About this Fund
The Anti-Racism Community Engagement Fund aims to provide community groups and organisations with funds, within this short timescale, to create a focused engagement/ or a series of engagements on the future Anti-Racism Observatory of Scotland (AROS). It is anticipated that most applicants will apply under Strand 1 of this fund. However, if community groups or organisations have the capacity to undertake a series of engagements, they can apply under Strand 2. Please be aware that applications can only be made for either Strand 1 or Strand 2.
The Design Advisory Group (DAG) and the future AROS value lived expertise as equally important as learned expertise. It is essential that we gather community expertise, not only about how people understand systemic racism in their lives but also to use that knowledge to build how they want this new organisation to work for them. Attempts to address systemic racialised inequity have not managed to address the inequality. Evidence suggests that many outcomes have worsened (see CRER report).
The intention for the funding is:
- To build a deeper community understanding of the future AROS.
- To undertake a series of focused conversations about how the participatory community research undertaken by the Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group (AIGG) in 2023 fed into the developing plan for the new organisation. More information on this research can be found in the documents below.
- To explore, from this baseline, how people think the future AROS could work for them.
Organisations led by people adversely impacted by racism are particularly welcomed to apply. You do not need to have been involved in the AIGG community research phase to apply as the fund seeks new voices. We therefore encourage applications from organisations and community groups currently not engaged.
All application documents can be found at the bottom of this page.
The Design Advisory Group has sought the expertise of Impact Funding Partners to manage the fund on behalf of Scottish Government.
The Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group (AIGG) research context:
The AIGG undertook community research that led to recommendations about future AROS that included community perspective about how to create the new organisation and how people might like to see it work for them. The AIGG research in 2023:
- Used Participatory Action Research methods to engage with racially minoritised communities, to hear from people about how they thought an organisation could best work for them. In doing so, it supported the ambitions for the co-design of Scotland’s new community led accountability anti-racism policy focused organisation.
- The research began to build awareness of a new anti-racism organisation that was being developed to address systemic racism in Scotland.
- The AIGG research focused mainly on systemic/organisational racism and the resultant racialised inequity in outcomes, not on people’s lived experiences of individual personal racism.
- The outcomes from the research fed into the 2023 AIGG recommendations for the future AROS.
The full research report which can be found under the Application Documents section (at the end of this webpage), provides detailed documentation of the approach and reflects on the learning during this research period.
This fund aims to build on the research findings by demonstrating that people in communities need to be resourced to be involved in how any new organisation is formed and how they would like to see it work for them. It is hoped that this approach will help to build trust with people who have been asked many times to participate in research about the harms and inequality in their lives, yet it is known that inequality is increasing.
Timescales for Fund
Fund Opens
The fund will open for applications on Tuesday 3rd September 2024.
Fund Closes
The fund will close on Friday 11th October 2024.
Decisions Issued
Applications will be assessed, and decisions will be issued on a rolling basis, so early applications are advised.
Funding Period
Community events must take place between 10th September, October and up to 15th November 2024.
Reporting Dates
All Event Reporting to the Design Advisory Group must be completed within 2 weeks of hosting the event.
All Finance Reporting to Impact Funding Partners must be completed within 2 weeks of hosting the event.
How to Apply
Before applying, please read and download all information relating to the Fund, which you can find below in the ‘Application Documents’ section.
It is important that you read the Fund Information documents as these contain information on eligibility criteria, timescales, how much you can apply for and how to report back after you have held your event.
After reading all information, you can access the online application form in the same section below. There is application guidance included within this form to support you in completing it.
Information sessions will be held across September. Potential applicants are welcome to register for these sessions by following the links below:
Wednesday 11th September: Book HERE
Tuesday 17th September: Book HERE
Tuesday 24th September: Book HERE
