Getting to know each other a little better
Three months ago, twelve strangers joined a meeting to talk about how they could help award funding to local charities. On the surface they have little in common, but three things unite them.
One, they they are all from Camden. Two, they’ve had to navigate inequality in their lives. And three, they want to have a go at making things better for others around them, they don’t want others to have to navigate the same equalities they’ve had to. Fast forward to today and they’ve worked together to design a blueprint for change, The Equality Fund. The group have met with support from our team and our partners BRAP to think about how money can be used most effectively in Camden.
The Equality Fund
The fund created by people who know that while Camden has its issues, this place has one of the biggest income divides in the country, it also has strengths in abundance. Poverty isn’t something “that could just happen to anyone”, it happens more to some people than others, black Londoners are twice as likely to go without food and essential items than white Londoners and Londoners with limiting disabilities are three times as likely to be “struggling to make ends meet” as Londoners without disabilities (GLA Survey). Poverty is a major factor in poor mental health, likelihood of being a victim of violent crime and early death.
The group of strangers who created the Equality Fund told us that the thing the traps people in inequality, is stigma and to break that down, they wanted other people to get to know each other in the same way the panel have done over the last 3 months. They wanted to see people who were intentionally bringing together people to learn from each other, more than just inclusivity, but actively reducing divides. Bringing together groups of people who sometimes stigmatise each other, be that young and old people, young black men and police, people with disabilities and people without disabilities, refugee communities and Camden’s existing communities or any other group that need to know each other better.
What’s interesting is that we don’t see loads of charities that do this work in Camden, so it’s really important that the charities that do it really brilliantly have flexible funding to sustain and grow what they do.
Using funding to connect
This fund is born out of solidarity, the money that will be awarded to charities has been donated by businesses in Camden who want to connect with people around them. They want to learn from their neighbours, so they gave funding to 12 strangers and are trusting them to award it the charities that will overcome inequality. By doing so they are building a much needed connection between people who live and work in Camden.
Over the last month we’ve seen a rise in employees of local businesses wanting to volunteer, as people return to Camden’s workplaces, it’s clear that people are craving more than change of scenery to park their laptop, they want human connection too. The founder of one of the businesses that donated to the fund said “it wasn’t until I couldn’t work in Camden, that I even realised I did work in Camden at all, and it’s made me view my whole business differently.” Staff of another business who donated to the fund have ben asking the Camden Giving team to take them for walks to meet people in Camden, they want to know what’s going on locally, not just turn up to an office everyday.
It’s not too late to connect
This fund celebratory of Camden’s communities and works on the notion that by learning from each other we’ll find answers. At Camden Giving, we’re confident the Equality Fund will get to the nub of what causes inequality in this borough, we trust that it will make a difference because it’s been designed by the very people who know what causes inequality in Camden. As a mark of our respect for the work they’ve done so far and brave work they are yet to do, we’re turning our social media icons to ‘=’ for the rest of April. But we think the fund needs more partners, more businesses who want to be part of their local community, getting to know their neighbours and funding local charities to bring people together. The more money we can raise the Equality Fund, the more charities will be able to do to build connection and reduce the inequalities in Camden.
If that’s you, we’d love a chat (or a walk to meet your neighbours),get in touch with me, natasha@camdengiving.org.uk.
Last word from Adelaide
The 12 stranger who came together 3 months ago aren’t strangers anymore, one of them described being in this group as being part of a family. Adelaide, one of the group shared this message about her hopes for the fund.
“I would like to thank the candidates that have made an application for a grant. I am proud to be part of a culture where people want to enhance their community and ensure equality for all. Submitting an application is all about enhancing peoples lives, skills and to transfer knowledge to one another this is an attribute that is lacking in the world we live in today. I hope that the grant is distributed accordingly to embower individuals to want to give back.”
Applications and donations for the Equality Fund are open now. The fund will award unrestricted grants of £30,000 to small charities and social enterprises who predominantly work in Camden. the 12 community panellists who designed the fund, will decide which organisations receive funding based on their knowledge of inequality in Camden.