Gloucestershire based charity Lives of Colour has received funding through the West Midlands Racial Justice Initiative pilot micro-grant scheme, in support of their education projects at All Saints’ Academy and the wider community.
Lives of Colour works to amplify the voices of ethnically and culturally diverse communities through education, training, and community engagement.
The awarded funding will directly support the Rising Star Project, an after-school programme at All Saints’ Academy focused on reinforcing identity, creating safe spaces, and ensuring young people feel valued and listened to.
It will also help towards wider reaching projects, such as the Schoolhouse Cafe with St Paul’s Church in Cheltenham, and the work of an education officer employed by Lives of Colour.
Florence Nyasamo-Thomas, the founder of Lives of Colour, said: “The grant is going directly to our educational projects, supporting young people with after-school activities and summer school. It’s about creating environments where they feel appreciated and understood.
“We want to make sure that our educational projects do not feel like an extension of school. We want our young people to have a fun experience – education can come in so many forms.”
The micro-grant is part of a pilot programme designed to trial the WMRJI’s application process, ahead of its full launch later this year. The six dioceses included in the initiative were invited to identify churches, benefices, deaneries, and community partnerships for support under this initial phase.
Florence said: “The opportunity for the micro-grant came about when I did the 10:10 Circle with the diocese last year. My focus was racial justice and system change.
“Lives of Colour’s partnership with the Diocese of Gloucester was rooted in years of collaboration, and it has now been formalised through this grant.”
The organisation has five areas of focus: advice and guidance, community voices and engagement, racial justice, system change, and health and wellbeing. These areas feed into each-other through initiatives like the Rising Star project, to help address real-world disparities facing young people of ethnic and culturally diverse backgrounds.
Florence said: “Findings from a 2020 report showed that children of African or Afro-Caribbean heritage in Gloucestershire are 5.6 times more likely to be excluded from school than their peers; this is amongst the highest in the UK.
“Even within our county, the experiences of young people vary significantly. Young people in the rural Cotswolds face different challenges from those in the city of Gloucester. It’s so important to educate from the grassroots, and to tailor education to local realities. We can’t assume that what works in one part of the country or even the county is enough.
“School programmes are key to racial and restorative justice. If we want to build a more just society, we have to start young; building confidence, inclusion, and opportunity.”
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