BSWN Black-led Heritage organisation support Case Study: Kuungana Kuungana

BSWN were introduced to Zulayiha from a local heritage and history project Kuungana Kuungana at a BSWN Voluntary and Community Sector network meeting in August 2019. She approached BSWN to ask for support with a project idea which consisted of planning and organising a series of Black History events in the city. The events were to be very much community focused, with a view to invite black historians and members of the public to share knowledge in the form of a number of regular engaging weekend events.

Kuungana’s commitment to honouring and showcasing black heritage is reflected in their mission statement; “We would like to promote the history and the culture of Africa through our African eyes and intellectuals! We do not want our history to be presented by others anymore but by our African intellectuals. That’s why Kuungana will be only produced with African writers, poets, authors, intellects, scientists and so on.”

During the initial stage, we helped Kuungana assess which project needs, and asked them to produce a clear project outline which they produced swiftly and enthusiastically. The greatest barrier to their project sustainability was lack of funding. In order to support their work, we offered Kuungana the opportunity to have a number of surgeries with Sona Mahtani, founder of Beyond Just Now and BSWN community development associate. Sona supported the project in formulating a fundraising strategy which included:

• setting up of Go Fund Me page which raised £741 to date

• advertised their project and funding site on Ujima radio to raise local awareness of their

  project and passion

• and applying with the Quartet Community Foundation for a project grant

  As application for grant funding required the project to hold a bank account, BSWN agreed to act as the grant holder organisation, receiving funds on their behalf in order to prevent this barrier from impacting their chances at receiving a grant. Zulayiha was happy to share that “Thanks to BSWN, we are doing so well. Thanks for your support”.

BAME Enterprise Hub Design workshop

BSWN is currently moving forward into the next phase of its economic inclusion programme and developing a prospectus that will include:

1. a visual representation of the BAME Enterprise Hub internal and external design;

2. a more refined set of the services it will offer;

3. a detailed framework of the social and financial benefits it will bring to the city. 

We would like to thank all the participants who joined the design workshop for the BAME Enterprise Hub. BSWN wants to ensure that the Hub remains fully owned by the BAME Business community in Bristol, and therefore looks forward to collating your views to inform the final prospectus. 

BSWN delivers Inclusion Training for Bristol City Council

Over the month of February, BSWN delivered three Inclusion training sessions for the Bristol City Council, aiming to help the team:

• Develop a strong understanding of the content and impact of oppression/discrimination/prejudice as it impacts/has impacted historically different groups of people in society

• Explore the concepts of internalised oppression and being allies

• Exploring strategies to challenge discrimination; which provoke questioning and curiosity about discrimination

• Understanding and deepening knowledge about ‘what works’ in communities to disrupt divisive/ discriminatory/ non-inclusive behaviours and structures and what builds inclusive one.

To enquire about our Inclusive training offer, please email training@bswn.org.uk.

International volunteers day 2018

International Volunteer Day (IVD) is traditional celebrated on 5th December each year, and was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism.

As a voluntary sector organisation, BSWN has always made it its mission to welcome volunteers into our team and help them realise their skills and potential while benefiting from the gift of their time, effort and knowledge. Our director, Sado Jirde, would like to thank all of our volunteers on this day for their contribution to us:

“Since we are such a small organisation, the contribution volunteers make to the impact of the organisations is immense. From helping with events to undertaking research, developing policy responses and promoting the organisation, our volunteers support all aspects of our mission in Bristol and regionally. We wouldn’t be able to have the level of impact we’re having on our communities without their contribution. To all of our volunteers and interns, thank you.”