Welcome to acre
With Diversity in Mind
Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (Acre) was set up in 2012 to promote Equality, Community Empowerment, and Community Cohesion in Greater Reading. Acre aims to eliminate discrimination, promote positive relationships between communities and advocate equal opportunities for all. Our work is delivered through engagement, empowerment, and integration of the diverse communities including minority, marginalised, communities associated by faith, cultural heritage, and particular interests in the greater Reading area.
Equality
Acre promotes equality, celebrates diversity and advocates equal opportunities for all. We work with a range of organisations representing the nine protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. These are:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender/sex
- Marriage/civil partnership
- Maternity/pregnancy
- Race
- Religion/belief
- Sexual orientation
- Transgender and gender re-assignment.
We Men
Men in meeting at the Acre office
Acre promotes equality, celebrates diversity, and advocates equal opportunities.
To this end Acre has developed the pan-Equalities Alliance with a participatory membership of equality practitioners and support organisations.
Community Engagement: Acre promotes community cohesion through integration, engagement, and empowerment with the aim of bringing together different people and backgrounds to celebrate the different cultures, and to enable same to make positive contributions to the Reading Society. We create opportunities for people to meet and learn about each other’s communities;
- coordinate activities that bring together a network of 74 voluntary and community organisations to address issues of concern;
- create opportunities for community organisations to contribute to the development of community life in Reading, facilitate public education by hosting community meetings on topical issues.
Community Empowerment: Acre has particular expertise and experience of supporting BAME community members who have experienced discrimination, BAME families with disabled children and survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Our work includes supporting minority/marginalised communities, families and individuals experiencing difficulty with navigating structures and statutory provision. We assess need then develop strategies on how to meet these needs. Support consultation of community organisations and individuals by public sector partners or agencies and enable people to have a say on decision-making that may affect communities. Design and deliver projects which support the unmet needs of communities of interest.