Action for Race Equality is pleased to announce that it will be supporting grassroots organisations and groups working directly with those affected by the Windrush Scandal.
A new fund has been established by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Mayor of London, and City Bridge Trust which will be administered by an ARE project team. ARE will be approaching organisations directly and are also encouraging organisations to come forward if they feel their activities are helping people secure their legal entitlement to remain in the UK.
The distribution of funds will be influenced by engagement and research commissioned by Paul Hamlyn Foundation to help ensure that funders were fully aware of the needs and priorities of ‘on the ground’ groups and organisations supporting Windrush victims.
ARE is delighted this group of funders have selected us to manage this important and much needed grant programme. We look forward to supporting the Windrush organisations.”
Jeremy Crook OBE, ARE Chief Executive
Indra Nauth, Programme Director for ARE is particularly keen for people whose activities have yet to be supported by any funder to come forward.
“We want to hear from groups and organisations – unfunded and funded – that are working directly with those attempting to negotiate the complicated legislation and policy that has devastated the lives of so many members of our communities.”
Campaigner and author, Professor. Patrick Vernon OBE, has also welcomed the funding. “This is fantastic that Paul Hamlyn Foundation, City Bridge Trust, Mayor of London plus others are re-stabilising the Windrush Justice Programme which will be administered ARE.
“This builds on the work of JCWI, Mayor of London, GoFundMe and myself in developing this back in 2018, when we launched a similar grant scheme to support grassroots Windrush organisations and advice agencies to support survivors and families of the Windrush Scandal to access independent legal advice and advocacy around their resolving the immigration status and completing Windrush Compensation forms.
It is critical we encourage more people from the Windrush Generation to apply for compensation with the support of trusted organisations to access justice and deal with the onerous bureaucracy of the Home Office.”
Professor. Patrick Vernon OBE
Funds and support distributed as part of this work will help people to get through ‘the system’ including applying for any compensation they may be entitled to.
Find out more about the Windrush Justice Programme.
If your group or organisation would like to speak to the ARE Windrush team, please email: hello@actionforraceequality.org.uk with ‘Windrush’ in the title.