HUNDREDS OF small grassroots charitable projects across the UK are set to benefit from a new £3.4 million fund from Comic Relief, which aims to help vulnerable communities by supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) projects struggling to continue their services because of the pandemic.

Recent reports have highlighted the disproportionate health impact of Covid-19 on Black and Asian people across the UK. Many small grassroots projects who work directly with these communities are also facing financial crisis and closure due to the pandemic, according to findings by the Ubele Initiative. These factors have led to equality campaigning groups including Charity So White, asking the voluntary sector to ring fence funding.

To help address these inequalities as part of its wider Covid-19 crisis response,  Comic Relief has partnered with the National Emergencies Trust to award £3.4m worth of grants to 10 BAME-led organisation who will distribute the funding to small and micro projects across the UK. This includes £2.75m in emergency funding from the NET’s Coronavirus Appeal.

The disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on black and Asian communities has been truly devastating.

Jacqueline Onalo, Comic Relief trustee

The organisations specialise in and will fund small projects across a range of services including mental health, domestic abuse, sports provision, gender, racial equality and family services.

Criteria

Each of the 10 have each been awarded between £275,000 to £440,000 to distribute to UK projects. These grants will be available from mid-July and each organisation will set their criteria and grant amounts individually, with applicants applying to them directly. The organisations have the specialist experience and skills to reach smaller BAME projects. They include:

• Imkaan – a charity working with black, minoritised and migrant women’s communities

• The ATM – a non-profit organisation committed to tackling discrimination and promoting fairer and more equitable societies

• Sporting Equals – who promote equal, ethnically diverse sport, and work across the health and physical activity sector

• BAWSO – an organisation who deliver a range of services to thousands of people across Wales, including refuges, domestic abuse service, child services and outreach projects

• Next Step – an initiative that empowers, transform and supports African communities in Scotland
• Greater Manchester BAME Network (GMVCO) – who support and connect BAME-led organisations across Manchester

• African Health Policy Network (AHPN) – who work with BAME people living in the UK who are disproportionately affected by long term health conditions such as HIV, mental health issues and diabetes

• Voice 4 Change England – an organisation influencing policy to address inequalities, develop inclusion strategies and support BAME communities 

• Migrant Centre Northern Ireland – who support new and settled migrant communities in NI

• BTEG who work across the public and private sector, to research, lobby and support BAME civil society organisations

In addition to these grants, Comic Relief has launched a £9million Change Makers programme which will provide funding to organisations looking at the social and structural changes needed to address the longer term impact of Covid-19 on communities.

Grants

20 per cent of these grants, approximately £1.8 million, will be targeted at BAME-led organisations.

Jacqueline Onalo, Comic Relief trustee, said: “The disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on black and Asian communities has been truly devastating. Smaller projects that work within these communities have also been adversely effected, after many years of neglect, with many at risk of closure.

“Our ring fenced funding aims to directly address these inequalities and empower BAME-led organisations, with specialist expertise, to reach and support grassroots local projects that are a lifeline to the people they help. Alongside the £1.8 million Change Maker BAME grants, I hope we can make a real difference to hundreds of projects struggling to support people throughout the pandemic and its recovery.

“These organisations have greater connections to grassroots black projects.

“In the voluntary sector many organisations don’t like to ring fence money – however the Covid-funding and the Change Maker programme is not a one for Comic Relief, it’s a wave of change.

Partnering with Comic Relief to support BAME-led charities will help to build capacity where it is badly needed and ensure emergency funding gets to where it is needed most.

John Herriman, CEO, National Emergencies Trust

“Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have accelerated the pace of change. Comic Relief is a on a journey and these targeted funding schemes, plus changes to our board of Trustees and modernising our appeal films are just the beginning.”

John Herriman, CEO, National Emergencies Trust said: “Partnering with Comic Relief to support BAME-led charities will help to build capacity where it is badly needed and ensure emergency funding gets to where it is needed most. We know these communities have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic and more needs to be done.”

Excited

Deryck Browne, CEO, African Health Policy Network said: “African Health Policy Network and partners are excited to be working with Comic Relief as intermediaries on this important project.

“This pandemic has laid bare the extent of health inequalities entrenched within our social systems and faced by BAME communities and organisations. As well as responding to some of the immediate acute needs within the community we hope that the fund will also help to build strength and resilience during this time of change”.

More details on how to apply can be found at  www.comicrelief.com