Action for Race Equality (ARE) is proud to announce the launch of the second year of the UPLIFT Programme, a 12-month initiative designed to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage-led organisations across London.
The programme is funded by the City Bridge Foundation’s Anchor Programme and is running annually for ten years, offering long‑term, culturally relevant investment in organisations working at the grassroots of racial and social justice.
Every year, a new cohort of up to 30 organisations will benefit from expert-led training, coaching, and consultancy tailored to core areas such as finance, governance, communications, and policy.
It’s not just about building our organisations, but about building our ability to influence the systems around us.“
What does UPLIFT cohort 2 offer?
The programme will combine leadership development, bespoke consultancy, and action learning workshops, ensuring participants gain the tools, networks, and confidence needed to deliver lasting change in their communities.
Successful organisations joining Cohort Two will receive support, including:
- 21 hours of bespoke 1‑to‑1 consultancy with experienced ARE Associates.
- Expert led group learning workshops on priority areas such as:
- Governance and leadership
- Diversifying income and bid writing
- Communications and storytelling
- Monitoring, evaluation and impact
- Ethical and practical uses of AI
- Policy and influencing
- Action learning and peer support, creating a trusted space to share challenges and solutions.
- A co‑designed approach, ensuring the programme continues to reflect participant needs rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all model.
UPLIFT is designed to support organisations not just to survive, but to strengthen their influence, sustainability and voice within wider systems.
In order to be eligible for the first cohort, organisations must be:
- Led by and for Black, Asian, or Mixed Heritage communities;
- London-based and active in their local boroughs;
- Focused on Criminal Justice, Employment, Education or Youth programmes;
- A registered charity, CIC, social enterprise, or voluntary group;
- Operating for at least one year, with an annual income between £50,000 and £200,000.
Key Dates:
- Applications open: 7 May 2026
- Applications close: 5pm on 4 June 2026
- Mandatory induction session: Wednesday 24 June 2026
- Online Q&A: 14 May, 10-11am & 19 May, 3-4pm
- This session will be hosted for prospective applicants, providing an opportunity to ask questions directly to the UPLIFT programme team. Please complete this form to sign up.
Information for selected organisations:
- Required In-person Introductory Session: 24 June 2026
- 1:1 Onboarding and organisational strengths review: 1 – 21 July 2026
- First online session: 9 September 2026 (12:00-2:30 PM)
- A mix of online and in-person sessions across the programme: Ongoing
About the applications process:
We recognise that applications take time and effort, particularly for small and community led organisations. To minimise burden on applicants, this recruitment process involves a single Expression of Interest (EOI) only, with no interview stage. We may follow up with brief clarification questions where needed, but we aim to keep the process as light‑touch and accessible as possible.
Building on Learning from Year One:
The first year of UPLIFT brought together 13 organisations to co‑design a programme responsive to the pressures facing community led groups. Learning from Cohort One has helped shape a clearer, stronger offer for Year Two.
Across Year One, organisations reported increased confidence in strategic planning, clearer approaches to monitoring and evaluation, improved understanding of ethical and practical uses of AI, and stronger peer networks. The programme Theory of Change has been developed in year one, including the voices of ARE trustees, senior leaders, delivery partners and participants to develop a shared language for long-term systems change.
Feedback highlighted the value of tailored 1‑to‑1 consultancy, peer learning spaces grounded in psychological safety, and practical workshops focused on immediate organisational needs. These insights have directly informed the structure and delivery of Cohort Two.
We have begun working with an independent evaluator, who will monitor the impact of the UPLIFT Programme, ensuring it remains responsive to the changing political, economic, and social landscape.
A Long-Term Commitment to Grassroots Leadership
UPLIFT reflects ARE’s long-standing commitment to strengthening organisations led by and for minoritised communities. Each cohort receives one year of fully funded support, contributing to a ten‑year programme that provides rare stability, shared learning and long‑term focus on resilient community‑led organisations across London.
If you have any questions, please contact UPLIFT Programme Manager, Nola Sterling, at Nola@actionforraceequality.org.uk or Programme Director, Ellisha Coates, Ellisha@actionforraceequality.org.uk with any questions.
Acknowledgement: The UPLIFT Programme is funded by City Bridge Foundation’s Anchor Programme.
