The Leyton charity the Mayor visited provides support for South Asian women experiencing issues including domestic violence
By Marco Marcelline
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan yesterday visited a Waltham Forest charity providing support for South Asian women who have suffered domestic abuse.
His visit on Monday (14th August) came as he announced an additional £3 million cash fund for grassroots organisations in the capital that tackle violence against women and girls. The fund is the second iteration of the initial £3million fund (2021-23) which was awarded to 41 organisations in the capital two years ago.
Kiran Support Services, based in Leyton, is an organisation that has benefited from the fund, called the Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund.
The Mayor was joined on his visit yesterday by Kate Markey, chief executive of the London Community Foundation, which connects grant funders to community organisations in the capital.
Mayor Khan said: “The rising cost of living is having an unprecedented impact on women and children experiencing domestic abuse and on the life-saving services they need. Local grassroots services know their communities and are best placed to help, but they need support to survive these challenging times.
“That’s why today I’ve announced a further £3m in new funding to help small, grassroots organisations to provide vital services for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, including safe accommodation, counselling and legal advice.
“As we continue to work together to build a safer London for everyone, I’m determined to do everything I can to help these organisations support more women and girls. But we also need the Government to follow City Hall’s lead and provide more funding for the groups best placed to help those most in need.”
Amtal Rana, CEO of Kiran Support Services, said: “The London Community Foundation MOPAC VAWG Grassroots Funding that Kiran received in 2021-2023 was critical to our charity in helping us to sustain our community outreach service for South Asian women and girls who are survivors of VAWG. Kiran is a grassroots charity, run by South Asian women for South Asian women, providing a lifeline to vulnerable and marginalised women.
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“The grant enabled us to support 718 women between August 2021 – March 2023. Without this grant these women would have been signposted to generic services which offer limited support and have a lack of understanding of the complex intersectional needs of South Asian women.
Many of these women would have returned to abusive households as their needs would not have been met. We are a small charity reliant on voluntary income and grants, and it meant a huge amount to us to be recognised by the VAWG Grassroots Fund. Thank you for your support.”
According to the London Community Foundation, “76%” of the funded organisations are ‘by and for’ BME-led organisations, delivering dedicated services to women from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds while “24%” of the organisations receiving funding are specialist grassroots organisations delivering services for women from marginalised and minoritised communities, including LBTQI+ women, women involved in prostitution, women with No Recourse to Public Funds and women with disabilities.
The fund is part of a multi-levelled approach to tackling violence against women and girls involving various different strategies and media campaigns aimed at raising the issue. Last month, the Mayor rolled out the second part of his ‘Have A Word’ campaign film that asks men to hold their male friends accountable and say ‘Maaate’ when they display sexist and misogynistic behaviour.
Applications for a two-year grant of up to £100,000 for individual organisations are open until the end of this month and the Mayor is calling on grassroots projects across London to apply via the London Community Foundation website.
The Fund will provide two-year grants of up to £100,000 (£50,000 per year) for individual organisations. Partnerships of up to three organisations can apply for two-year grants of up to £120,000 (£60,000 per year).
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