Additional Government funding and recognition for the third sector working to improve race equality and cohesion

Published	21 May 2008

Community organisations committed to supporting and improving community relations and race equality will gain access to a new funding pot of up to £660,000 with the announcement today of the successful recipients of the third round of the Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants.

The grants are the latest instalment of an £18 million funding programme for Third Sector groups operating at local, regional and national levels which has to date already supported 330 groups.

Many of these organisations will today be attending a major national conference to showcase their work and engage with the Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Third Sector Minister Phil Hope.

The conference has three main objectives:

Providing the BME third sector with an understanding of the Government agenda and vision on equalities and the third sector,
Building the longer-term sustainability of the BME third sector, and
Showcasing good practice, celebrating success, learning what works, and facilitating networking

First announced in 2005 as part of the Government's Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society strategy, Community Grants are flexible grants awarded to very small and local voluntary and community organisations.

The grants are aimed at improving the experiences of people from BME backgrounds in relation to access and outcomes from public services; increasing the confidence of people from BME backgrounds that public services are delivered in a fair and equitable way; tackling racism and extremism; and bringing together communities from different races and faiths, and promoting community cohesion. In addition to the Community Grants, there are also two other levels of funding, supporting organisations that are working at the national level, and at the regional or local authority level.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said;

"Tackling race inequality remains an essential part of this Government's programme and a major personal priority for me.

"That's why Connecting Communities Plus looks to help charities working on race, faith or cohesion grow, prosper and reach out in ways that Government simply cannot.

"I am delighted to be able to announce that a further 68 projects nationwide will be funded through our Connecting Communities Plus grants. And I'm particularly delighted to be able to make this announcement at an important event which celebrates the achievements of many of these charities who are making such a difference: both on the ground, delivering services and support to local people, and to national policy and debates."

The conference will showcase the work of the eleven national level organisations - including Black Boys Can, Runnymede Trust, and Operation Black Vote - who have been funded for three years, sharing in a total of around £4 million each year. Communities and Local Government has supported these organisations as they have a track record in delivering improvements to race equality and a commitment to contribute to government and public understanding of how to reduce inequality and discrimination.

Project level grants have provided funding for an additional 70 projects over three years spread right across the country on delivering improved services to local communities in the fields of race equality and community cohesion. This funding totals a further £11 million.

Community grants are flexible grants for the smallest voluntary and community organisations. Hazel Blears has today announced the third round of the smaller grants.

Previous projects funded through the community grants have seen activities funded across the country such as sports club being awarded money to run a girls football club project to help girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage in sport to overcome anti-social behaviour.

In the latest and third round of the Connecting Communities Plus grants 68 projects across the country will receive funding, bringing the total investment over three years to £3 million.

Notes to editors

1. Improving Opportunity Strengthening Society (IOSS) is the Governments Strategy to increase race equality and community cohesion. Responsibility for the strategy moved from the Home Office to Communities and Local Government in May 2006. For further information about IOSS please see www.communities.gov.uk/race.

2. The Connecting Communities Plus grants programme is a 3 year, £18 million programme to support delivery of IOSS. Connecting Communities Plus has three types of grants: Strategic, Project and Community For further information on strategic and project grants please see: www.a4e.co.uk/connectingcommunitiesplus (external link).

3. Further examples of work supported by Connecting Communities Plus includes:

National organisations

Operation Black Vote, galvanising political action and getting out the vote in BME communities, as well as making local and national parties think afresh about race;
The Windsor Fellowship, now inspiring young people in new locations such as Leeds and Birmingham and offering greater support to parents;
National Black Boys Can, now with a stronger presence at the grass roots as well as an improved website, helping boost young Black men and boys' confidence, enabling them to get the most out of their education and the opportunities open to them

Project grants

In Bath, the Black Families Education Support Group have worked with local secondary schools to provide mentoring support for Black and Minority Ethnic young people: helping show that there is nothing predestined about BME pupils' levels of achievement.
In East London, Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association (Poplar HARCA) has been running a course training volunteers to advise their friends and neighbours on living healthier lives. It has had such an effect on some participants that one woman, who had been unemployed for around 15 years, ended up getting a job with the Primary Care Trust as a health trainer.

4. CDF is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Communities and Local Government and a charity registered in England and Wales and recognised in Scotland. They work with government departments, regional and local public agencies and the community and voluntary sectors. They also operate at a European and international level.

5. Community Grants are distributed over 3 rounds. In the first round 140 organisations were offered funding. The second round awarded £1 million to 109 local organisations. The 3rd round of the grants being announced today sees a further 68 organisations across England being offered funding.