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22GovernmentandCommunityOBVNewsIssue5Summer2010DisproportionatenumbersofBMEpeopleliveinpovertyinthemostdeprivedareas.AndnewsheadlinesespeciallyinLondonarelitteredwithstoriesaboutthedeathsofyoungBMEpeople.Theseterribleandtragicdeathsareoftenfollowedbytheheartfeltpleaofthevictimx19sfamiliesfortheirchildx19sdeathtobethelast.Butitseemsthattheseappealsgounheardbythoseyoungpeoplethatcontinuetocarrygunsandknivesandplacenovalueonhumanlife.WemustaskourselveswhoisgoingtotackletheseissuesinBMEcommunitiesIamconvincedthattheBMEthirdsectorhasacrucialrolealongwiththepublicandprivatesectorsinthemostdisadvantagedcommunities.Youngpeoplewanttobelongandwanttobelovedandtheywanttoberespected.Butforsomeyoungpeoplethisexpectationisnotmetandtheyturntotheirpeersorgangsforstatusrespect-andperhapssomekindofx18loveorbondingx19.ThemediacoveragefocusesontheperpetratorsandnotonthecausesandthesuccessstoriesinBMEcommunitiesfailtobeheardbythepublic.Weareclearlynotdoingenoughtoaddressthisproblem.BMEorganisationsarepartofthesolutionbutwecannotexpectthesedif3cultneighbourhoodstobetransformedbyadhocinvestmentandsmallshort-termgrants.Theseproblemswillnotberesolvedinthreeyearsoreven3veyearsbecausetheyarelongstandingissues.Yetifwearetohelpyoungpeoplemoveawayfromcrimewemusthavetheabilitytofundprojectsthatdirectlyworkwithyoungpeopleengagedinthisdestructivepatternofbehaviour.TheBlackTrainingandEnterpriseGroupBTEGbelievesthattherearemanypositiveandlawabidingBMEpeoplethatwanttohelpprovidealternativechoicesforourmisguidedyoungpeople-andtheyoftenhavetheideasthepassionandthesolutionsbutnottheresourcestomatch.TheBMEthirdsectorcanplayavaluableroleinhelpingouryoungpeopleandseekingtheresourcesthatwillallowtheirtalentstoblossom.NoneofthemainpoliticalpartiesmadeanyreferencetotheBlackandminorityethnicBMEthirdsectorintheirmanifestosbutallrecognisethepotentialthatthousandsoforganisationscouldplayinthetransformingpublicservices.AtthesametimetheBMEsectorfacesachallengetosurvivefundingcutsespeciallyifthereisapolicyshiftawayfromraceequality.In2009aBTEGnationalsurveyoftheCaribbeanvoluntaryandcommunitysectorinEnglandshowedthatalmosthalfofallorganisationssurveyedhadanannualincomeoflessthan50kandmanyoftheseprovidedservicesforyoungpeople.TheresearchalsorevealedahighdependencyofBlackgroupsonlocalauthoritygrantfundinganareathatwillprobablyfaceconsiderablepressuresoverthenextfewyears.TheBMEthirdsectorhasalsowitnessedthedemiseofBME-ledhousingassociationsandnotmanygroupshaveassetssuchasbuildingswhichcanprovideincomestreamsandsecurityforattractingnewinvestment.ThequestionforpolicymakersandfundersisshouldtheystopfundingsmallBME-ledgroupsandonlyinvestinthemainstreamthirdsectorTheanswerdependsonwhethertheybelievethattheneedsofvulnerableyoungBMEpeoplearebetterservedbyorganisationsthatwerespeci3callysetuptohelpthemandarepreparedtogotheextramileorthoseorganisationsthatNoneofthemainpoliticalpartiesmadeanyreferencetotheBlackandminorityethnicbmethirdsectorintheirmanifestos0HelpussaveouryouthAstrongBMEthirdsectorcanhelptacklesocietiesbiggestproblems.JeremyCrookexplains