds that are seen as defining Africans, Muslims, Rastafarians and other groups that may not have formal protection under the Race Relations Act.

Someone who is said to belong to an 'ethnic minority' is therefore anyone who would tick any box other than 'White British' box in response to an ethnicity question on a census form. This means that, across England and Wales, 12.5% of the population are ethnic minorities, according to the 2001 census

Our Service does not descriminate on who accesses it but will not impose on anyone who does not need it.