Asian and black community groups are joining forces under one banner to work towards racial harmony and secure funding.

The Consortia of Ethnic Minority Organisations (COEMO) comes into being on Wednesday and intends to ensure that policy leaders in Bradford are made aware of the main issues facing ethnic minorities in the district.

The group's chairman, Mohammed Salam, said the new body was not just a valuable tool for promoting the interests of ethnic minority communities but also healing divisions between different groups. He added: "I think that many groups are working on their own and are becoming isolated.

"We hope that this sort of platform will provide them with a better base and we will be able to discuss issues more frequently before they come to a head."

Mr Salam is the former chairman of the Bradford Race Equality Council and is a director of the Asian Business League as well as the Kala Sangam arts group.

He said groups such as QED and Bradford Council for Voluntary Services were among the 35 organisations already part of COEMO

Mr Salam said: "There's no doubt a lot of the voluntary groups in Bradford are facing financial difficulties and need a more professional approach to applying for funds. The people who give out money are becoming more rigorous in their demands from people who are applying for money and so many voluntary groups need advice."

The group is still looking to secure major funding to carry through its work and while it waits for this, it will call on support from members.

COEMO will look at a number of recent developments in the financial support of voluntary groups including National Lottery funding, securing money from the European Union, forming partnerships on a local level and working with councils.