Calls to bid for cash to support projects benefiting refugees in Lancashire

A new grant of £200,000 is designed to award money to projects benefiting refugee women resettling in Lancashire.
Calls to bid for cash to support projects benefiting refugees in LancashireCalls to bid for cash to support projects benefiting refugees in Lancashire
Calls to bid for cash to support projects benefiting refugees in Lancashire

The scheme, launched this month by Lancashire County Council (LCC), will award up to £10,000 per individual project.

A document outlining the aim of the fund says: “Projects led by and for specific groups of women are fundamental in addressing multiple disadvantages and are often able to reach women who would not otherwise engage with mainstream provision.

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“Many women report that being in a women-only environment creates a sense of safety, both emotional and physical. That safety is the most important element of women-only programmes.”

The new Refugee Women Grant Scheme comes hot on the heels of three other grant schemes by the county council launched towards the end of 2019 and into the new year.

The Refugee Week 2020 grant scheme is the next most recent and can award individual grants up to £2,500 to fund events which celebrate what refugees can offer the UK.

Documents say: “Refugee Week is a national festival which takes place every year from the Monday to the Sunday of the week around World Refugee Day - June 20.

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“The aim of this umbrella festival is to celebrate refugee contributions to the UK and promote better understanding of refugee experiences.”

The document continues: “The scheme will make available grants to organisations that propose suitable projects, events and activities that mark and celebrate Refugee Week 2020.”

Other two schemes are the Young refugees grant scheme and the Informal ESOL grant scheme.

Across all schemes the total amount of money available, some of which must be spent over two years, adds up to almost £1m at £950,000.

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Aleksandra Bardon, refugee health and wellbeing officer at LCC said: “We are constantly assessing the gaps and where the needs are.

“We want to reach a wider variety of organisations that don’t necessarily work with refugees to encourage them to bid for funding.

People can contact the team with questions.

“Sometimes people have ideas but they’re not quite sure how to put them across. They should always contact us.”

• To find out more about the four grant schemes available for projects which benefit refugees visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/benefits-and-grants/grants-and-funding