In this month of celebrating the journey and history of the black community in the UK, we can’t leave out black charities who invest in the development, protection and progress of our society. In this article, we take the time to honour and celebrate 10 of these charities. While there are countless other charities that are also deserving of mention, we couldn’t incorporate all of them so have handpicked a select few that really stood out to us. Below we have included each organisation’s mission, mostly in their own words, but we encourage you to learn more about them by visiting their websites and social media pages. 

• STOP HATE UK: StopHate UK was established in 1995 as a direct response to the killing of Stephen Lawrence – a young black adult in the UK who was killed in a racist attack. Since then, they have grown to become a leading anti-hate and anti-discrimination organisation. StopHate UK provides independent, confidential and accessible reporting and support for victims, third parties and witnesses of hate crimes.

• BLAM CHARITY: this organisation’s aim is to promote a positive dialogue of social identity and culture through history. They focus largely on young black people. BLAM UK currently runs 4 active projects through which they provide support to these young people, every day of the year. At BLAM, young people work with access to holistic support.

• BLACK MINDS MATTER: this charity connects black individuals and families with free mental health services- by professional black therapists, to support their mental health. Their aim is to remove mental health stigma and to remodel the services to be relevant for the black community.

• SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD: founded in 1996 January 1996, thanks in part to a donation by then Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, SRtRC has grown to become the UK’s largest and leading anti-racism educational charity. To this day, SRtRC continues to utilise the high-profile status of football and football players to help tackle racism in society and has also expanded into other sports. The majority of the campaign’s work involves the delivery of educational workshops to young people and adults in schools, workplaces and at events held in football stadiums. Across the UK, SRtRC provides educational sessions to more than 50,000 individuals per year.

• BLACK GIRLS HIKE: BGH was founded in 2019, to provide a safe space for black women to explore the outdoors. They challenge the status quo, and encourage black women to reconnect with nature. The aim of the organisation is to develop services and projects that will increase the participation and development of black women in the outdoors. The charity hosts nationwide group hikes, outdoor activity days and training events.

• STOPWATCH: Stopwatch focuses on campaigning against the over policing of marginalised communities. It was formed in 2010 as a coalition of academics, lawyers, civil society organisations, and community stakeholders, to promote fair, effective, and accountable policing in England and Wales. Their primary focus is on stop and search. They research stop and search outcomes and use their findings to act against disproportionality and injustice. They campaign for evidence-based policies, challenging police malpractice, and empowering overpoliced communities to seek solutions for instances of personal harassment and abuse.

• KICK IT OUT: this charity was founded in 1993, to fight racism in football. In 1997, they expanded to tackle all forms of discrimination in the sport. Driven forward by the love of sport, the organisation fights to ensure that football is a game for everyone. Kick It Out has made huge progress on and off the pitch, bringing about positive change by raising awareness, confronting issues and making the sports better.

• GODWIN LAWSON FOUNDATION: GLF is aimed at reducing gun and knife crime by encouraging young people to identify their talents and fulfill their potential through the provision of positive opportunities that can help them avoid gang life and develop their capabilities as members of a tolerant society. It was founded in 2012 by Yvonne and Calvin Lawson in commemoration of their son’s life. Their son was Godwin Lawson. Godwin was stabbed in the street in Stamford Hill, trying to prevent two of his old school friends from being attacked by four young men. He was just 17 at the time of his death.

• GENERATING GENIUS:  this was founded by Tony Sewell, after observing challenges that students faced due to their race and other socioeconomic factors . Tony considered that if he could give the students the right attention, he could generate and nurture their geniuses, pushing them into the toughest jobs in STEM. In summer 2004, he took 10 boys to a rigorous skills-based university summer school at the STEM Institute at the University of West Indies, and the rest is history. Generating Genius has been working for 15 years to ensure that talented and able students from disadvantaged backgrounds are positioned to excel in STEM careers.

• RUNNYMEDE TRUST: Runnymede generates research to challenge racial inequality in Britain. They have been doing this for more than 50 years, tirelessly working to build a Britain in which everyone feels valued, enjoys equal opportunities, leads fulfilling lives, and shares a common sense of belonging. They speak truth to power on race and racism, without fear or favour. Through their authoritative research-based interventions, they equip decision makers, practitioners and citizens with the knowledge and tools to deliver genuine progress towards racial equality in Britain.

These organisations, and many others like them, are making impact at different levels in the society — local, national etc. Some of such charities are even using the GoodtoGive platform to increase their income and amplify their impact! To learn more about the profound impact of these black charities, visit their websites. Don’t forget that they need your support. In order to fuel their good causes, you can support them by donating to their cause, volunteering your time, skills and services or by simply creating awareness about their existence. 

To understand how we help charities like these ones, visit our website.