Equality and Diversity Community fund

Each year we support a range of events and projects to celebrate and promote equality and diversity within the borough.

Charities and community groups play an important role in delivering these events. One of the aims of the Borough Manifesto is greater community cohesion and ensuring that change in our community is resident led.

The Equality and Diversity Community Fund allows local charities and community groups to take a greater role in delivering events related to the Barking and Dagenham Equality and Diversity Calendar, creating new and engaging projects that will benefit our residents. These projects should promote social inclusion, celebrate diversity, and support equality through providing opportunities for people with protected characteristics. Further information on protected characteristics can be found on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website. 

Applications

We are pleased to open up applications again from Saturday 1 February 2025 to Thursday 27 February 2025 (midnight), inviting you to apply for funding to hold an event for any Equality, Diversity and Inclusion event in particular, but not exclusively, for:

• World Autism Awareness Day (April)
• Vaisakhi (April)
• Easter (April)
• St George’s Day (April) 
• Dementia Action Week (May)
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (May)
• Mental Health Awareness Week (May)
• Pride Month (June)
• Eid-al-Adha (June)
• Carers Week (June)          
• Learning Disabilities Week (June)
• South Asian Heritage Month (July)

Applications can be made until Thursday 27 February 2025 (midnight), via the One Borough Voice website (you’ll need to create an account for your application).

If you would like a MS Word version of the application form, please contact the team at email CE-strategy@lbbd.gov.uk

The Equality and Diversity Community Fund Application Guidance (January 2024) (PDF, 191.88 KB) provides further information to help support you with your application.

We hold three rounds for the Equality & Diversity Community Funding every year, applications will only be accepted during the application window for each round.

1 February - applications open

• early March - panel meets
• mid-March - applicants informed of decision

1 June - applications open

• early July - panel meets.
• mid July - applicants informed of decision.

1 October - applications open

• early November - panel meets.
• mid November - applicants informed of decision.

Equality and diversity calendar 2025