A welcome return for the Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum

Members of the Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum held a face-to-face meeting in Edinburgh to formally relaunch their work which empowers ethnic minority older people across Scotland.

The forum has 20 members from a wide range of ethnic minorities and is now hosted and supported by Age Scotland, the national charity for older people. Chaired by Mrs Mukami McCrum MBE, members of the forum will set out an agenda for the next chapter of its work influencing policy change, addressing the needs of ethnic minority older people and tackling inequalities.

Since its launch in 2018, the forum has been a catalyst for change in Scotland, raising the collective voice of ethnic minority older people and working to ensure that planning services take on board the complex and changing needs of older people from ethnic minority communities.

The forum will also challenge inequality and discrimination faced by ethnic minority older people, including poverty and barriers accessing information and services.

Mrs Mukami McCrum MBE, chair of the Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum, said:

“Older people from ethnic minorities can face major challenges in their lives and our forum members offer expert insight into how this impacts different communities across the country.

“We work hard to influence those in power to understand what needs to change and how to do it, ensuring that the complex and changing needs of ethnic minority older people are met. I am grateful to have so many strong community leaders as part of this forum and look forward to our next phase of work.”

Rohini Sharma Joshi OBE, diversity and inclusion manager at Age Scotland, said:

“The forum has provided a much-needed platform for ethnic minority older people to have their say about how well, or not, public services meet their needs, identify the gaps, and look at what actions are required to ensure all barriers are removed for everyone to access them. The members themselves offer incredibly valuable insight, shaped by their own experiences and from those in the communities they are networked into.”

Brian Sloan, Age Scotland chief executive, said:

“The Scottish Ethnic Minority Older People Forum is a hugely important platform for amplifying the voices and experiences of ethnic minority older people across the country.

“Age Scotland is wholeheartedly committed to working to bring about greater diversity and inclusion for all older people in Scotland and the forum’s engagement and advocacy work is vital in helping to deliver this.”