Grants database

Spandan Samaj Seva Samiti is committed to improving the lives of members of the Korku tribal community. This grant will support the third phase of a project to address structural causes that lead to malnutrition in Korku families and to ensure that the Korku language is recognised officially. In this stage, the organisation will work to develop local processing centres and market links for millet, promote household gardens to increase food availability and to celebrate and enhance Korku identity.

South Orissa Voluntary Action (SOVA) works to ensure that communities experiencing disadvantage can access rights, education, livelihoods and health services. This project supports communities displaced following the construction of the Upper Kolab dam to resettle and integrate with host communities. The first phase of the initiative successfully focused on strengthening village institutions and building a group of change makers with members from both communities. In this next stage, SOVA will work to build the managerial capacities of these community organisations and support the creation of village development plans as well as a livelihood enhancement strategy.

Society for Advancement in Tribes, Health, Education and Environment (SATHEE) seeks to empower tribes and other groups experiencing socio-economic disadvantage through capacity building and improving access to rights and entitlements. This project aims to address malnutrition and thus reduce infant and maternal mortality rates among Pahariya tribal communities by improving agricultural practice and access to food entitlements. Over the next two years, the organisation will form community groups to raise awareness and improve access to relevant government schemes, to create family level nutrition rehabilitation plans and to develop a five year strategy.

Sense International India supports and advocates for better services for deafblind children and adults across India and partners with non-governmental organisations and the government to provide them with care and education. The first phase of this project focused on building a strong infrastructure consisting of regional and state learning centres to support the delivery of early intervention, education, rehabilitation and vocational training services for children and adults experiencing hearing loss, blindness and multisensory impairment. This phase two grant will support Sense India to strengthen and expand the services initiated in five states in Eastern India and simultaneously develop the capacities of partner organisations to move towards becoming centres of excellence in the region.

Sahyogi strives to promote gender equality and justice by empowering women and children from communities experiencing marginalisation. In the first phase of this grant, Sahyogi initiated a programme to reduce gender based violence in suburban and rural Patna by raising community awareness, particularly among young people, and by providing legal and counselling services to survivors. This second phase of funding will support them to continue these activities and to work more closely with local police, build team capacity and develop an advocacy strategy.

Promotion and Advancement of Justice Harmony and Rights of Adivasis (PAJHRA) aims to empower members of the Adivasi tribal community and their institutions by building their capacity, self-esteem and by advocating for their rights. Through this grant, PAJHRA will deliver a leadership development and mentoring programme for young people from the Adivasi community living in tea gardens and villages in Assam, to build agency to drive positive social change.

During their phase one grant, Grameen and Samajik Vikas Sanstha (GSVS) set up two labour centres in central Rajasthan to support mine and construction workers to access their rights and advocate for improved working conditions. This second phase grant will support GSVS to continue to build their knowledge base and apply various solutions to make work spaces safer for operations and replicate good practice on other sites.

Based in Hastings, Project Art Works is an artist-led organisation that explores and promotes new practical and philosophical approaches to the meaningful involvement of people who have complex impairments in visual art activity. Strengthen & Sustain is a programme of rights-based collaborations with visual arts organisations and people with complex needs that will lead to a new inclusive exhibition space in Hastings dedicated to showcasing visual art by neuro-diverse artists and makers.

This six month pilot project will provide taster sessions and workshops for potential business owners who have disabilities, building on its Chief Executive’s personal experience. Initially, Legacy International will run four taster sessions for anyone with a disability who is interested in learning more about running a business. Participants who are particularly committed can follow up by attending four development workshops to help them to develop and evaluate their business ideas

the vacuum cleaner (James Leadbitter) describes himself as an art and activism collective of one. His work exploring his own and others experiences of mental health is proving influential–challenging both artistic form and the UK mental health system. This grant will allow him to develop Madlove (the area of his work concerned with experiences of mental distress) as a long-term national project and his wider practice in a safe and sustainable way. His work strives to impact both models of socially engaged practice and care provision.

Scottee describes himself as an artist, activist and troublemaker. His work across theatre, live art and radio comes from his experience as a ​‘fat, working-class, queer outcast’ with no formal qualifications or training. He uses this status to out injustices of those misrepresented and uses art to help make sense of them. Through the company’s artistic work, he aims to help the under-represented, underprivileged and marginalised to find a voice and platform. Breakthrough support will allow him and producer Molly Nicholson to build their own and the company’s capacity to push forward with Scottee’s vision.

Rhiannon and Evie created Common Wealth in 2008 in response to the ever-widening gulf between working class communities and the arts. They make experimental theatre with, by and for people new to the arts that is rooted in their socialist politics and working class backgrounds. Their Breakthrough grant will build on Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation funding offered from 2018 to allow them to build staff, evaluation and digital capacity and to support the company’s producing budget.