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“We wish to ensure that minority organisations and
networks are fully engaged with new opportunities across
Britain. This will bring together key groups, organisations
Founded in 1987 by and entrepreneurs to discuss and agree how future
Simeon Grossett, partnerships can be developed to ensure that ethnic minority
BEMF has been businesses can gain access to contracts and initiatives”.
providing business
support and SIMEON GROSSETT
Chief Executive
advice to BME
British across the UK.
entrepreneurs
Ethnic The Business Federation Simon
Partnership has been in
Woolley:
business for nearly two decades.
SLEMBA our training arm is
Minority a member of the Federation Government’s Race
and delivers training to ethnic
Disparity Unit Advisory
minority businesses (EMBs), and
Group Chair: A new
undertakes research on behalf
Business of the Federation. The BEMF approach to delivering
is an independent body which
race equality.
was set up to cater for the needs
of Ethnic Minority Business
Organisations and Employer
Groups to reach and engage This year has been an extremely tough
year for Britain’s Black and minority ethnic
EMBs and the Community in communities. Actually, it’s been a tough few
Supporting lifelong learning initiatives. It years, but it’s been this past year perhaps,
is an umbrella organisation
that more than any, has exposed the stark
and acts as a membership/
BAME network organisation for EMBs reality of the many forms of racism: in
particular institutional racism. However,
and specialist groups across a
also the often-daily individual abusive and
wide area locally, regionally and
businesses nationally. It is also involved in violent nature of racism has been on the
increase over the last 24 months.
advising the finance sector, local
in the UK authorities, and government The simulated water boarding attack on
departments on achieving
a young Syrian student and of his sister
positive strategic partnerships in
order to support EMBs. who had her hijab ripped from her head,
are sadly not isolated incidents. Attacks
against Muslims have surged by 26% in
2017 according to the hate crime reporting
