Hello, before I started with the Ethnic Minorities Advocacy Group (EMAG), (now Multicultural Richmond,) I did not for one moment think I would be doing what I am doing now! I began my misspent youth as an accountant before swiftly moving on to sales & business planning which I did for nearly 18 years. I then developed my own brand of leadership called Leadiology. I did this for 4 years and saw an opportunity to work for the Black Asian Minority and Ethnic (BAME) communities for a charity in Richmond. I got the part in 2010 and shortly afterwards became the director at EMAG.In 2019 we rebranded and became Multicultural Richmond (MCR) which really reflects what we do now.So what does MCR do? At its heart, it’s about supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities (BAME) to survive, thrive, become free of racial disadvantage and contribute positively to British Society. We are a non-political, non-faith organisation that serves all BAME groups (incl. Eastern Europeans) of all ages in Richmond who have experienced racial disadvantage and/or found it difficult to access mainstream services due to linguistic/cultural barriers. We work with over 20 partners which include the Police, Social Landlords, NHS and Richmond Council. We also work in the surrounding areas such as Hounslow and Kingston. We have been operating for over 30 years and helped hundreds of people become part of British Society from across the world. Very recently we have worked with over 200 Ukrainians and 100 people from Hong Kong. We have helped them with their English and reduced their isolation by providing English classes and social activities. We also tackle hate crime, housing issues, put on events and conferences, and increase access to mainstream services for all disadvantaged communities. Other successes include members with little or no English finding jobs after attending our skills courses. Since starting our English courses and skill workshops in 2003, people have found jobs and become self-employed. This is amazing if you consider their background, some of whom have had torturous lives in the countries they have come fromIf you want to know more or discuss how you can become a partner or support MCR please call me on 020 8893 9444 or email ravi@multiculturalrichmond.org.uk