The South Asian Forum aims to build a stronger collective voice of South Asian community groups and leaders to address inequalities in Rochdale Borough. The Forum brings together local VCFSE organisations, community leaders and public sector partners to enable collaboration around health and wider racial inequalities.
The Forum aims to:
- Build stronger relationships between South Asian community organisations and statutory partners
- Work alongside Public Health to review data, and lead a community-driven needs assessment to identify health priorities
- Collaborate with the Rochdale Council of Mosques, Health Champions, and Living Well’s Community Influencers Forum
- Share insights and learning with the Rochdale Ethnic Communities Network to shape broader, borough-wide action and influence
Our work so far
The South Asian Forum was launched in May 2024 thanks to funding from NHS GM. A key aim of the Forum is to demonstrate that the most effective way to shift health inequalities is to build stronger, trusting relationships and work in partnership with communities.
Quarterly sessions have taken place since then, with the next one planned for February 2026.
The idea for the Forum came from a workshop with local South Asian led organisations who had been funded through three rounds of ‘South Asian Health Engagement’ funding. VCFSE and community leaders identified some key challenges they wanted to address:
- Some groups become the ‘go to’ for the community, even if they aren’t representative of the diverse local South Asian population
- Engagement happens when it suits the public sector, not on the terms of the local community
- The Rochdale Ethnic Communities Network brings together all communities experiencing racial inequalities, but there isn’t a space just for South Asian groups, community leaders and spaces of worship to have a stronger collective voice
- VCFSE groups want to understand and feel a stronger sense of ownership of the data about their community
The South Asian Forum is a space to address these challenges and build a stronger collective voice for South Asian VCFSE organisations and community leaders.
The South Asian Forum and the Ethnic Communities Network have also been instrumental in co-designing and implementing the Health Inequalities Fund.
Many communities across Greater Manchester continue to face health inequalities and high levels of deprivation. This funding aimed to improve access and reduce these inequalities in groups with low engagement and uptake - particularly in relation to the Covid-19 vaccine.
Collective Words
Here's a snapshot of the powerful feedback shared during our Co-design Session;
"We care about the experience of health inequalities in South Asian Communities. We have been doing this work, some of us, for up to 40, 50 years. We have the relationships, the trust, the connections and the history."
"We care deeply that people, families and communities are understood and strengthened."
"We have many people, many strengths: people who are very passionate about trying to make a difference: trying to move forward. There are massively strong and deep trusted links, for example, in the women’s work that is happening."
Recent work
Our South Asian Forum is working closely with the Rochdale Council of Mosques with the proposal of identifying mosque volunteers and co-ordinators who could be 'Community Health Champions' and growing their confidence, skills and capacity.
These key volunteers will be invited to join a community leadership programme focusing on topics such as; Developing community ideas, turning ideas into action, engaging volunteers, managing projects, and applying for funding.
There will be ongoing check-ins and support for the Community Health Champions to continue developing their confidence, growing the capacity of the group within their Mosque, and demonstrating the impact of their project.
Building a Vision
Following several of the sessions, where participants shared data and experiences, work is now taking place to develop a 'Community-Led Needs Assessment' which will be used to inform Public Health. More information on this will be available soon.
Next Meeting Dates:
The dates for our next South Asian Forum will be listed below once confirmed.