The Partnership Grants scheme closed in March 2010. To access resources for democratic participation activities, please visit our Do Politics Centre. |
There were two rounds of Partnership Grants funding. We awarded 12 grants in 2006 and seven in 2007 to a range of organisations.
The projects worked with young people not in formal education, people from black and minority ethnic communities and people with disabilities in the UK.
We have provided a brief summary of each project below.
Funded projects
All Wales People First – this is a user led organisation that worked across Wales. It provided training to People First projects, who cascaded learning through peer education to their members. The project organised seminars to organisations that support learning disabled people across Wales. It also produced a printed toolkit explaining the registration and voting process.
An Munia Tober – this project worked with the Traveller community in Northern Ireland to increase confidence and understanding of the electoral process and ways to participate. They ran training courses for adults and young people and cascaded the sessions from Belfast to the rest of Northern Ireland. The organisation's name means 'The Good Road' in the Traveller language, Cant.
Area 43 (Cardigan Youth Project) – this project undertook participation work with young people outside formal education in South West Wales (Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire). Young people were trained as peer educators, and then participated in one-to-one sessions, workshops and awareness-raising activities. These events were held in Cardigan and throughout the region.
Barnardo's North East – the project targeted all Barnardo's NEET users aged 16-25 in the North East of England. Young people attended group work sessions and events which focussed on democratic participation. They also implemented a voluntary registration scheme which encouraged young people to register to vote.
British Youth Council – this UK-wide project provided young people not in formal education with the knowledge and skills to participate in the democratic process. The project delivered regional training courses (in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast) and organised events to increase understanding of democracy and democratic decision-making.
Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO) Scotland – this project increased the involvement of BME communities in the democratic and electoral process across Scotland. The project provided a series of training days and workshops which enabled participants to take part in the democratic process.
Disability Action Northern Ireland – this is a Northern Ireland-wide, pan-disability organisation. The project increased the confidence and participation of people with disabilities by working with its 181 member organisations to deliver workshops and awareness raising events.
Leonard Cheshire – the project worked in Scotland to equip disabled people with the skills, knowledge and confidence that are necessary for active citizenship. The three year project trained 'Academy Graduates' who then passed on their learning to their peers.
Operation Black Vote – this project worked across England, Scotland and Wales to increase voter registration among black and minority ethnic communities. Road show events were delivered involving panels of political and public figures who encouraged democratic participation. Events were also delivered during the week of Dr Martin Luther King's birthday in January 2010 to launch a UK wide black, minority ethnic voter registration week.
Outside the Box – this project, working in Scotland, increased awareness of the electoral process amongst people with learning disabilities. They worked with People First Fraserburgh (a user-led organisation) to test the materials.
Rethink – this project worked with people with mental health needs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They delivered training courses for Peer Educators who then ran registration drives in their local areas. In addition, the project undertook research into the barriers to participation for people with mental health problems.
SACOMA (Sahara Communities Abroad) – this England-wide project raised awareness of the democratic process amongst BME communities. They provided an activities programme to enable participants to understand and become involved in the democratic process.
Scottish Council on Deafness – this was a Glasgow based project that delivered workshops and awareness raising events to Deaf and Deafblind people across Scotland. As part of the project, a DVD was produced in British and Welsh Sign Languages explaining democratic structures and how to register and vote.
Speaking Up – this project delivered interactive training days and workshops to increase confidence and awareness of democratic structures and promote voter registration rates amongst learning disabled people. Voting Champions were elected from the training participants, who cascaded knowledge to other learning disabled people.
The Fawcett Society – this project increased understanding of democratic processes and voter registration rates among women from black, minority ethnic communities in London, Birmingham, Burnley, Cardiff and Glasgow. They used a variety of methods including awareness raising events, participatory workshops, media campaigns and peer education.
The Prince’s Trust – young people not in formal education from the Princes Trust programme undertook residential training and participated in a variety of other activities such as visiting parliaments, taking part in government consultations and meeting their elected representatives to make politics relevant to the group and increase their voter registration rates.
UK Youth Parliament – this project increased the confidence of young people not in formal education. It enabled them to participate in elections and increases their understanding of democratic processes. Youth Services across the UK received training to enable them to deliver workshops to 6,000 young people. Young People were supported to become Peer Leaders and assisted Youth Services in workshop delivery.
United Response – this was an England-wide project working with 1,000 people who had a range of learning difficulties. The project extended their understanding of how politics affects everyday life, and supported them to become involved in the democratic process. Service users were supported by care staff, who also benefitted from the training.
YMCA England – this project worked across England to raise awareness and understanding of how democracy is organised. The project targeted young people not in formal education and enabled them to make connections between politics and their everyday lives. The project provided residential training courses where beneficiaries became 'Democracy Champions'. The Champions then set up and delivered local Peer Education programmes.
