Minority Ethnic Super Surfers (MESS)

From our experience of running a number of inclusion projects, we are aware that there is still a need for minority ethnic communities to be capacity build to reduce poverty, access mainstream services, lead healthier lives and be socially integrated. There are a number of publications such as the Scottish Governments Race Equality Framework 2016-30 that highlights the ongoing barriers, such as language, cultural identity, lack of knowledge and inequalities that continue to marginalise communities from specific ages and or backgrounds. This includes the need for additional engagement for areas such as community safety and cohesion, employment and education, participation and health and home. Other studies such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have highlighted that poverty and ethnicity often go hand in hand and women are more likely to be isolated and socially inactive. https://www.jrf.org.uk/people/ethnicity We also have first-hand experience of the extent of barriers that these communities face in accessing online information due to a lack of digital skills. We will deliver a 1 year project 'reducing isolation' with an added benefit of increasing 'economic prospects' supporting South Asian, Middle Eastern and African communities with further engagement to reach women and people over 40. The project will focus on building capacity through coaching and training people to become digitally included in a number of areas including employment, welfare and overall health and wellbeing. To reduce linguistic barriers, we will employ staff and volunteers from diverse communities to provide language support and utilise some of our tried and tested materials for training workshops and one to ones. Our main delivery will therefore be focused on • Weekly drop in surgeries to our IT suite that will support individuals on adhoc requests such as completing applications, CV building, job search, welfare forms and becoming active on social media. We will use our computers, tablets and phones for these activities. We will finish the drop-in with a 15-30 min social activity. • One-to-one in depth support for in need for further capacity building on how to use modern day technology. This will include setting up e-mails, creating social media pages, looking for specific information relating to interest and downloading apps that support health and well-being. • Quarterly Media and Digital skills workshops We will have tools in place such as the Essential Digital Skills Audit, Personal Development Plans, Journals to track changes and case studies to record the impact of our activities.