Migrant Centre NI
BAME Covid-19 Recovery Fund
Migrant Centre NI is a registered Charity and a limited company. The organisation was initially established as The Belfast Migrant Centre in 2010 and officially recognised as a charity in March 2012. In 2014, to reflect the work of the organisation the name was changed to the current Migrant Centre NI (MCNI). Our overall aim is to tackle racism and eliminate barriers against new and settled migrant communities across Northern Ireland (NI).
MCNI was established to protect the rights of migrant workers in NI, tackle racism, eliminate barriers against BAME communities, advance education and raise public awareness about their rights. MCNI has 3 offices across NI, in Belfast, Lurgan and Derry~Londonderry as well as a Good Relations Officer working at APEX Community House in Enniskillen.
We have been very concerned that many small projects working with diverse communities are facing risk of closure due to financial pressures following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Migrant Centre NI is delighted to be able to make grants available to support such community organisations to deliver services at this challenging time. This is possible as we have been chosen as one of 10 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) led organisations who will fund hundreds of small projects across the UK with the new £3.4m fund from Comic Relief & National Emergencies Trust.
The fund from Comic Relief aims to help vulnerable communities by supporting BAME-led organisations struggling to continue their services because of the pandemic.
Recent worrying reports have highlighted the disproportionate health impact of Covid-19 on Black and Asian people across the UK. Many small grassroots projects who work directly with these communities are also facing financial crisis and closure due to the pandemic, according to findings by the Ubele Initiative. These factors led to the campaign group #CharitySoWhite to call on the voluntary sector to ring fence funding for BAME-led organisations.
To help address these inequalities as part of its wider Covid-19 crisis response, Comic Relief has partnered with the National Emergencies Trust to award £3.4m1 worth of grants to 10 BAME- led organisation who will distribute the funding to small and micro projects across the UK. This includes £2.75m in emergency funding from the NET’s Coronavirus Appeal.
About Comic Relief – Comic Relief raises money to support people living incredibly tough lives. Through humour and stories of hope, CR shown that people can make a massive difference. CR funds hundreds of amazing organisations who are working on the ground to support the most vulnerable people and communities in society including many of those hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or living in extreme poverty, women and families at risk of domestic abuse and those struggling with existing or new mental health problems.
About National Emergencies Trust – The National Emergencies Trust (NET) is a charity set up to raise funds from the general public in the event of a domestic disaster or emergency. When a disaster hits, the Trust collaborates with charities and other bodies to raise and distribute money and support victims. The funds collected are distributed by local partners on the ground in the areas affected by the emergency event. The National Emergencies Trust is a registered charity no. 1182809. For more information, visit: www.nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk
Contact us:
grants@migrantcentreni.org
07730747860 or 07720698226
Document downloads:
Guidance Notes – MCNI BAME COVID-19 RECOVERY GRANT
Application form – MCNI BAME COVID-19 RECOVERY GRANT