Following on from the creation of a BAME Caucus at our Conference in September, WE are pleased to let you know that the inaugural meeting has already taken place.

At our recent branch meeting we received a debrief from our very  own caucus member and founding member, Claudia, who explained that the overall goal of the caucus is to create a diverse and intersectional party both at local branch and central level.

In order to achieve this, the caucus will focus on increasing membership, building alliances at a local level and examining WEP policy with a BAME lens.

One of the key objectives being proposed to our Steering Committee is to hold local branches accountable. So, WE are excited to share Southwark branch’s action plan. We commit to:

1. Conduct a survey of our local members and supporters, to identify:
   1. Ethnicity
   2. Sex
   3. Gender
   4. Sexuality
   5. Disability
   6. Religion
   7. Reasons for supporting us? signing up for our newsletter?
   8. Barriers to being active/attending meetings?
2. Analyse results. Based on these results, agree a % increase by which we would like to grow BAME members and supporters.
3. Create a plan to attract:
   1. New supporters and newsletter subscribers
   2. New (active) members
   3. New event attendees
4. All branch officers will undertake an unconscious bias test
5. Engage with local community groups and charities in Southwark that represent BAME women, in order to understand their priorities and how we can work together.
6. Plan a series of events showcasing the voices, knowledge and experiences of BAME women.