We recently recruited 6 new highly skilled volunteers to work with us on various projects. 

• Angela Loam
• Carissa Tsang
• Chinnelle Mclean
• Nazma Miah
• Olivia Chan
• Yusef Alam

ROTA have launched a mental health student survey to learn their experiences of mental health and well-being during Covid 19. The survey is open to students attending London universities only.

We are also keen to work with student unions to explore partnerships projects.

Race on the agenda (ROTA) and The Trades Union Congress (TUC) have warned that structural racism in the labour market is trapping Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers on low pay and in insecure work.

The warning comes as ROTA and the TUC release a joint report which reveals how BME workers are hugely overrepresented among those workers on zero-hours contracts.

According to the new analysis, around one in six zero-hours contract workers are BME, even though BME workers make up just one in nine workers overall.

BME women are the most disproportionately affected group, followed by BME men.

BME women are almost twice as likely to be on zero-hours contracts as white men (4.5 per cent compared to 2.5 per cent). And they are almost one and a half times more likely to be on zero-hours contracts compared to white women (3.2 per cent).

When IPPR approached us at Race on the Agenda with a view to us guest editing an issue of their journal the Progressive Review, on the theme of race equality and justice, it was an offer we couldn’t refuse. We reached out to some of the great minds in our network and commissioned a number of thoughtful articles which examine the thorny issue of race from various angles.

It was back in 1999, with the release of the MacPherson report on the death of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence, that the term ‘institutional racism’ first entered the public lexicon. In the months that followed, there was much public hand-wringing, with various institutions and public bodies asking themselves if they too could be institutionally racist.

Some two decades later blatant racism is much less socially acceptable and much less visible. So much so, that many argue that racism is no longer a feature of life in Britain, and no longer an obstacle to the progress of this country’s ethnic minorities.

CORE, the Coalition of Race Equality Organisations, is comprised of a number of the leading organisations within the UK Black Asian and Minority Ethnic, voluntary and community sector.  CORE acts as a collective voice to lobby government, influence policy, and raise awareness of issues of inequality that permeate society. Priority areas include housing, health, criminal justice, education, employment, and political engagement and representation.

The Secretariat for CORE is provided by a partnership between ROTA and Voice4Change England. The two organisations have close ties and significant experience of servicing networks of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic led organisations to campaign on race equality issues.

Project update:

• An attack on one is an attack on all - Solidarity with the Runnymede Trust. Read CORE's Solidarity Statement. 
• CORE Chairperson, David Weaver writes a blog in Memory of George Floyd.  Read the blog.
• CORE sent out its first newsletter in May 2021.  The newsletter highlights all the activities from CORE, and its members.  Read CORE's newsletter.

The CREME Project media training workshops came to an end with the arrival of COVID. But the training has not stopped - it has now moved on-line.  

The CREME Project website cremeproject.org has a number of resources you can access for free and there is the new YouTube channel with handy five minute videos giving tips on how to handle the media. The third video in the series discusses things to consider when invited for an interview.

In this video, CREME Project communications officer Lee Pinkerton details the things to think about before, during and after your media interview

Previous video tutorial topics include How To Write A Press Release, and How To Plan A Media Campaign.  Future topics will tackle how to engage on social media.

For the first time, we have the ability to alter, at the molecular level, genetic diseases and impact future generations. 

• But are you concerned about the future ethics of such scientific research?
• Would you be prepared to share your concerns in a round table discussion group?

Evolving Ourselves with Unnatural Selection is a new collaborative project between artists and researchers from the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine that will explore and present some of the ethics and future implications of gene editing through a digital multi-arts approach.

Part of the research is to explore the advances in medical research and the impact this will have on delicate ecosystems both in the world at large and in our own human bodies.

One method of research is a series of online focus group discussions which will explore questions around the transformation of the self, society and the natural environment.

The focus groups will be recorded for use in the development of the project, and to help develop further public engagement projects.

Additionally, participants can continue to play a role in the development of the online art works.  The identity of participants will be anonymized if requested.

Are you grappling with how to implement a hybrid working and delivery model. What do we need to consider as we start returning to offices?

Superhighways helps small charities and community groups in London do more with digital and data.  We offer advice, training and support to help them be more effective, work smarter, raise their profile and demonstrate their impact using digital technology. 

Join this session to share with peers what steps you are and should consider taking, as you shape a hybrid model of remote and office working and online and face to face services.

The Superhighways team will be on hand to answer any questions.

Is this event for me?

This event is for anyone who works for a small charity or community group in London and wants to share and learn from others considering hybrid working and delivery going forwards.

From 28th June - 15th July

@10000BlackInterns will be sitting down with industry leaders from 24 sectors! They will be telling you more about their sectors, businesses and roles, as well as answering any questions you may have.

#10000BlackInterns will offer over 2,000 paid internships to Black students in the U.K. at over 700 companies across 24 sectors in Summer 2022.

*Please please share it with your networks! The programme is an incredible opportunity. 

Many of us involved in anti-racist work feel it is a calling.  It’s courageous work and emotionally draining, with challenges from all directions and often very little evidence of impact. It can be easy to lose your way and even more dangerous to believe that you have a way.

This boot camp offers a three-day retreat into yourself, to reconnect to your purpose and sharpen your practice. It is designed specifically for anti-racist activists, facilitators and practitioners already active in this space. It’s not a place for beginners.

Join Money4YOU's #BrunchBriefing on Monday 28th June, 11am-12pm with Rose Hoare (Wheatfen Forest).

In this Witness Session, Rose will be sharing her journey into entrepreneurship, the challenges, successes and how Wheatfen Forest became financially sustainable.

Join Money4YOU's #BrunchBriefing on Monday 5th July, 11am-12pm with Ben Williams from Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.

Meet Ben Williams who is a programme manager at JRRT and get your funding questions answered, and find out more about JRRT funding programmes.

Join Money4YOU's #BootCamp: Financial Literacy and Annual Reporting for Charities and Social Enterprises on Saturday 10th July, 10am-2pm.

Dragons Den 2021 (Meet Funders, Pitch for Funding and Win Prizes) Sept 17, 2021

Dragons Den is back, later this year with your chance to meet with various funders and apply to pitch live at the online event.

Paid work opportunity at Bromley Experts by Experience

Funded for 3 Years from start date
Actual Annual Salary £19,200 for 28 hours pw with 2% pay rises in years 2 and 3

X by X Bromley is the only *Disabled-led organisation for Deaf and Disabled People.

We are looking for a self-motivated, dynamic person with lived experience of Disability and proven experience of taking a lead project management role in youth engagement work.

You’ll need to have a passion for Disability rights and the ability to engage young people to work with you in a co-productive way.

We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities in employment. Please let us know about any access needs you have, including if there are any adjustments that you will require at interview.

The closing date for applications is: Monday 28 June 5 pm.

To receive the recruitment pack email: info@xbyxbromley.com or phone 07513 403193

Whether you're looking at funding a project or you need help with funds to continue operating, the Funded Team can assist you. Take a look at some funding options available below and either leave your details below or call us (020 3191 6696) to find out how we can get you funding!

• Funding for organisational growth. 

If your organisation wants to grow and make a bigger difference, project funding is available..

Up to £15,000

Deadline: 30th June 2021

• Funding for BAME-led organisation to increase the well-being of communities of Africana nd Caribbean people in Greater Manchester.

Project and core funding for wrganisations who help those suffering from the impact of COVID-19 whose beneficiaries are African and Caribbean.

Up to £15,000

Deadline: 2nd July 2021