What are some of the key areas you fund?
We’re a place-based funder and focus only on the London Borough of Southwark. Our priorities are to reduce inequality (Levelling the Playing Field), foster community cohesion (Strong, Inclusive Communities) and promote a great quality of life for older people (Positive Ageing). We do this through providing grants, connecting groups, capacity building, and collaborating with local stakeholders and funders. Alongside our Community Investments we provide low-cost housing for older people, and recently established a Research and Influencing programme.
What’s something exciting that you’re currently working on?
One of the things place-based funders are well positioned to do is nurture community action. We’re local, relational and can take risks in a way that local authorities and larger funders simply can’t. While we’re increasingly doing this through our mainstream grants, we’re taking it further though ‘Southwark Change-Makers’. In partnership with Active Communities Network, this devolved funding programme is providing flexible grants and organisational support to small emerging groups and even individuals who have the potential to make waves.
What’s one piece of learning that you’d like to share with other London Funders’ members?
Being a local funder has huge benefits:
- We have an in-depth and current knowledge of local issues and eco-systems
- We can build strong relationships and trust – across sectors
- We can take risks - on people and organisations
- We can use our assets, local legitimacy and connections to promote positive change – beyond just grants
But it also means we see the direct negative impact of national/regional policies and practice. Sometimes this is government policy, sometimes the actions of other funders. The result is that our resources often have to be deployed in a reactive and mitigating way, and not as we’d planned.
What do you most value about London Funders?
Attending London Funders events, and talking to other members, gives us the opportunity to reflect and connect. It’s also an invaluable platform that keeps us informed about innovations, current thinking and ideas around funding - from the UK and beyond. As a small organisation, with a small team, we have limited time to research the work of others. London Funders is brilliant!
What should we prioritise as a network of funders?
In the context of global conflict and climate stress, growing numbers of people will seek sanctuary in the UK. The need to create supportive and welcoming places for migrant communities is big on our radar. Southwark has one of the largest asylum seekers and refugees populations in London and over the past year we've been working with a group of amazing local charities and the local authority to secure Borough of Sanctuary status for Southwark. Better co-ordination of services and support for lived experience groups is just one positive outcome so far. And while support to migrant groups may not be a priority for other funders, we’d urge everyone to use their power, voice and resources to foster collaboration around important issues. Don’t work in isolation.
What’s an issue or area you’d like to discuss with other members?
In partnership with Impact on Urban Health, The Walcot Foundation and Peter Minet Trust, we’re exploring a cross-borough collaboration that offers a more supportive funding mechanism for local groups. This is an exciting and ambitious project (still in its early days) but we’d welcome the input of any other funders who have done something similar.
Connect with us about:
- Place-based funding
- Funding grassroots groups and movements
- Collaborations and partnerships
- Pooled funding mechanisms
- Borough of Sanctuary/Migrant and Refugee funding
The Member Spotlight is taken from our monthly member-exclusive newsletter, the Member Memo. The newsletter contains targeted information about upcoming events and updates from across the membership, with opportunities to connect and collaborate with other members. If you are a London Funders' member and would like to sign up, please email ora.ataguba@londonfunders.org.uk.
