To all the organisations and people we fund, we want to offer further support, encouragement, and flexibility at this time of racist violence and threat from the far right.
Please note: This blog was originally shared in August 2024. We are re-publishing it as we have updated the resources listed, which we hope are helpful.
We fund many organisations working on the frontline for racial, migrant, and gender justice, as well as those working for long term change on those issues, and organisations which are rooted in communities across the UK. We want to do as much as we can to support and back your work, and make it easier for you to do it.
First of all, we hope that you, your staff, and volunteers are safe and can take some time to look after yourselves and your friends and family. There is some useful advice from organisations we work with below.
Secondly, please let us know if there is an issue your organisation is facing that Esmée staff could help you with, or something we could do to connect, share or amplify your work. We can be flexible with any reports or meetings you have coming up, and open, as always, to conversations about the most impactful use of your funding. Just get in touch with your Funding Manager, or send us an email to communications@esmeefairbairn.org.uk, and we will make sure that a team member gets back to you promptly.
Useful resources and reports
- Hope not Hate has a a range of community resources including information on community engagement, local leadership, and what you can do about anti-migrant protests. They have also developed guides to online safety and security for temporary asylum accommodation, drawing on their work with organisations working in the refugee and migration sector - register to download it on Hope not Hate. See also their resource on anti-migrant protests and what you can do.
- Migration Exchange has updated their resources on safety and resilience in the refugee and migration sector, covering areas including safety, security, resilience, and wellbeing across the sector. There is also a blog for funders on what they can do to boost security and safety for migration and refugee charities.
- Praxis have created A Migrant's Guide developed with community groups. It includes a guide to services and community building before securing immigration status, and a guide for what to do afterwards, including tips from people who have been through the system.
- NEON has comprehensive advice on messaging and framing communications at this time Far right violence, a messaging guide.
- Ending Violence Against Women Coalition alongside others across civil society shared a joint statement warning against the racist weaponisation of violence against women and girls (VAWG) from those with an anti-migrant agenda.
- Runnymede Trust published the second of two research reports analysing language used in parliamentary and media debates: A hostile environment: language, race, surveillance and the media.
- ConnectFutures published Responding to the riots, an evaluation of their year-long programme exploring hate crime, conspiracies, Islamophobia, anti-migrant rhetoric, and far right extremism.
- People's Health Trust published Standing together, a report exploring the health impacts of the racist riots, a year on.
- Center for Countering Digital Hate has a series of explainers including understanding the difference between misinformation and disinformation, and building information resilience.
- Mind have a guide on looking after your mental health online.
- Stop Hate UK - a free independent 24/7 hate crime reporting helpline who also have a guide on reporting online hate.
On Esmée's website
There are links to many other useful sector resources on our website including mental health and wellbeing support. You can find out more about Funding Plus support on our website too.
