About BEMSCA
BEMSCA was established in September 1993 initially to provide a luncheon club service for older members of the Caribbean, Asian and Chinese communities within Bath and North East Somerset. BEMSCA offers a space where older people can meet and socialise with people from a similar ethnic backgrounds. They can also access advice and information on a broad range of health, housing and welfare issues which can be a lifeline to communities who do not speak English as their first language (BEMSCA, 2022).
Mission
BEMSCA conducts a variety of services that offer aid to the BME community within the city of Bath. From translation services that ensure their needs are understood to running a day service and providing a space for socialisation within their community.
Awareness - The Cultural Relevance of BEMSCA
Fairfield House, the location BEMSCA works from was a place of refuge for HIM Emperor Hailee Selassie. The charity carried out the mission given by him which was to use the house to help the elderly citizens of Bath.
To help the citizens of Bath realise the importance of the services the charity provides and how BEMSCA can offer its support
COMF Project
The Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) provides funding to local authorities in England to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and support local public health (GOV.UK, 2022).
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BEMSCA is also working alongside the Public Health of England to collect responses from the citizens of Bath on their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and their mental health wellbeing. Surveys and focus groups were used to collect primary data for the project which would then be provided to Public Health for analysis.