Wolverhampton organisation wins national community award
A Wolverhampton community organisation has won a national award for its work bringing people from all backgrounds together. Ethnic Minority Council (EMC), based in the city, has been named the winner of Locality’s Building Inclusive Communities Award 2025.
The award celebrates organisations that help create welcoming, inclusive spaces for people of all ages, cultures and faiths. EMC was chosen for its ongoing work supporting underrepresented and marginalised groups across the West Midlands.
Locality praised the organisation for its “strong community leadership” and its ability to “build trust and break down barriers” between communities whose lives and experiences are often very different.
Work recognised across the region
Although EMC supports diverse communities every day, judges highlighted several stand-out projects delivered recently, including:
Veterans Day 80th Anniversary programme, where EMC supported 11 minoritised community groups to deliver remembrance events attended by more than 8,000 people.
Cultural Connections, a project using museum artefacts to spark conversations on identity, heritage and belonging among women of different ages and backgrounds.
Faith & Communities Connected, which brought together 30 faith groups to tackle grief, isolation and wellbeing.
Initiatives such as Voice of Older People and Empower Wolves, which give older people and young women safe spaces to share stories, build confidence and connect across generations.
One community organiser said: “We wouldn’t have applied if they hadn’t supported us. It just felt too hard. EMC helped us every step of the way.”
‘This award belongs to our communities’
Suffia Perveen, CEO at Ethnic Minority Council – who collected the award – said: “Meaningful inclusion is so important. We’re really proud of this award.”
Speaking after the announcement, Dr Sadhu Singh, Chair of EMC, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award. Wolverhampton is home to many vibrant communities, and our aim has always been to make sure everyone feels seen, welcomed and supported.
"This award belongs to the groups we work with every day. Their trust, resilience and passion are what make this city so special.”
About EMC
Ethnic Minority Council works with communities across Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands, delivering grassroots cultural, social and wellbeing programmes that promote inclusion, connection and equality.
