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Equality and Human Rights Webinar 3 – What types of activity will be funded?

Webinar 3: What types of activity will be funded? (video and transcription)

Slide 1 – Introduction

Hello, my name is Chris. I am a member of Equality and Human Rights team at Inspiring Scotland. This is the third in a series of five short presentations to introduce you to Equality and Human Rights Fund. The focus for this presentation is: What types of activity will be funded?

The first thing to say is that the criteria for the Equality and Human Rights Fund are broad and there is not a set list of activities which will realise the vision and aims of the programme.

Potential activity could fall into two broad areas: what we are calling community programmes, and infrastructure support and development. This is based on our knowledge of previous work funded through the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund and national intermediary funding direct from the Scottish Government.

Slide 2 – Community programmes

Under the community programmes, activity will address inequality and support people and communities to overcome barriers to participation and access.

This could be things like information provision, awareness raising around rights, education, or training.

It could be around advocacy, legal representation, or support to access public services.

It could be activity to support to participation in public life including supporting connections, confidence, and personal development that enables people to flourish.

It could also be around to support to organise, to collectively assert rights, address issues, or create social change.

And finally, it could be activities around research and consultation.

Slide 3 – Infrastructure Support and Development]

Under infrastructure support and development, funding will be available for intermediary bodies or independent partners to Scottish Government who respond to requests for input and provide strategic advice, support, analysis and challenge on equality and human rights issues.

They might be looking for funding for research and consultation to make evidence-based contributions to shape action plans, inform national and local policy and service development and contribute to a robust evidence base.

They might be looking for funding for meaningful engagement with community groups to gain evidence of lived experience.

Or for advocacy for and representation of different groups.

They might be looking for funding for activities around challenging and raising awareness of inequality and discrimination.

Or for capacity building and partnership support for public bodies, community based and member organisations.

Or they could be looking for capacity building that supports organisations and civil society to engage internationally and domestically on human rights obligations.

Slide 4 – Themes

The guidance notes also talk about themes of work that Scottish Government would like to see included for funding.

This includes activity that supports people and groups with protected characteristics, particularly where they face barriers to equality.

For the purposes of the funding programme, protected characteristics are age, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, and race.

The other protected characteristics – religion and belief; marriage and civil partnership; and pregnancy and maternity – are not included, as this work is led by other Government portfolios.

However, this does not exclude organisations working in these three areas from applying to deliver work related to protected characteristics that are covered by the fund.

The second theme is that activity that takes an intersectional or holistic view to the challenges people may face, where they may share multiple protected characteristics or barriers because of other things like poor housing, transport accessibility, caring responsibilities, or inadequate education.

The other themes the Government would like to see activity take place in is activity which addresses or informs responses to the magnified inequality that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic…

And activity that helps develop understanding about ways to support individuals and communities to realise their human rights.

Slide 5 – Contact us

Thanks for watching. If you have any questions please email us at: ehrenquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk

Or by phone on 07398 088049.

Video 4 talks about the intended impact of the Fund – what we would like to see change as a result of funding.