Age Concern Bristol is currently working with Black & Ethnic Minority elders and Age Concern England to develop a Black & Ethnic Minority Bristol Forum that will support ethnic elders in making their views known to key decision makers. For more details contact: Claire Ball at Age Concern claire.ball20@ntlworld.com or

Rose Hui Bristol & Avon Chinese Women's Group.

St Agnes Church,

Thomas Street,

St Pauls,

Bristol

Tel: 0117 935 1462

Older people from Black & minority ethnic communities are not achieving equal access to social, health and economic services. Their numbers are increasing sigificantly:

By 2030 the minority elder population in the UK will have increased tenfold from 175,000 to over 1.7 million.

The challenge to government and bodies such as Age Concern Bristol is to meet the diverse needs of this increasing population much better. There is also a substantial challenge to minority ethnic organisations themselves to understand more than many currently do about ageing, older people and about the range and availability of services to them.

See Age Concern website for more information: www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/about.htm