Grant awards - phase two
In Phase Two, grants of up to £50,000 were awarded to 15 equity-led community groups to reach out to under-registered and under-represented communities to:
- Deliver impartial awareness raising and informational activity on the voting system changes in trusted community settings at local level and pan-London
- Raise awareness among Londoners from under-registered and under-represented communities, disproportionally impacted by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, and ensure they do not lose their voice and their vote by supporting them to register to vote, apply for an accepted photo Voter ID or the free Voter Authority Certificate.
Age UK Westminster and Age UK Kensington & Chelsea ran a joint campaign to raise awareness among older Londoners. The project focused on in person engagement and distribution through the post to ensure that the digitally excluded were also reached. Activities included in person events and a distribution of hard copy (leaflets, newsletters) and online communications – social media, website, newsletters reaching residents of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hillingdon and Hammersmith and Fulham.
The Bulgarian Centre for Social Integration and Culture raised awareness among Bulgarian Londoners, including Bulgarian Roma, in Haringey and Enfield. Their activity included outreach and support in schools, community centres, libraries, cafes, food banks and cultural events. This was supported by a digital campaign with videos on social media and on Bulgarian Facebook forums.
The CLAUK coalition, made up of six Latin American-led partners, including lead partner Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO), delivered outreach and support sessions across partner sites, popular locations and community events for London’s Latin American communities. This was complemented by a pan-London awareness-raising campaign online and in print, in Spanish and in Portuguese, including articles in popular community press outlets.
Disability Action Haringey, worked with Inclusion Barnet, Camden Action Disability, Disability Action in Islington, Ruils in Richmond and Inclusion London, holding bespoke information sessions and support across their respective boroughs, specifically targeting D/deaf and disabled communities in inclusive and accessible formats. This partnership also enabled them to disseminate materials to London's wider D/deaf and disabled organisations and communities.
The East European Resource Centre worked with Romanian, Polish and other Eastern European Londoners to raise awareness of voting system changes through targeted outreach, including leafleting, drop-ins, and pop-up kiosks in local and community events. This was complemented by a pan-London social media campaign.
Building on their existing networks and relationships with places of worship and faith leaders, Faiths Forum worked across religious and educational centres, including Black-led churches, mosques, gurdwaras, synagogues and Black and minority ethnic university societies across London. Through a network of ‘Community Champions’ at each of these sites, Faiths Forum ran bespoke engagement events, information stalls and produced faith, culture, and language specific videos, posters and leaflets.
LGBT HERO worked in partnership with the LGBT Consortium to deliver an outreach, training and awareness campaign, running in-person drop-ins, information stalls in LGBTQ+ venues, community centres, educational settings and community events in London. They particularly focused on spaces that cater to trans and non-binary Londoners, Black, South Asian and minority ethnic and younger LGBTQ+ Londoners. During these outreach events, LGBT HERO offered information, advice and support, distributed flyers, “info cards” and posters. They also updated their Voter ID Hub for LGBTQ+ people and ran a social media campaign.
Henna Asian Women's Group organised multilingual in-person workshops in Camden for South Asian communities, as well as holding stalls at larger community events and festivals, such as the Camden Puja. They also ran a social media campaign consisting of videos and information assets targeting younger South Asian audiences.
New Europeans UK developed multilingual resources to help European Londoners understand their voting rights. They also supported three community groups serving EU citizens of Somali origin, Albanian origin, and Roma communities, to deliver in-person workshops and 1-1 support to underrepresented Londoners.
Through the Pan London Children in Care Council, undertook outreach to borough-based Children in Care Councils and Participation Workers to raise awareness about the photo Voter ID requirement and to support care - experienced young people to get registered to vote. This included creating and sharing videos and informational resources and running workshops directly with care-experienced young people, as well as with participation leads in boroughs.
The Politics Project engaged young people (16-24) directly through workshops in schools and youth work settings. They developed training and resources to run workshops and assemblies in 50 schools across London and supported youth practitioners to discuss political literacy and access to democratic rights with young Londoners in a non-party political, straightforward and engaging way.
Refugee Workers Cultural Association worked to empower Kurdish and Turkish communities in Haringey, by providing them with the knowledge, tools, and support necessary to exercise their civic and democratic rights. Activities included informative workshops and a digital campaign in Turkish. They also collaborated with local stakeholders and community organisations to amplify the project's reach across London.
RAD worked with D/deaf Londoners to raise awareness of the democratic system, share information on the process and support them with voter registration and applications for photo Voter ID. They held workshops and provided one-to-one advice and guidance through their existing support services. They created information and guidance in BSL, including ‘explainer’ and ‘engagement’ videos which were disseminated via social media and at in-person events.
STAG worked with the Traveller community in and outside of Southwark to raise awareness about the new photo Voter ID requirements, support them to get the correct ID documents, encourage them to register to vote and discuss with them the civic and democratic processes. Activities included face-to-face workshops and one-to-one support. They also worked with other London Gypsy, Roma and Traveller organisations to share resources and conduct outreach in other sites across London.
Voice4Change England worked with their member organisations in London, with an emphasis on members from the Black and minoritised ethnic community groups. Activity included online and face-to-face workshops, the creation and promotion of information materials online and offline and raising awareness through specialist community media outlets to reach some of the most under-represented and under-registered Londoners. They also ran a workshop for frontline community organisations to build civic and democratic participation in their work.