Race Equality and Racism in Wales: An Exploratory Study

In 2012 Race Council Cymru (RCC) secured funding from Awards for All and the Cooperative Society to undertake exploratory research on the needs and experiences of people from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds living in Wales, and collected baseline information against which to identify the key priorities for promoting good race relations in the Welsh context. The ethnic minority population of Wales is small but growing. The research identified the extent to which racism and discrimination are issues which affect the many and varied BME communities living across Wales. It explored the experiences of BME communities in relation to housing, employment, education and policing; and included information about the experiences of living in neighbourhoods and communities in Wales. The research consisted of a review of what is already known about race equality issues in Wales, interviews with organisations working with BME communities, focus group meetings with individuals from different BME backgrounds and a survey of lived experiences. The research took place across Wales and with a wide range of BME communities.