Major partnership aims to boost funding to BAME communities

The National Lottery Community Fund and The Ubele Initiative have announced a new £50m partnership to help Black and Minority Ethnic community-led charities and grassroots groups access National Lottery funding over the next five years.

This programme builds on the work of The Phoenix Fund, a £2.4m community-led fund, led by BAME community leaders from across England, in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund, The Ubele Initiative and the Global Fund for Children.

65% of the organisations that applied to The Phoenix Fund had no previous history with The National Lottery Community Fund, and they hope the new initiative will facilitate engagement with BAME charities and groups that have previously had difficulty accessing funding and support.

Abdou Sidibe, deputy director of partnerships at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: ‘I’m delighted to announce this new and innovative fund – £50 million for Black and Minoritised communities, awarded by leaders and decision-makers at the very heart of those communities, thanks to National Lottery players. This is a truly collaborative effort – combining National Lottery funding with the reach, lived experience, and expertise of The Ubele Initiative and our Phoenix Way partners – so that vital money and support reaches some of those communities that need it most, but can often struggle to access it.

‘By shifting out of our comfort zone, admitting we don’t always have all the answers, and by instilling collaboration into everything we do, we can reap rewards of working alongside expert organisations to ensure that National Lottery funding is genuinely for everyone.’

The new programme, called ‘The Phoenix Way’, will create a series of national and regional panels, made from leaders and decision-makers from BAME community-led charities and grassroots groups across England, working with The National Lottery Community Fund to identify national and regional priorities and award funding to groups that are best placed to support their communities.

Yvonne Field, founder and CEO of The Ubele Initiative, said: ‘This £50m investment in The Phoenix Way allows partners to connect directly with those with lived experience of racism and racial disparities, and work together to offer innovative and creative funding opportunities in response to identified challenges.

‘The Phoenix Way will also facilitate the deepening of a unique collaborative approach, which emerged during COVID-19, and to work together to transform systems of funding, decision-making, and support to Black and Minoritised communities and organisations over the next five years.’

In related news, Bristol-based organisations are set to receive grants for cultural and arts activities across the city.

Photo by Joel Muniz