A £25,000 package of grants has been made to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community groups from the council’s Engagement Fund.
A total of 25 organisations received grants for a range of community projects, many of which are reducing isolation and helping residents to stay connected during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fund was launched in the summer to support projects that improve the well-being of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents and promote fairness, as part of the council’s work to tackle inequality.
Groups awarded grants include:
- A Seat At The Table – to help with running costs, training and care packs for BME Special Educational Needs support group.
- Sussex Indian Punjabi Society – to help people to get together online for Diwali celebrations in November.
- Salaam FC – to support healthy exercise and football training sessions for young people aged from 12 to 16, from predominantly African or Middle Eastern heritage.
- Black & Minority Ethnic Community Partnership 50 plus – to support activities for BME elders.
- SEAS Socially Engaged Art Salon – to support an exhibition, and programme of talks and workshops.
Becoming an anti-racist city
This fund was introduced as part of our work on becoming an anti-racist city.
Councillor Steph Powell, joint chair of the Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture committee, said: “We are committed to eradicating inequalities and injustice towards the city’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
“This is another step in our work to become anti-racist and I’m excited about the wide variety of community projects who these grants are supporting.
“With the support they provide for residents being more important than ever at the moment, I’m thrilled with these awards.
“I look forward to hearing more about the successes of these groups and working closely with them as we keep working on tackling inequality.”
Councillor Amanda Evans, the opposition lead for Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture, said: “Covid-19 has had a disproportionate impact on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents and shone a light on the inequalities endured by them locally as well as nationally.
“Our city is very diverse and we want to make sure that our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community groups have access to the funding they need.”
Engagement Fund
Groups could apply for grants of up to £2,000 from the Engagement Fund to help with running costs and activities.
The fund is part of the council’s Communities Fund, which supports local community groups, voluntary organisations and not-for-profit social enterprise.
The council recognises that there has been a historic lack of ring-fenced investment for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups, that this Engagement Fund sum is limited and is working to identify additional resources.
