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Case Study:

Working for racial justice in the community sector: A recap of our Open Days

In February and May, we ran two Open Days for London-based organisations led by people from racialised groups. This was part of our London Community Spotlight Programme, funded by City Bridge Trust. These half-day events, hosted in our Corsham Street office, were structured to provoke reflection and positivity, with a co-created agenda to get as many voices included within the conversations as possible.

Published: 04 July 2023
7 minute read

Addressing historic inequities in community infrastructure support

To further work around racial justice and equity, historically privileged infrastructure organisations like Locality are in a position to leverage their access to resources, knowledge, and expertise for those who have been under-represented within the sector. As an organisation based in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, we felt called to do this work in service and solidarity to create a more equitable playing field within the community infrastructure sector. Our two Open Days provided a start to this work, which will continue through other outlets as Spotlight winds down.

What took place

The agendas for both days were shaped by the needs of the group, with space given for lively discussions, alongside more technical insights into operational support for these organisations. These insights were around how to address challenges with local authorities, access funding from social investors, run organisations as leaders of colour, and secure community assets. There was also space for peer support, networking, and discussing the current state of affairs within the sector, alongside plenty of one-to-one/small-group support from Locality staff. Two individuals with lived experience of being racialised offered their perspectives to those listening (who were from various community groups in London).

Learning from one another

We had two speakers present at our second open day in May. One of them, Natalie Diana Busari from The Nerve of My MS, shared their lived experience of being a young, Black woman who has experienced racism in her dealings with the NHS. She talked about the disparities and health inequalities that she faced as a leader of colour doing vital work to address stigma and discrimination. The other speaker, Marti Delrosario, of Charity Bank, reflected on her experiences as someone who has transitioned from the corporate to the charity sector. She spoke to ways to access finance, social investment loans, the offers for marginalised group her bank could provide and the types of equity that are accessible to racialised groups.

The community groups who were present were largely focused on supporting racialised people in London, ranging from North to South geographically. There were a mix of banks, social lenders, grassroots groups, activist campaigners, and leaders of community organisations present in the room which made for a blend of perspectives. We talked about lived experiences of being racialised and facing racism within the sector, ranging from systemic barriers and funding to white supremacy culture that makes it difficult to been seen or understood.

A few attendees from our last Open Days session. From left to right: Mudaser (Locality), Natalie (The Nerve of My MS), Peter (Clapham Park), Liba (Locality), and Marti (Charity Bank).

Reflections from the sessions

Some of the things we did in the sessions ranged from networking, sharing resources, troubleshooting, supporting each other, planting seeds of inspiration, and nurturing sustainable growth. One participant noted that the “support and words of wisdom ma[de] this whole process easier to navigate.”

We learnt about the crucial importance of supporting racialised community groups who have been under-represented and under-resourced within the sector leading to burnout, exclusion and lack of real impact. From Locality's Open Days offer, the groups took away a sense of connection, wider support, and some resources that they can apply within their contexts.

We are looking to increase our capacity to continue supporting racialised groups in London. As our Spotlight programme finishes, there is space to reflect on our successes and seek new opportunities to strive towards justice and equity for all.