Voice4Change England (V4CE) recently participated in the Action for Race Equality (ARE) Capacity Building Conference held on December 5, 2024. This pivotal event aimed to strengthen the Black and Minoritised Ethnic (BME) Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector by exploring effective capacity-building strategies. The conference attracted four national BME infrastructure organisations, including V4CE, to share insights and foster discussions on what truly works for BME organisations.
The agenda featured a series of engaging sessions led by prominent figures in the sector, including:
Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive of ARE, who welcomed participants and set the context for the day's discussions.
Yvonne Field OBE, Chief Executive of The Ubele Initiative.
Ila Chandavarkar, Trustee, and Dr. Sharmin Shajahan, Deputy Director at V4CE.
John Mayford, Chief Executive of OLMEC.
Indra Nauth, Deputy Chief Executive of ARE.
Isabelle Ehiorobo, Project Officer from BBC Children in Need, who shared funders' views on capacity development.
The event also included interactive elements via Mentimeter, allowing participants to contribute their thoughts live on various topics related to capacity building.
V4CE was represented by Dr. Sharmin Shajahan, Deputy Director, Ila Chandavarkar, Trustee, Jennifer Wat, Environmental Strategy Intern and Azad Hussain, Orgaisational Support Officer.
Dr. Sharmin and Ila conducted a workshop titled "Tackling Time Constraints and Challenges." This session aimed to address the barriers that BME organisations face in accessing support and maximising capacity-building opportunities. Participants engaged in discussions about structural inequalities and shared experiences regarding funding access and organisational challenges.
Dr. Shajahan and Chandavarkar seized the opportunity to join another workshop focused on "Realigning Power Between Funders and Grantees," which explored how capacity-building programs can shift power dynamics within the sector.
Jennifer had the pleasure of attending two workshops: Creative Methodologies for Empowering Communities and Realigning Power Between Funders and Grantees. The first allowed participants to practice discursive methods of problem solving. They posed the following question to discuss as a group: ‘What else can we offer to smaller grassroots organisations to build capacity other than funding?’, and unpacked the need for building community safe spaces.
The second workshop saw a lively conversation on what funders could do to relinquish power and be truly fair, equitable, and accessible in their funding processes. From a grantee point of view, there were resounding calls to build awareness across the sector of the existing barriers to funding. Equally, there was recognition that the sector needs to build our own collective power, particularly through consortiums in order to define the funding agenda and reclaim the full potential of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) practices.
Jennifer says,
I look forward to seeing the Conference continued next year with room for more BME Sector groups to take part in what was an important moment to regroup and reflect together.
The conference provided an invaluable platform for networking among BME organisations. V4CE representatives connected with peers, sharing experiences and strategies that could enhance their collective impact. This interaction is crucial as it fosters collaboration and strengthens the voice of BME organisations in advocating for equitable funding and support.
Overall, V4CE's participation in the ARE Capacity Building Conference was a significant opportunity to engage with other leaders in the BME VCSE sector. The insights gained from both leading a workshop and participating in discussions about realigning power dynamics will inform V4CE's ongoing efforts to support Black and Minoritised Ethnic organisations effectively. The conference underscored the importance of collaboration and shared learning in addressing the unique challenges faced by these communities.
By Ditipriya Acharya,
Senior Media, Marketing and Communications Officer
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