“We were told our services aren’t holistic enough so we weren’t awarded funding...”
At our gathering of community-led women's organisations last month, it was surprising to hear that these specialist organisations, led by and for the communities they seek to serve, aren't always considered as holistic. While many work in niche areas, they are constantly striving to bridge the gap of mainstream services.
Their vital role is, however, recognised by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), especially through their Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG*) Grassroots Fund.
On Tuesday 24 September, over 60 guests attended an exclusive 'Meet & Greet' event for the MOPAC VAWG Grassroots Fund 2023-25. This included many of the 36 specialist VAWG organisations and charities taking part in the programme. The event was held at The Sadlers Wells Theatre and was skillfully chaired by Juliana Rondon from Respeito - a community organisation who had previously received funding from the original VAWG Grassroots Fund (VAWG1).
The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden delivered a keynote speech where she highlighted the impact of this flagship programme. The disparity was further highlighted by a panel of grant holders that were previously funded in VAWG1. Panellists - including representatives of East European Resource Centre, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, Sister Circle and The Maya Centre - shared their experiences of being part of a programme that was designed with and for specialist organisations.
The key takeaways from this insightful panel included:
- Importance of funding that supports core costs and the changing needs of the VAWG sector.
- Sustainability that multi-year funding provides, which enables continuity for service delivery and therefore, consistent support for survivors and victims.
- Impact of supporting led by and for organisations, enabling culturally informed services.
- Value of having a dedicated manager for support, allowing trusting relationships and feeling like a partner rather than a recipient.
- Feeling connected through the community the programme creates, especially through the capacity building and peer networking elements.
It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our work and to be one of the representatives of this vital cohort of VAWG organisations. The echoing words were spontaneous because we all face the same challenges as small organisations trying to do the best possible work to support our communities.Juliana Rondon, Respeito
The London Community Foundation is proud to continue working on MOPAC’s VAWG Grassroots Fund, with our new delivery partners, IG Advisors and Cordis Bright. We look forward to working together with the newly funded cohort of organisations working tirelessly to prevent and tackle violence against women and girls.
To be kept informed about future funding opportunities like the VAWG Grassroots Fund, sign up to our monthly grants newsletter. For further updates on this programme and other funding helping to make London a fair and more equitable place, subscribe to our supporters newsletter.
Notes
*Violence Against Women and Girls, referred to as VAWG, is also used interchangeably with gender-based violence to illustrate the gender dimension and context of the violent act itself. That being said, it is important to note that men and boys can also be subjected to gender-based violence.
