Leeds Community Foundation and Forum Central are delighted to be partnering with NHS Leeds Health and Care Partnership to deliver a grant programme which builds upon work delivered through two existing grants programmes: Trauma-Informed Work in Communities and Addressing Mental Health Inequalities in Minority Ethnic Groups.
Grants have been awarded to organisations who work with children, young people and families who experience mental health inequities because of their race or ethnicity. A trauma–informed approach is based on a recognition and understanding of the widespread experience of adversity and trauma in the lives of children, young people and their families. Organisations were not required to have a prior understanding of trauma or trauma-informed practice, however, it was recognised that the organisations funded would have values that align with a trauma-informed approach: awareness, sensitivity, compassion and empathy to those that they come into contact with, including staff and volunteers in their organisation.
The organisations that have been awarded funding in 2023 are:
Reestablish
Reestablish, working in Beeston, Holbeck and Hunslet, empower young people to discover their potential and positively improve their lives, whilst enhancing the lives of others. Reestablish plan to use this funding to ensuring that what they are offering as a charity becomes more accessible to minority ethnic families within their community as they grow, ensuring an increased sense of acceptance and belonging for all, safe spaces in which to feel heard, seen; to develop emotional literacy, fitness, creativity, social interaction and confidence. Reestablish are also planning to fund 6 young leaders to run a community voice project for their new Loft space based in Holbeck. The young leaders will be asking local young people and their families what they want to see in the loft; what sessions would they benefit from having access to; best times for engagement; what would help to break down barriers for our local ethnic minority families.
St Luke’s Cares
St Luke’s CARES has a track record of providing a variety of community projects to meet the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people, unemployed people, elderly people and families living in poverty within inner South Leeds. St Luke’s Cares have two youth projects working with local young people aged 11-18, The Shine Project working with girls aged 11-18 in the LS10/LS11 area through work with local secondary schools, mentoring, youth clubs, crisis support work and detached/sports sessions and RISE working with at risk boys aged 11-18 in the local area through mentoring, schools works, youth clubs and sports outreach. St Luke’s Care’s are looking to use the funding to enhance their current offer by increasing support for more girls from ethnic minoritised communities and allocating time for the youth work manager to time to conduct a 360-degree quality review of the current process in place to improve service delivery. Applying a cultural sensitivity lens, the review will focus on policy and practice, consultation with cross-sector organisations and reflection on areas including, contextual safeguarding, Trauma-informed practice, youth work approaches, quality assessment frameworks, and impact measurement.
Complete Woman CIC
Complete Women CIC is a not for profit, voluntary organisation originally founded in 2009 and incorporated in 2018 by a small group of migrant women as an effort to reduce isolation and share knowledge to aid integration into a new unfamiliar culture. Complete Woman CIC activities provide benefit to women from deprived and marginalised communities through practical and workable solutions that make a difference in solving the pressing challenges that women and families face today. Complete Woman CIC will be using the funding to build upon their existing family engagement programme which includes monthly family engagement sessions covering a range of topics including Effective communication, Family bonds, Learning, Re-learning and unlearning cultural dynamics. They are also looking to cover Supportive parenting for challenging behaviours, teenagers, including approaches to single parent families. The sessions will also address grief and loss for families during and after divorce and healthy approaches to blended families. The funding is also looking to increase support and development for staff and volunteers within the organisation.
The activity funded by these grants will run for one year, during which grant holders will share what they learn with each other, and with wider networks, to support capacity-building for trauma-informed work within the sector. The grant holders will also work closely with the Trauma Informed Communities grant holders who were awarded funding in 2022: Women’s Health Matters, Fall into Place Theatre, Basis, Health for All, Circus Leeds, Building Futures Together, Let’s Do More.
