Special initiatives
print-friendly versionIn addition to the open programme, City Parochial Foundation and Trust for London invest significant funds in special initiatives that tackle a particular issue. In some cases, this has led to the creation of new organisations.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Special Initiative Launched
A special initiative to strengthen community-based prevention work on female genital mutilation (FGM)
City Parochial Foundation (CPF), Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (EF) and Rosa (the UK's Women's Fund), three independent charitable organisations, are collaborating to establish a new UK-wide Special Initiative to fund community-based, preventive work to safeguard children from the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in all its forms.
All three funders agree that one of the most effective ways of tackling FGM in the UK is by investing in community organisations based within practising communities, in particular, women's organisations. Applications are therefore invited from these organisations to develop a programme of work with young people, parents, faith leaders, and/or the wider community to raise awareness about this harmful practice and to empower communities to say no.
Closing Date 24 July 2009 by 5pm
Further details of the aim and objectives of the initiative and the criteria for applying for funding can be read by clicking here.
London's Poverty Profile
London is by far the richest part of Britain and is the engine of the national economy. Yet our new report, London's Poverty Profile highlights the capital also has very high levels of poverty and inequality. Behind the famous skylines and historic buildings lies a picture of widespread deprivation - it is a profile which is often ignored.
Together with the New Policy Institute we have compiled the first independent report to bring together a wide range of indicators related to poverty, inequality and social exclusion in London. These indicators use the latest official government data to reveal patterns of poverty across the capital, and how this has changed over time. The research will be launched on 19 May 2009 with speakers including the Minister for London and Minister of State for Employment & Welfare Reform, Tony McNulty MP and Anthony Browne, the Mayor of London's Policy Director.
The analysis covers a range of issues including worklessness, low pay, poor health, weak educational outcomes and inadequate housing. The report compares London to other English regions and cities. It also looks inside London at a sub-regional and borough level.
We hope that London's Poverty Profile will provide an important new resource for policy makers and others wanting to understand what progress is being made against key indicators. It highlights the scale of the challenge facing London- and unless there is a focus on the capital, it will be very difficult for key Government targets on poverty to be met.
The report is complemented by a dedicated website, www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk which will provide updates to the indicators, more analysis and links to other relevant research and resources.
Latin American community in London research
City Parochial Foundation and Latin American Women's Rights Service are working in partnership to commission research to assess the needs of the Latin American population in London. Following an open-tender process, Queen Mary, University of London has been commissioned. Dr Cathy McIlwaine, Reader in Human Geography at Queen Mary will be leading on the research.
The research will include data on the size, economic and social make-up of the Latin American population in London, provide a better understanding of the lives and experiences of the community, identify emerging trends and highlight the unmet needs of the community. This will be the first comprehensive research on the Latin American community as a whole in the capital. We hope it will help inform policy makers and others so that they can develop strategies and undertake work to improve services which meet the needs of the community.
The research is due to be published in early 2010.
Further information can be downloaded in PDF format below:
Tackling Modern Day Slavery
To mark the bi-centenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, five organisations have been funded to address different forms of what might be described as 'modern day slavery'. Each organisation has a particular area of expertise whether it be adults, children, domestic workers or women in sexual exploitation. Grants totalling £625,000 have been awarded to: Anti-Slavery International; ECPAT; Kalayaan; Eaves Housing; and Women and Girls Network.
The bi-centenary of the abolition of slavery, combined with the steps recently taken by the Government, provide a good opportunity to ensure that this action translates into real changes on the ground, both in terms of how services are provided by the various agencies but also in the way victims are treated. The focus of this special initiative is on strengthening voluntary sector campaigning to improve the conditions faced by people vulnerable to exploitation in the UK.
Further information can be downloaded in word and pdf format below:
ModernDaySlaveryJan09.doc
CPF has published an interim report on its Tackling Modern Day Slavery special initiative, which collates the significant progress made by the five funded organisations in addressing exploitation in the UK. Further information can be found below:
Working in partnership with Comic Relief and Joseph Rowntree Foundation, CPF held a discussion event on 29 September, which brought together independent funders with NGOs in the field to explore how to move forward policy and practice in addressing human trafficking in the UK. Further information can be found below:
Safeguarding Children's Rights
This is a joint initiative between CPF and its sister charity, Trust for London, to address the issue of faith-based child abuse linked to a belief in spirit possession. Our funding supports work with London's African communities that develops and strengthens community-based preventive activities in this field. The initiative was established in response to concerns raised with us by African community groups about the need for support at a grassroots level. Funding is supporting work with young people, parents, social workers, policy-makers and faith leaders.
