Charities, grassroots organisations and other community groups have been awarded a share of over £150,000 from the Home Office's Community Engagement Fund, to go towards raising awareness of the Windrush Status and Windrush Compensation Schemes.
The fund is providing financial support to 16 diverse groups and organisations, who applied for grants of between £5,000 and £10,000, to assist their engagement with individuals and communities about the Windrush Schemes.
This will bolster efforts to reach as many people as possible who may be eligible to apply for documentation to confirm their status or for compensation. As of the end of September 2023, the Windrush Scheme has provided documentation confirming status or citizenship to over 16,700 individuals. Over £73 million had been paid in compensation, across 2,009 claims, by the end of October 2023.
The Community Engagement funding will support activities and events to provide people with information about eligibility criteria, guidance on the application process, and to address any misunderstandings about what the schemes cover.
The successful bidders have demonstrated how they will reach communities and individuals within and beyond the Caribbean community, including those with roots in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and India. This follows feedback from Wendy Williams' progress update that said more needed to be done to identify and reach out to wider affected groups.
The experience of organisations helped through the fund will help the Home Office understand more about why some people might not have yet come forward to apply for documentation and compensation. This will help with future efforts to encourage eligible people to apply for both schemes.
Minister for Legal Migration and the Border, Tom Pursglove MP said:
The money we are providing will make sure groups, with roots and well-established networks in their communities, can help the Government reach as many people as possible to encourage them to come forward.
We know this is the most effective way to get the message out and assure people that they will get the guidance and support necessary to get the documentation they need and to apply for compensation they so rightly deserve, having contributed so much to the UK."
Activities and projects that the fund supports may include, but are not limited to, hosting small-scale engagement groups, 1-to-1 sessions and creating and sharing materials such as leaflets and posters. Groups will use diverse communications channels such as social media and local radio, and will secure support from corporate partners, advocates and prominent figures.
The fund follows the success of the Windrush Community Fund, a similar fund of £500,000 which was launched in December 2020 to support community groups in carrying out promotional activity for both schemes. The fund was a key element of the Home Office's work to support and engage with communities.
The Windrush Community Fund reached over 850,000 individuals through a range of activities and events hosted by community groups. Since 2018, the department has also held over 200 engagement events, in person and virtually.
This is the third iteration of Community Engagement Fund which is offered by the Home Office and provides funding to grassroots and community groups to engage communities and raise awareness of priority Home Office policies.
Successful organisations have been awarded grants of between £5,000 - £10,000 and will need to use the funding by the end of the 2023-24 financial year. They will receive up to 25% of the awarded amount as an initial payment for set up costs, with the remaining payments being made in arrears in accordance with their delivery plans.
All organisations successful in applying for funding have been made aware and grant agreements have been signed. Early conversations with those organisations to embed their funded projects are now taking place and names and locations of successful organisations will be published in the new year.
