About the Race Equalities Taskforce
The West Midlands Race Equalities Taskforce is an independent group that is working to improve opportunities for all of our communities.
About the Taskforce
Forty-five per cent of people living in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area do not identify as being from a White British background.
Evidence shows that these “racialised” communities face more challenges in life. We need change so that everyone has the chance to reach their potential. This is important for levelling up our region.
That is why the West Midlands Combined Authority Board decided to set up the Taskforce.
We are an independent group of leaders working to tackle race inequality and make our region fairer. Our job is to bring together a wide range of partners to find new ways to tackle race disparities. We focus on the issues where the WMCA can make the most difference.
Our work
The Taskforce was launched in Spring 2022. We spent our first year developing Race Forward, which is our plan for change. It was fully endorsed by the WMCA Board in March 2023 and publicly launched in September 2023 at the Bethel Convention Centre in Sandwell. We are now working to deliver action.
Find out more about Race Forward here (link to Race Forward webpage).
Our members and partners
The Taskforce is led by an independent chair, Sharonjit Clare. We worth with a wide range of leaders from different backgrounds, including public services, businesses and communities.
The Taskforce is led by an Independent Chair, who is Sharonjit Clare.
The Taskforce brings together a wide range of leaders from different communities, sectors and parts of the West Midlands. This includes strong representation from senior officers at local authorities and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
We are guided by an elected Members Advisory Group, who help us to make sure our work aligns with and connects to local priorities.
Our activity is driven through work groups that include experts on our different priority areas. Our work groups are:
- Jobs and Skills
- Education
- Housing and Homelessness
- Transport
- Criminal Justice
- Community Leadership
- Community Enterprise Hubs
We also convene a “West Midlands Universities’ EDI Network” and are planning to set up activity around Health and Wellbeing.
We all need to work together to tackle race inequality. That is why we work together with public services, businesses and communities, so that everyone is doing more to shift the dial on race inequality.