by Hannah Danson | 19 Oct 2020
Residents urged to have their say on a fair and inclusive Cornwall
From Cornwall Council press release
Cornwall’s residents are urged to get involved and give their views on how to make Cornwall fairer and more inclusive with the launch of new forum pages on the Council’s engagement website ‘Let’s Talk Cornwall’.
Cornwall Council launched the Cornwall We Want, Cornwall Council’s largest ever listening campaign, in June this year and received thousands of responses through an online survey, online forums, focus groups, live events, emails and post.
Some responses highlighted the unequal impacts of the pandemic and the help needed for people with long term health conditions, a disability, or who are older or homeless, as well as people experiencing difficulty with their mental wellbeing.
In response to this, new forums have been developed on Cornwall’s engagement website, Let’s Talk Cornwall, to encourage discussion and explore further how Cornwall could be fairer and more inclusive.
The new online forums, developed in partnership with Cornwall’s Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) steering group, and Cornwall Pride, offer an opportunity to explore how people from different backgrounds and abilities experience life in Cornwall.
Cornwall Pride said: “Cornwall Pride have been working with incredible groups and partners for many years to support the LGBTQi+ communities. We are aware that we can all do more to support and build the Cornwall we want.
“We are excited to see Cornwall Council lead in social positive change and we encourage everyone that can, to support from all our communities; younger to older, disabled, transgender, non-binary, marriage and civil partnership, families, BAME, religion or belief, men, women, lesbian, gay, Bi, asexual, aromantic & all marginalised groups. It’s a great opportunity to have all our voices heard, to make 2050 the Cornwall We Want.”
Beresford Lee from Black Voices Cornwall said: “Race equality is essential. The Let’s Talk Cornwall website is a good platform for finding out the latest news and sharing events for the BAME community. The last four months has seen a shift in understanding race issues from `it doesn’t happen in Cornwall` to `let’s try to be actively anti-racist`. The BAME community and their allies in the county have moved from positive marches to positive action.”
Young people are also asked to give their views, with the discussion following on from online events that took place over the summer. Primary aged children (5-11 year olds can also get involved in a competition by submitting a picture they have drawn or describe in up to 300 words the Cornwall they would like to see in 2050. You can find out more information on the Let’s Talk Cornwall website https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/the-cornwall-young-people-want To feedback you views please visit the Let’s Talk Cornwall website https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/fair-and-inclusive-cornwall-hub
Cornwall Equality and Diversity Group
Inclusion Cornwall hosts the Equality and Diversity group, which met last week, and will meet again in February 2021. The minutes of the most recent meeting area here, and you can find out more about the group here.
