Supporting local organisations that mean something to you can help to rebalance the problem of disproportionate public funding in the UK.
The ways in which citizens do or do not interact with their socio-political environments is becoming a more and more weighted concept. Our attachment to the consequences of our day to day interactions with society – from looking after our health to making sure we are acting as politically conscious agents – is no longer an option. Our actions and inactions are at once personal and societal responsibilities. And this has become a positive thing. It is becoming clearer by the day that when large groups of people join together en masse, dedicated to a chosen cause, the scales will start to tip. At the very least, the dominant script of those scales will be called into question.
One way in which Brits have become politically active from home is through widespread petitioning, campaigning, and fundraising in support of anti-racist and pro-race-awareness organisations and initiatives. See here for a list of anti-racism charities in the UK alone that have been receiving increasing levels of support following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement. With the mass of protests across America resulting in the disbanding of the Minnesotan police department, our ability to shift what once appeared to be stuck is evident.
Another socio-economic issue which appears to have taken a backseat in recent mainstream news is gentrification. But just because it’s not hot news, does not mean the effects of gentrification are not still being felt. From the re-appropriation of space making way for new forms of culture which override the last, to the much more tangible and immediate effects on people’s livelihoods through loss of jobs and housing, the problem is still a very real one.
It should come as no surprise to learn that getting involved with your local charities can help to reclaim the spaces that gentrification has directly affected. Makes sense, right? Unfortunately, what we are currently seeing in the UK, is that
You need only look at a gentrification map to see the concentration of wealth in inner city London in contrast to the slowing of economic life in the outer areas that are yet to be ‘discovered’.
We at whatimpact are well aware of the problem of disproportionate amounts of funding being filtered to one area or cause and not the next. Attention is so often given to the big name charities – whose benefit is having large enough budgets to create big marketing campaigns that work to capture the peoples’ hearts. However there are so many just as crucial charities and social enterprises to support, that are getting less attention simply because they have smaller turnovers.
The answer? Get involved with a local organisation that means something to you! Become an active member of the community you live in and help to rebalance the scales that have come into effect by default of wealth inequality. Use our site to create a profile for your company or foundation and start giving. Get matched with charities and social enterprises who share your vision for the future and are seeking what you can offer.
Supporting local, grassroots, on the ground organisations is as good a step as any to take. By investing in the needs of our communities, we can hope to move towards a landscape where cities and cultures are valued for the people and organisations that are already thriving within it.
Interested in creating a profile on our site? Do so here. Any questions at all, get in touch.
