Freedom of Information Request Reference: 1112025
Date received: 13 April 2011
Date response provided: 17 May 2011
Information requested and answers:
1.
We would be grateful to know the amount of money Torbay Council has set
aside and/or spent on the promotion of Inter-Faith and Diversity Issues in each
of the past five years and precisely what any money was spent on.
Corporate Policy Team:
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
£4,963.19
£629.45
£2,155.50
Spent on - migrant workers packs, contribution to multi-cultural festival and diversity
events, calendar of religious festivals, promotional leaflets for diversity events
Safer Communities Torbay:
2007/08
2009/10
2010/11
Imagine Community Engagement Forum - £750
Contribution towards Muslim Women Groups - £500
Donation towards Teranga 3 (Multi Cultural Event) - £500
Contribution towards Multi Cultural Event (A Taste of Africa, Asia and the
Caribbean) - £3,000
Community Partnership Team:
2009/10
2010/11
2.
Support to Imagine (BME Community) Group (including support officer
staff time, events and training - £6,240
Support to Imagine (BME Community) Group (including support officer
staff time, events, teaching English Language courses and other training
- £5,000
We would also be grateful to know the Council’s current position regarding the
supporting and promotion of Inter-Faith and Diversity Issues within Torbay and
what plans the Council has to develop a better understanding between the
Faiths groups within Torbay.
 The Council has adopted, via the Torbay Strategic Partnership, a Joint Equality
Strategy for partners that sets out key priorities for the next 3-4 years supporting
and promoting diversity issues - http://www.torbay.gov.uk/jes-forpartners.doc
 Safer Communities Torbay has contributed towards the Joint Equality Strategy
for partners that sets out key priorities for the next 3-4 years supporting and
promoting diversity issues - http://www.torbay.gov.uk/jes-forpartners.doc.
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 In light of the new Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties the
council is currently reviewing its approach to equality and diversity with regards
to supporting and promoting diversity issues – any new approaches / targets will
be published via the Equality and Diversity pages of the council’s website.
 Safer Communities Torbay will continue and support and promote inter-faith and
diversity issues through a number of projects and initiatives, including the work
undertaken by the Torbay Prevent Group, TVIS (Torbay Visiting International
Students), Community Cohesion projects, working with schools and youth groups
and the promotion of the True Vision (Hate Crime) Reporting process.
 The working of the Community Partnership team in support of the Imagine group
will continue for this year. They also give a degree of support to Torbay’s
Interfaith Forum helping then to access funding to run education and awarenessraising events.
 With regard to Youth Services, Diversity Issues and awareness raising are
incorporated in generic as well as specific activities. For example they run the All
Different All Equal Youth Group at St Cuthbert Mayne School, which is a
multicultural youth group. Torbay Children's Centres have ESOL (English for
Speakers of Other Languages) programmes. Members of staff deliver training
sessions such as “Challenging Racism Course” targeted at Schools.
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you
are doing and for the purpose of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial
publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.
For more information on requesting to re-use information held by Torbay Council under the Re-Use
of Public Sector Information Regulations, 2005 please visit
www.torbay.gov.uk/accesstoinformation/psi
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