[cma-l] Barrow Cadbury Trust announces new 750, 000 pounds sterling funding initiative: 'Habits of Solidarity'

[Bill Best]

http://www.bctrust.org.uk/news/detail.php?nid=44

The Barrow Cadbury Trust has launched a new funding stream aimed at
fostering greater cohesion in some of Britain's most diverse towns and
cities.

The trust will fund voluntary and community projects with grants
typically worth £30,000.

The new funding stream builds on the trust's existing work promoting
'Habits of Solidarity' between people of different ethnic, religious
and cultural backgrounds.

Projects that promote 'Habits of Solidarity' encourage people from
different backgrounds to work together in order to tackle mutual
problems.

In the trust's experience, uniting diverse groups of people around a
common cause is an excellent way to foster solidarity and
understanding between Britain's increasingly diverse populace.

The Ashiana Community Project in Birmingham is an example of a
community group helping to foster 'habits of solidarity'.

Ashiana uses local "community mentors" to encourage marginalised local
women to participate in health, education and confidence-building
programmes.

Women from different communities forge close bonds as they overcome
their mutual concerns together. In doing so, this project not only
fosters cohesion but also helps address the poverty and inequality
that often lie at the heart of people's concerns.

Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, Chief Executive of the Barrow Cadbury Trust said:

"In an increasingly plural country, it wouldn't be healthy for
different communities to live 'parallel lives' – side by side but with
little interaction. However, many of the initiatives aimed at
fostering a diverse and cohesive society appear superficial – often
focused around culture and identity and 'what it means to be British.'
The Barrow Cadbury Trust's 'habits of solidarity' funding stream is
about supporting grass-roots projects that demonstrably bring
different people together to tackle local problems."

The funding initiative marks a significant step for The Barrow Cadbury
Trust; one of the UK's most dynamic funding agencies.

Kaur-Stubbs went on to say:

"Some of the poorest parts of Britain are also the most ethnically
diverse. As a charitable foundation, we need to help local communities
join forces to tackle poverty and inequality, rather than compete over
limited resources.

"We will target local groups that bring communities together around
common causes, in order to provide positive examples of what can be
achieved when people move beyond cultural, religious or ethnic
preconceptions."

http://www.bctrust.org.uk/news/detail.php?nid=44