Background

The Bright Project was set up in April 2005 in response to reports of inequality in access to services which offer advice on legal rights and responsibilities. The project is based in Bristol and is the only one of its kind in the UK.

Aims and Objectives of The Bright Project:

The purpose of Bright Project is to work with Black and other Minority Ethnic (BME) voluntary sector organisations in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire to help to improve access to legal and benefits advice for their communities.

We aim:

	To improve the quantity and quality of advice centres for BME communities in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
	To increase the number of BME agencies having the capacity and resources to offer direct advice services to BME communities.
	To address the community languages advice needs within BME communities and reduce the need for interpreting services.
	To address the specific advice needs of refugee communities.
	To ensure effective networking and linkages between BME communities and all other advice providers in Bristol & South Gloucestershire and develop effective referral systems.

It is hoped that the following will be achieved as a result of the Projects intervention:

	Increased provision of Community languages advice services to Black and other Minority Ethnic and refugee communities from BME organisations.
	Establishment of a supported referral system.
	Higher standards of provision based on Quality Mark and other baseline standards.
	Greater awareness by all providers of the advice needs of BME communities.
	Improved networking and collaboration between all relevant organisations.
	The setting up of a BME Advice Provider's Forum. Greater numbers of BME individuals able to give professional advice for BME communities.
	Greater confidence of BME agencies and communities in accessing resources and building capacity.
	Increased access to social justice for BME communities.

Who supports the project?

The Project is managed by Black Development Agency and has a stakeholders consortium which guides the project. It is made up of various Bristol based Organisations and local authorities:

The Black Carers Project.

Sikh Resource Centre.

Bristol Pakistani Community Welfare Organisation.

Bangladesh Association.

Black Development Agency.

Refugee Action

St Paul's Advice Centre.

Avon and Bristol Law Centre

Bristol City Council

South Gloucestershire Council

Who Funds The Bright Project?

The Bright Project is funded by Capacity Builders. We would not exist without our funders and we would like to thank them for their continuing support.