HOUSING, charity and faith organisations have gathered in Bradford for a summit on improving provision for black and minority ethnic people in older age.

Hosted by Manningham Housing Association, the day-long event was organised in response to a recent report published by the Muslim Council of Britain which estimated that the Muslim population aged 65 and over living in England, Scotland and Wales will rise from almost 110,00 according to the 2011 Census to an estimated 451,438 in 2036 – a more than fourfold increase.

The summit - Ageing Well in BME Communities - sought to increase awareness of the issue in the housing association sector and inform future research by the Muslim Council of Britain.

The event included input from Accord Housing Association, Anchor Hanover Group, Together Housing Group, Unity Homes and Enterprise, The Abbeyfield Society, Housing Learning Improvement Network, Chartered Institute of Housing, Race Equality Foundation, Housing Diversity Network and BME National.

Following a welcome from MHA chief executive Lee Bloomfield there was a joint presentation by Ehtasham Haq and Professor Iqbal Asaria summarising the key findings in the MCB report, Elderly and End of Life Care.

They also outlined relevant helpful funding options, such as the social enterprise tax relief scheme, and highlighted the benefits of innovative financial initiatives that encourage younger people to invest in their future elderly care needs. Siting more sheltered housing schemes closer to mosques was also cited as a positive step.

Khurshida Mirza, from the Race Equality Foundation, presented recent data that illustrated the disadvantages experienced by many ethnic minority groups including housing deprivation, fuel poverty, poor health and limited life expectancy and talked about the urgent need for targeted interventions.

Abdul A Ravat, head of development and relationships at The Abbeyfield Society and MHA vice-chairman, called for the creation of a collaborative pilot scheme involving mosques, housing associations, Muslim charities and financial institutions to unlock land, develop culturally-driven care solutions and deliver social purpose.

The programme concluded with group discussions focussing in particular on necessary policy responses from Whitehall, statutory bodies and housing providers.

An action plan was also drawn up with a follow-up meeting planned for early next year.

Dr Shuja Shafi, Chair of MCB's research and documentation committee, said: "We welcome this opportunity to place Muslim elderly care on the housing providers' agenda. A multidisciplinary approach is urgently needed, with practitioners from various sectors, including social and health care, responding to the challenges.

“The MCB brings to the table opportunities for collaboration with its affiliate network, as well as findings on requirements and expectations from the faith perspective."

Lee Bloomfield, MHA Chief Executive, said: “It was great to see colleagues from a range of agencies come together to discuss Ageing Well in BME Communities and learn more about the research on Elderly and End of Life Care for Muslims in the UK."