Who We Are

Our Aims Background Collaboration Steering Group WERC Research Associates & Partners

Our Journey so far

2002

Hampered by a lack of reliable information and statistics on the BME population, and unable to get in touch with other professionals working in this area, an email discussion group was established to find a way forward through collaborative working. As people started to get connected, it became clear that a complete and formal review of research and development in this area was essential. Despite the concerted efforts of the e-group’s small but growing membership, progress was hindered by a lack of funding and resources.

2005

In 2005, the solution appeared in the form of a funding opportunity issued by the Wales Office for Research and Development in Health and Social Care (WORD), and designed "to enable groups and organisations to review the state of research and development in their areas of interest, and to build networks, and formulate plans for improving the quantity and quality of research and development activity in Wales". With a great deal of support from the voluntary and primary care sectors, social services, specialist health centres, and leading health organisations, the study served to identify the key problem areas holding back research, and therefore development.

2006 - 2010

The findings from the pilot study proved invaluable, and WEDHS was established, thanks to further funding from WORD. Designed to become a centralised network of resources and activities, providing good practice guidance, support and opportunities for joined-up working (for BME people as well as those working with or for them), WEDHS was funded to ensure a more structured and methodologically coordinated approach to research and research support development; one firmly rooted in promoting a race equality and diversity agenda. Our key outputs from this programme of work can be found in WERC publications.
Click here to learn more about the members of the Steering Group

2010

Having completed a major 5-year research and development programme, and after conducting a review of our core research support services, our community outreach work and our research priorities, we changed our name from WEDHS to Wales Ethnicity Research Collaboration (WERC). The new name better reflects our commitment to deliver high quality health and social research, with the clear aim of broadening our research focus to tackle a wider range of health - and socially - related issues and priorities. Our overriding purpose and mission did not change: we remain committed to conducting high quality research with a focus on BME population groups in Wales, and to the development of research resources, best practice guidance, and knowledge exchange opportunities.