Tackling the causes of the race riots: collaborative fund focused on children and young people

The summer 2024 riots highlighted the deep systemic inequalities, structural racism and Islamophobia which communities are facing in the UK. Funders have provided an immediate response but there is an urgent call for the sector to focus on more long-term solutions, which tackle the root causes of the riots.

At BBC Children in Need, we believe we need to focus on:

1. Systemic issues

• Structural racism and Islamophobia
• Hate speech, polarisation and counter-narratives
• Tackling misinformation and the use of social media

2. Place-based community rebuilding

• Supporting those most impacted by the violence
• Reconciliation of communities
• Rebuilding and repair of relations

These areas have been identified from feedback directly from communities, and highlight the importance of taking both a systemic lens to the issues which led to the riots and a long-term view of how to tackle them.

Our aim is to set up a ‘Solidarity Fund', which would specifically work in those geographical areas where the riots took place. As well as funding local projects which directly work in the areas and communities affected, we would convene and network these areas so that they build a community of practice and a body of evidence which makes this work sustainable and far-reaching. By sharing best practice and building a supportive community, the organisations would then be able to also focus on developing shared narratives and amplifying the voices of those most affected.

This approach, which can be summarised as follows, has the benefit of working at a grassroots level locally, but building a nationwide movement.

Principles of the funding

Drawing on learning from our current and previous work (including a ‘Youth Social Action’ fund, and the ground-breaking initiative ’We Move’, which supports youth social action specifically with Black young people) the fund should adopt the following principles:

• Activities that children and young people do to make a positive difference and drive change in their communities and for the world around them. Through social action, we hope children and young people will be able to develop their own solutions to the issues described above.
• Led by children and young people, focusing on the social change they want to see. ​
• Genuinely developmental and reciprocal for children and young people. Providing them with life-enhancing experience and new skills and confidence which ensure that there is a long-term capacity being built within people and communities.
• Building an evidence base of approaches which build a body of practice of what works, for further learning and dissemination.
• Prioritising the wellbeing of children and young people at all times.​
• Valuing lived experience.
• Allowing time and space for project ideas to grow, through an initial development phase. This period of time at the start of each grant will build the capacity of the children and young people to take part in youth social action. It may also enable the organisations to build their own capacity.

Bringing together the areas of focus and the principles outlined above, we believe could amplify the voices of young people and centre them in the solutions communities need.

It is also important that we learn what works, as these issues are not easily addressed, are deep-seated and will continue for many years to come. Hence we are taking an approach where local solutions have a national influence.