Backbone Fund: £2 million awarded to 11 organisations
We have made a five-year commitment to 11 organisations in the latest round of the Backbone Fund. The Fund is unrestricted and aims to underpin leading organisations that contribute to the overall health of the sectors we support.
Part of our commitment to civil society and its leaders, the Backbone Fund – now in its fifth year – enables key organisations to resource their core services and plan strategically for the long term, helping to build resilience in the voluntary sector.
The following 11 organisations are vital advocates, connectors and collaborators that stand up for their communities and strengthen civil society through their efforts:
- Agenda
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (Schools Division)
- Association of Chairs
- Bureau Local (part of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
- Centre for Knowledge Equity
- Chartered College of Teaching
- Fair Education Alliance
- Imkaan
- NSEAD (National Society for Education in Art and Design)
- The Ubele Initiative
- Young Scot
Moira Sinclair, Chief Executive, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, said: “As civil society continues to experience the ongoing impact of Covid, it felt important to underpin a number of organisations that are critical to the sectors we support, particularly those close to the frontline. We have increased our Backbone Fund as a result. This cohort of 11 organisations plays a crucial role in bringing knowledge to the fore, advocating for change, championing equity, and speaking with a strong, independent voice. We look forward to working alongside them.”
Yvonne Field, Founder and CEO of The Ubele Initiative said: “We are delighted to receive our first ever multi-year core funding investment. This will enable us to develop a clear strategy for the implementation of the Calls to Action included in our Booska Paper and in other national and regional funding initiatives focusing on Black and minoritised communities which emerged during Covid-19.”
Kirsten Urquhart, Chief Executive (Interim), Young Scot said: “The Backbone grant will ensure that over the next five years young people in Scotland will be supported with information, ideas and opportunities to thrive at a local and national level. Young people have faced an incredibly challenging past 18 months, and this support is needed now more than ever.”
The Fund is by invitation only.
Find out more about the Backbone Fund and view a list of all previous Backbone Fund recipients in our grants database.