To ensure that our members are informed about how current events, demographic trends and policy decisions affect the lives of the communities we serve, London Funders is going to host monthly member-exclusive insight meetings.
The purpose of these meetings will be to provide a space where members can access reports, intelligence, and data on cross-cutting topics that are affecting Londoners right now. We’re intending for these meetings to be a reactive space, where funders can get together in response to issues as they arise - whether it’s the Afghan crisis, the climate emergency or things happening more locally where funders can make use of insights, intelligence, and data to respond.
Our first insight meeting, took place on 24th November, from 10.00-11.00 will focus on what funders can do in response to the climate crisis, following the COP26 summit. The summit brought “parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change”. The UK government has said that COP26 "needs to be decisive” and that they are "committed to working with all countries and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire climate action ahead of COP26".
It was therefore a unique opportunity for funders to think about what they are doing in this space following COP26, how they can learn from other organisations tackling climate change, and what priorities the sector should have to help avert the climate crisis.
We were delighted to be joined by Sufina Ahmad, Director of the John Ellerman Foundation who chaired the meeting. Kate Hand, Head of Climate Change, Policy and Public Affairs Division at London Councils shared the work they are doing as an organisation to tackle climate change. Jeana Malhi, Systems Change organiser with UK Youth Climate Coalition and Local Councils Officer, Hope for the Future also joined the meeting to talk about the role of grassroots movements and how funders can support them.
Click here for the data insight sheet and click here to read a summary of the meeting.