Brighton & Hove City Council has announced that nine community groups have been awarded grants in the latest round of funding from the BME Engagement Fund. The fund was launched in 2020 to support projects that improve the wellbeing of BME residents in the city and promote fairness.
Community groups were invited to apply for grants of up to £2,000 to help cover group activities and running costs. A total of £15,000 was awarded in the latest round of funds, which will support a range of projects aimed at improving the lives of BME residents in the city.
The groups awarded grants include The Open Minds Project, which will use its grant to run local Black history guided walking tours and towards group running costs. Euro-Mediterranean Resources Network will use the grant to provide skills training to BME volunteers to develop content for community radio and television, highlighting BME cultural heritage. Banyan Tree Theatre Group, a group led by BME women, will use funding to deliver a series of workshops including family friendly singing sessions as part of a ‘Songs and Sounds of Healing’ project.
The Black & Minority Ethnic Community Partnership 50+ Group will use the grant for running costs and group activities. Brighton Black Anti-Racism Community Organisation (BARCO) will use the grant to support an intergenerational dominoes and vinyl club. Women of Colour Brighton group will use the grant for a one-day wellbeing festival.
Brighton Multicultural Women’s Cycle Club will use the grant to encourage more women to start cycling through supported sessions and organise group rides. Ohisama Ahaha will provide a Japanese speaking environment for children and families who share a Japanese background, offering city communities access to Japanese language lessons and cultural workshops, with the grant helping with running costs. A Seat At The Table will use the grant to provide support for BME families and children with disabilities, focusing on special educational needs and disability (SEND) and also supporting wellbeing sessions and workshops.
The Engagement Fund is part of the council’s Communities Fund, which supports local community groups, voluntary organisations and not-for-profit social enterprise. Any voluntary or community group with an income of up to £20,000 per year can apply for a grant from the Engagement Fund between April and October. A further round of funding specifically for BME communities groups will be held later this year.
The latest round of funding will help support a range of important projects and initiatives aimed at promoting fairness and improving the wellbeing of BME residents in the city, and the council hopes that these grants will help build stronger and more resilient communities across Brighton and Hove.
