The Scottish Government is committed to doing more to empower individuals and communities to have more control over their own lives and more choice in how their needs are met. They are developing a new way to do this through a policy of ‘Empowering Communities’ and were keen to hear what people thought about their ideas.
They were particularly keen to hear the views of men and women of all ages from Scotland’s black and minority ethnic communities. To enable them to do this Positive Action in Housing organised two focus groups, on the morning of Saturday the 17th and Monday 19th of November. Staggering the meetings gave people in employment, full time education and those with family commitments the best chance of being able to take part,
Both meetings were fully booked with 25 people from across Scotland’s diverse black and minority ethnic communities taking part. Participants were given capacity building training by Positive Action in Housing staff before the focus groups and took full advantage of the opportunity to give their opinion and influence the way this policy develops by telling the Scottish government how this work can become meaningful and useful for them.
All who took part gave rated the event as very good or excellent with one participant writing: “thank you for listening to us, considering us in Scottish life as human beings with rights to have our say”
