M·E·L Research is exploring the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicity people working in the childcare and playwork sector in Wales.

The research has been commissioned by Welsh Government as part of its Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP). The Plan aims to make a measurable difference to the lives of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, and recognises their underrepresentation in a number of sectors, including the childcare and playwork sector.

We would like to speak to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people who are either working in, or considering working in, the sector to understand their experiences, including their opinions of their work environment and any challenges they may face.

The goal of the research is to help shape the sector in a way that means it both meets the needs of all children in Wales and provides a welcoming and supportive environment for all its workers.

Participation involves:

• A 45-minute conversation (remote or in person) with one of our researchers, conducted at a time suitable to the participant, in either Welsh or English
• A short 3-day online community activity where participants can share further thoughts in writing, audio, video or pictures (10–20 minutes per day)

We are offering each participant a £70 shopping voucher as a thank you. All participation is voluntary and confidential.

M·E·L is an independent social research consultancy and you can find out more about the company by looking at our website M·E·L Research – Social Research Agency ¦ Market Research Company

I am contacting you in the hope that you will share this opportunity with anyone who may be eligible. This could include staff members, colleagues, students or other networks. They can then opt in to the research by contacting me directly if they are interested in taking part. I will ask them to go through a short screening process to check that they meet our criteria. Please share my contact details to facilitate this request:  gayle.higginson@melresearch.co.uk

If you would like to know more about the research, or about M·E·L Research, then please let me know and we can arrange to have a quick call.