Electoral Commission awards grants to promote democracy
Howard Lake | 11 February 2008 | News
Electoral Commission awards grants to promote democracy
The Electoral Commission has announced that it will award almost £1.2 million to community based organisations across the United Kingdom. The chosen projects, running over the next two years, aim to increase registration rates and provide information on how to vote.
The projects will focus on three key groups: Young people not in formal education, people from BME communities and people with disabilities. These groups are recognised as being under registered and more receptive to community based activity rather than through traditional advertising channels.
Nina Ziaullah, Head of Campaigns and Public Information at the Electoral Commission, said:
“These groups have been targeted as they are recognised to be under registered and to face particular barriers to engaging with democracy. We we are very pleased to be working with all these groups. By providing innovative thinking and ideas to encourage registration and understanding of the democratic process, the projects the Commission has funded will be able to re-engage hard to reach audiences across the United Kingdom.”
Seven projects will receive a total of £1,177,477 over the next two years to work in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Scottish Council on Deafness is an umbrella organisation that will work with its member organisations to provide workshops for deaf and deafblind people of all ages across Scotland. The group will also produce a downloadable DVD in British Sign Language explaining democratic structures and how to register to vote. The project was awarded £152,618 over two years.
Operation Black Vote aims to increase voter registration among BME communities in Scotland by delivering a number of road show events across Scotland and the rest of Great Britain. Public and political figures will inspire and encourage participants to get involved in politics and the week of Dr Martin Luther King’s birthday will mark the launch of a UK wide BME voter registration week. The project was awarded £196,596 over two years.
The Fawcett Society will target women from BME communities across the UK in six locations including Glasgow. Using a variety of large and small events, workshops, media campaigns and ‘participant champions’, the group aims to increase voter registration and understanding of the democratic process. The project was awarded £160,825 over 2 years.
All Wales People First will increase understanding and awareness of political processes and increase voter registration rates among people with learning disabilities across Wales. Residential training will be provided to 22 People First projects, who will then cascade learning through peer education to fellow members. They will also provide seminars to organisations across Wales and produce a printed toolkit explaining the voting process. The project was awarded £152,618 over 2 years.
UK Youth Parliament will increase the confidence of young people not informal education to enable them to participate in elections and increase their understanding of the democratic process. Youth services across the UK will be trained to deliver workshops to 6000 young people. Young people will help deliver the workshops and be supported to become Peer Leaders. The project was awarded £200,000 over 2 years.
The Prince’s Trust aims to make politics relevant and increase registration rates. The Trust will engage young people not in formal education by providing residential training and activities such as visiting parliaments, taking part in government consultations and meeting their representatives. The project was awarded £169,497 over 2 years.
Speaking up will help people with learning disabilities across East England to attend interactive workshops and training days. Voting champions will be elected from participants at these sessions, who will then cascade the learning to other disabled people. The project will also produce a web-based toolkit which will be an information resource for learning disabled people and those who support them. The project was awarded £151,543 over 2 years.
ends/
For further information please contact:
Euan Holloway on 020 7271 0529
Out of Hours 07789 920414
Textphone 18001 020 7271 0700
Email pr***@el*****************.uk
Notes to editors
1. The Electoral Commission is an independent body established by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Its aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process.
2. The Partnership Grants Scheme awarded grants in 2006 and 2007 to organisations working with the following groups; young people outside formal education, people from BME communities and people with disabilities. It is recognised that these groups are under registered, and more likely to be receptive to community based activity rather than through traditional advertising. In 2007, the Commission awarded £1.2million over two years to 7 projects across the UK. The scheme is now closed for applications.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.