The World Creativity and Innovation Day is held every year on the 21st April, highlighting the creative ways local people including artists and innovators improve the way we work, meet and live in our communities. Part of Black South West Network’s (BSWN) ethos is to recognise that creativity and support the innovative ways in which Black and South Asian communities in Bristol and the South West of England are unique to their experience and cultural perspective.
The current pandemic which disproportionally affects Black and South Asian communities in the UK could be considered as a time to focus on emergency responses instead of thinking of innovation. However, we believe that the pandemic is the reason why many community and voluntary organisations are in a position where they have had to think creatively in order to find ways to continue supporting their communities and vulnerable neighbours.
#CharitySoWhite recently published their ‘Racial injustice in the Covid-19 response’ which highlights the need to trust the Voluntary and Community Sector:
“To best reach those most impacted by the crisis, we need to work with organisations closest to them. We urge organisations to avoid knee-jerk relief efforts and ensure they have built in the mechanisms to work directly with community leaders”.
This holds particularly true for diverse, multi-cultural Bristol and especially in some of its deprived wards such as Lawrence Hill, Barton Hill and St.Paul’s where the needs are intersectional and challenges to supporting families and elders in need can be complex. One of the examples of creative challenge solving can be found right in the heart of St.Paul’s at the Malcolm X Community Centre.
The Malcolm X Community Centre is a multi-purpose community resource built in the early 1980s to provide cultural, social, recreational, educational and entertainment facilities to African and Caribbean communities in St Paul’s and the surrounding areas. The two available buildings on site are made available for community events, conferences, activity classes, and to local organisations such as the young African People’s Talent Show, The African Caribbean Elders Forum, and The Jamafrique Social Club. The Centre works with other organisations to promote cross-cultural integration in Bristol and provides a platform to promote the voice of the African and African Caribbean community in Bristol.
The pandemic and Government-ordered lockdown however, has put a halt to all of the social activities and scheduled bookings at the venue, taking away a valuable income generating resource for the center. This challenge however, has demonstrated the ability of the Malcolm X Trustees and members to come up with creative solutions for utilising the centre as a resource to respond to the current community needs.
We spoke to Primrose Granville, the Centre’s Chair, who explained:
“Since the onset of COVID-19 the Malcom X Community Centre went into brainstorming about how we would respond as a community centre. Ours is a physically used space offering support services to St. Paul’s and its very diverse population. We knew a lockdown was inevitable & would have a devastating effect on an already largely marginalised section of Bristol. We started off on a small scale by joining with Bristol Black Carers to provide meals for our Elders & Vulnerable. That has literally grown overnight & we are now delivering to more people. We are also part of a bigger community collaboration.
Within a few days we will launch a Community Food Hub at the centre, to provide culturally appropriate meals to individuals in need but who may not necessarily know who to reach out for help or even feel comfortable doing so. We know we will attract members of a community that are not currently being reached by mutual aid efforts. As a collective we are working together to make this happen. Echoing the words of The Late Malcolm X,“…by any means necessary“. This is our mission & vision.”
Similar to the Malcolm X Centre, many local Black and South Asian organisations are responding to the pandemic by adapting the way in which they work. They include; Cognitive Paths, Bristol Black Carers and Ujima Radio, who are building on their previously developed collaborations to share culturally relevant information and advice regarding Covid-19, with each other and with their local communities.
The local Somali community organisations such as Bristol Somali Resource Centre and Talo are equally facing this challenge and coming up with ways to support the local Somali community. Abdullahi Farah, Manager of the Bristol Somali Resource Centre explained:
“Before the Coronavirus, Bristol Somali Resource Centre used to offer face-face advice and support to its service users on a wide range of issues such benefits, employment, consumer issues and wellbeing. Our service users like to speak to us in person when they need help with things that affect them. They often present challenges that require face to face support. We used to contact organisations such as DWP, BCC and Energy providers on behalf of our service users.
Due to the lockdown and social distancing requirement, we decided to offer telephone support rather than face to face support. We found it difficult to get consent from service users as they are not physically with us to sign consent form or give telephone consent. It takes 3 time more to support one service user than before the lockdown.
We are risking our lives every day to support most vulnerable members of the community who are self-isolating because of Coronavirus. We supported a domestic violence victim who was self-isolating, elderly community members, asylum seekers and self-isolating people who have no support network. We deliver food to their doors, pick medicine from Pharmacy for them and do shopping for those self-isolating people. We help people who were self-employed or lost their jobs because of Coronavirus. We give them advice and information and help them apply for benefits that they are entitled to. We raise awareness about Coronavirus by creating leaflets/ videos in Community languages such as Somali and Arabic to inform community members about social distancing, how to prevent the spread of the virus and support available to people affected by coronavirus. “
Adapting to current needs within the community and utilising the limited resources at their disposal is not a new concept to the Black and Asian-led community organisations. BSWN has had the privilege to work with and support these organisations, who have demonstrated how resourceful and innovative they can be in ensuring limited resources are used in creative ways to provide a service to their communities.
BSWN realise the importance of shining a light on the organisations highlighted above and many others who have modelled how adaptability, collaboration innovation, kindness and compassion is needed more now than ever. On behalf of the whole BSWN Team, thank you to all of our local VCSE organisations for the vital work they are doing to keep communities safe and informed.