The Solidarity Fund: £60 million awarded to tackle root causes of poverty, disadvantage and discrimination

From funding community projects to funding community power

When we created our strategy, ‘It Starts with Community’, we said we wanted to prioritise communities who are the least supported. At the same time, we promised to put community agency, power, and control at the heart of our funding in England. Now we're putting that all into practice.

If we want to build community power and make the UK a better place, we must first understand that different people face different challenges and so require different things. There is no one-size-fits-all, copy and paste approach.

We can’t do this alone. That’s why we’ve partnered with organisations who work with communities facing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination. Who better understand communities whose voices and participation are often overlooked.

In it for the long-term

Today, we’ve announced the first 13 organisations to receive a share of almost £60 million from The Solidarity Fund. This is key to our efforts to address inequity and inequality. Investing in the building blocks of community-led change, where people feel least in control.

The Solidarity Fund goes beyond short-term fixes. It brings people together across different issues, places and communities. It helps them to act on shared challenges and build long-term solutions.

This funding complements vital services by investing in lasting change. It supports people closest to the issues to lead and organise. It helps communities build knowledge. And it strengthens relationships across different communities and issues.

We are backing organisations with strong community relationships and a track record. The funding gives them the stability to build on what already works. To strengthen community leadership. To share learning and tackle root causes over time.

Our focus is practical and long term: using truly life-changing National Lottery funding responsibly, where it can make the greatest – lasting – difference.

What our new grant holders are saying

Black South West Network (BSWN) has received £5 million over 10 years. Sado Jirde, CEO of BSWN, said: “BSWN has a long track record of supporting community-led change across the South West, and we know that tackling racial inequality requires sustained, long term investment. This funding is significant – not only for BSWN, but for the communities and organisations we work alongside.

“Support from The National Lottery Community Fund through The Solidarity Fund demonstrates a commitment to addressing inequality and backing community led solutions. We are committed to making the most of this opportunity, and to being accountable, not just to The National Lottery Community Fund, but to the communities whose futures this work is in service of.”

Adina Claire, Interim Executive Director, at the Economic Change Unit tells us about their involvement in The Solidarity Fund, after receiving almost £5 million:

“It was clear that the goals of The Solidarity Fund perfectly matched our approach to bring people together to create an economy where everyone has the freedom and security to live a good life. The values, ambition and scale of the funding was a breath of fresh air.

“It’s so exciting to be able to tell people when we start this work, ‘we don’t need to rush, we’re in this for the long term’. Because if we have any hope of changing our economic system to address the root causes of poverty and inequality, we need people to be able to advocate for and be part of those changes themselves. To build those relationships and shared goals, to build people’s confidence and leadership - especially if they’ve experienced poverty or live in towns that have been left behind - it takes a really long time. The longevity and security of this funding transforms the way we can work with people and what we can achieve together.

“Our lottery officer was a real partner during the application process, and it has been so motivating and energising to share space with the others funded through our cohort.

“We hope that other funders will be inspired to take a long term systems change approach to tackling societal problems, and put people who have experienced those issues at the centre of the work.”

Refocusing our efforts

At The National Lottery Community Fund, we’re refocusing our efforts. Prioritising those that feel the least listened to. Providing support tailored to these differences. Investing in the building blocks of community-led change. Shifting from funding community projects to community power.

This is what The Solidarity Fund sets out to achieve. So that, together, we can create a stronger, more inclusive and fairer society. For everyone.