Equalities profiles

Many communities are based not on geographical location but on other shared characteristics and interests. There are six main characteristics which define such communities: religion/belief, gender, age, race, disability and sexual orientation.

The Derbyshire Equalities Profile examines a wide range of statistical and consultation data from the perspective of communities based on four of these characteristics:

• Gender - male and female groups

• Age - children, working age and retirement age groups

• Race/ethnicity - White British and Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) groups

• Disability - Disabled and non-disabled groups.

Groups based on religion or sexuality are not covered in this report due to the limited availability of relevant information.

The report identifies a variety of issues facing different communities within Derbyshire and provides an evidence base for further work.

It is intended that the report will be the first of many providing an insight into the views and experiences of different local communities. There are other distinct population groups that may merit similar investigation, Analysis of information relating to other groups will be considered in future publications.