Grants of £450,000 have been awarded to: AFRUCA, UK Congolese Safeguarding Action Group, Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service, and the Victoria Climbié Foundation, who will work closely together through the initiative. The Centre for Social Work Research at Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust will be independently evaluating this initiative.
Further information can be downloaded in word and pdf format below:
Safeguarding Children.doc
BBC News Coverage at www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7003534.stm
City Parochial Foundation and Trust for London have responded to the Government's consultation on guidance for Local Safeguarding Children Boards, which have responsibility in each borough for keeping children safe from harm. In particularly, we are encouraging the Boards to recruit members from minority and marginalised communities, and to ensure there are mechanisms in place to consult with all parts of the community. The response mainly draws on our experience of the Safeguarding Children's Rights special initiative, but also from our work on Female Genital Mutilation, trafficking and domestic violence. The response is available to download below:
CPF LSCB Consultation Response.pdf
Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy
This is a joint initiative between CPF and the Henry Smith Charity with a total of £900,000 invested. With match funding from statutory sources this has increased to £1.6 million. The initiative aims to build on recent activity in the domestic violence field, such as the establishment of Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Services and Specialist Domestic Violence Courts and to strengthen the impact of these developments in four London boroughs. Three-year grants have been made to four organisations, each working in a different context: Domestic Violence Support Service (Barnet) - based in a police station; Newham Action Against Domestic Violence - based in a community centre; The Nia Project (Hackney) - targeting support to black and minority ethnic women; and Victim Support Lambeth - based in the Accident and Emergency department of Guy's and St Thomas' hospital.
The London Metropolitan University is independently evaluating this initiative. It has already received a special award from the Mayor of London in 2006, as part of the GLA's annual awards in the domestic violence field.
Further information can be downloaded in word and pd format below:
IDVA.doc
Fear and Fashion
This is a joint initiative between five funders - CPF, City Bridge Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Wates Foundation and John Lyon's Charity. Its focus is on tackling the use of knives and other weapons by young people. Four organisations have been funded to pilot different interventions to address this issue - Working With Men; LEAP Confronting Conflict; Rainer; and Kick Start, Crime Concern. The work is taking place in two areas of London - Southwark & Lambeth, and North Westminster.
A total of £1.5 million has been invested in this initiative and Clear Plan has been commissioned to undertake an independent evaluation.
Further information can be downloaded in word and pdf format below:
Fear&Fashion.doc
Preventing Racist Violence
This initiative developed following research undertaken by Runnymede Trust, which was funded by CPF. The aim is to develop and strengthen preventative work with potential perpetrators to help reduce the level of racial incidents and race hate crime in specific geographical areas in London.
CPF has invested £400,000 in this initiative and three-year grants have been made to three organisations: Working with Men; LEAP Confronting Conflict; and Searchlight Educational Trust. Runnymede Trust has been commissioned to evaluate the work.
Further information can be downloaded in word and pdf format below:
PRV.doc
Employability
Employability is an initiative of the City Parochial Foundation and a number of refugee community organisations and refugee agencies
continue reading "Employability"...
Evelyn Oldfield Unit
The Unit was established in 1994 by a consortium of funding bodies and agencies which work with refugee community organisations, including City Parochial Foundation, Thames Telethon, London Borough Grants (now London Councils), the Refugee Working Party and the Refugee Council.
continue reading "Evelyn Oldfield Unit"...
Refugee Communities History Project
Work began during 2004 on a major new initiative - the Refugee Communities History Project for which City Parochial Foundation and Trust for London are leading funders - to document and demonstrate the cultural, social and economic contributions made by members of refugee communities to London society since 1951. It will record the experiences of individual refugees from the time they first arrived in the city to the present day.
These orally and visually recorded histories will be archived and exhibited at the Museum of London and the participating Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) will also be encouraged to use the life stories creatively for their own purposes. Fifteen RCOs are participating in the two year project, seven in the first year (2004-5) and eight in the second (2005-6).
Others involved in the project include the Mueum of London, London Metropolitan University and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The website for Refugee Stories Project is: http://www.refugeestories.org/
c/o Evelyn Oldfield Unit
The Resource Centre
356 Holloway Road
London N7 6PA
Tel No. 020 7700 0100
adminstrator@evelynoldfield.co.uk
website www.evelynoldfield.co.uk
Further information about the Foundation can be found in a range of publications including annual Grants Reviews