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London’s black and minority communities helped to have a greater voice
Schemes to provide London's black and minority ethnic communities with a greater voice and more influence have received £2 million in grants from London Councils.
Among the projects that will receive funding to support London's black and minority ethnic (BAME) are awareness-raising schemes, the development of websites, and work towards improving community cohesion.
London Councils received 31 applications for funding to support London's BAME communities, with the Grants Committee commissioning six groups.
London is home to more than 46 per cent of England's minority ethnic population, and over 40 per cent of the capital's population belong to minority ethnic communities. The capital's diverse community is further highlighted with more than 300 languages being spoken in London's schools.
Chair of London Councils Grants Committee, Cllr Paul McCannah, said:
"London has one of the world's most diverse populations. It is therefore important that everyone is able to have a say on issues affecting them and for organisations to take these views on board.
"As well as providing voluntary groups supporting the black and minority ethnic communities with a more co-ordinated say and influence on issues concerning them, this funding will also help to ensure that public services deliver benefits to all Londoners in the most effective way.
"Boroughs are committed to helping support the needs of every member of their communities, and I believe the package of funding we have agreed today compliments and helps enhance the work already being undertaken across London."
The groups receiving funding include:
Black Neighbourhood Renewal and Regeneration Network will receive £332,469 over the next four years to raise awareness of issues affecting the capital's black and minority ethnic communities through workshops, mentoring schemes and outreach work.
Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum will receive £169,447 over the next four years to raise awareness of the needs and concerns of migrants and refugees and the barriers they face mixing with the local community.
Notes to editors
The £2 million is over four years. A full list of the groups funded is attached at the bottom of the page.
London Councils distributes a pan-London grants budget of £28 million. This includes £1.6 million European Social Fund money. It also includes £1.4 million which has been set aside for specific second tier funding.
London Councils is now using its pan-London grants budget to commission services from London's voluntary sector. This change follows the findings of an independently chaired Grants Review Board. This was set up in 2004 to look at the distribution of the pan-London grants in individual boroughs, sub regions and across the whole of London. It also looked at areas of good practice from other funding bodies.
The new priority areas that are being used to commission services were developed following an extensive consultation with the voluntary sector, boroughs, the Mayor of London, and people with an interest in London's voluntary sector.
For press enquiries please contact: Stewart Henderson on 020 7934 9620stewart.henderson@londoncouncils.gov.uk Fax 020 7934 9777
For non-media enquiries contact: London Councils, 59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL Tel 020 7934 9999www.londoncouncils.gov.uk
