Apply now - Community Diversity Grants reopen for 2023

£5,000 is available for community groups to help minorities in Wokingham Borough.

The borough’s Equality Forum has reopened its Community Diversity Grants fund for applications for the 2023/24 funding round.

Any new or small community voluntary organisation can now apply for a maximum grant of £500 to help with things like developing a new organisation, holding events, and increasing employment opportunities of protected characteristic communities in the borough.

Applicants will provide innovative and imaginative approaches to promoting inclusion, and to tackling inequality and discrimination locally.

Organisations can apply by downloading the application form from Wokingham Borough Council’s Community Diversity Grants webpages. Once completed this should be returned by email to equalityforum@wokingham.gov.uk.

Criteria for applications

These groups should support:

• Women and young girls
• LGBT+ community organisations
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities
• Religious or faith groups   
• Older or younger people   
• Disabled people / communities

A panel from the forum, which has more than 30 members from a diverse range of groups, will decide on successful applications later this year.

Alice Kunjappy-Clifton and Emma Cantrell, joint chairs of the Equality Forum, said: “These small grants make a huge difference to smaller, underrepresented communities in the borough.

"We’ve seen from the grants awarded last year what a lasting impact and how organisations can make £500 go a long way and get lasting value. 

“We’re delighted to open the grant funding for another round and hope to see more applications for projects which will have a huge impact.”

Grants already making a difference

The first batch of community diversity grants were awarded late last year. Almost £5,000 was awarded to nine organisations making a difference locally.

Organisations which received awards in 2022/23 included Project Salama, Wokingham Windrush Generations, The Black Boy Joy Club, Ciannasmile, Kaleidoscopic UK, Berkshire Against Racism, Lalita Mondkar, Wokingham Pride and Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society.

Case studies on how the money has been used can be found on the council’s website. These include:

• Wokingham Pride
• Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society
• Kaleidoscopic UK
• Black History Month
• Wokingham Windrush Generations

The initiative is funded by the council and is part of its Equality Plan 2021-25, where it has pledged to act on its commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion in the way it plans, delivers and shapes its services. 

'Making a huge difference in communities'

Cllr Rachel Bishop-Firth, executive member for equalities, inclusion and fighting poverty, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the Equality Forum with funding for these grants again.

"We know voluntary and community organisations of all sizes can make a huge difference to their communities. They know them best and how to make a difference.”

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 12 October. New members are always welcome to join the Equality Forum, which meets every other month. The next meeting is in September.

There are also subgroups looking at issues including working with businesses, violence against women and girls, anti-racism and young people/mental health. Email the Equality Forum inbox, on equalityforum@wokingham.gov.uk to find out more.