Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales awards 39 unrestricted grants to small charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs) led by and working with people who face injustice because of their race or ethnicity.
09 November 2023
Awarded as part of Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales’ Racial Equity Programme, 35 small charities and four CICs have been given a three-year, unrestricted grant of up to £75,000. Funds will be used to support those who experience racial inequity to overcome poverty and reach their potential. Racially minoritised communities have been most significantly affected by the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Alongside unrestricted funding, the Foundation will work with each charity to provide organisational development support tailored to charities’ needs, helping to build and strengthen skills to help charities meet and adapt to challenges and secure funding elsewhere.
Since 2020, the Foundation has given more than a quarter of its funding to charities led by and for communities affected by racial injustice. This funding programme was co-designed and funding decisions were made by members of frontline racial equity services alongside Lloyds Bank Foundation trustees.
Sylvia Kalungi, CEO of WODIN, a small Community Interest Company doing voluntary work, aimed at ending digital poverty in Liverpool Merseyside, said: “The support from Lloyds Bank Foundation will enable WODIN to grow by leaps and bounds towards our vision of ending digital poverty. Having funding that is unrestricted means we don't have to worry about attributing budget lines and instead focus on supporting black women out of poverty by building skills to help them find work, further training and education and suitable housing. We cannot say enough thank yous for the support our organisation will receive to strengthen our operational skills and knowledge. You found, saw, and heard us. And for that, we say thank you.”
André Clarke, Director of Charity Development at Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, said: "Many small and local charities, run by people and communities experiencing racial injustices, see first-hand how systemic and institutional racism continues to damage lives. These charities play a vital role in reaching people confronting racial prejudices, yet they are underfunded and stretched thin as more and more people turn to them for food, shelter, warmth and support to lead more fulfilling lives. To help the communities most deeply affected by crisis after crisis we need to invest in small frontline charities.”
