PCD 1489 Shared Endeavour Fund

PCD 1489 Shared Endeavour Fund

In the latest application window of the Shared Endeavour Fund, MOPAC are proposing 23 projects for funding after a rigorous moderation processes. This will equate to a total spend of £873,925. The decision to spend this sum on Call 4 was previously approved (PCD 1335). This Decision is to approve the dispensation of the fund among successful grantees. 

This action will fulfil the Mayoral Manifesto and Police and Crime Plan (2021-25) pledge to “provide even more grants” to community projects which counter racism, hate, intolerance, extremism, radicalisation and terrorism across London. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the spend of £873,925 on 23 projects which are proposed to receive SEF grants for 2023/24.  

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

2. The Mayor of London’s Shared Endeavour Fund (SEF) was established in 2019 and provides grants to grassroots organisations to tackle hate, intolerance, extremism, radicalisation and terrorism. 

3. Call 4 of the SEF opened on 12 April 2023 and closed on 22 May 2023. Applicants were able to request grants across three tiers of funding levels. Tier 1 projects could bid for between £10,000 and £25,000; Tier 2 projects could bid for between £25,001 and £50,000; Tier 3 could bid for between £50,001 and £100,000 with the stipulation that such projects provide 50% match funding. 

4. The fund received 70 applications from civil society organisations requesting a total of £2,565,515. A total of £873,925 has been proposed for dispensation across 23 projects.  

5. Issues for consideration  

6. Hate Crime and terrorism remain a significant concern for Londoners and a priority for the Mayor.  

7. In 2019, the Mayor of London published the final report from his Countering Violent Extremism Programme. This report set out a commitment to provide a fund to support grassroots community organisations in tackling hate, radicalisation and terrorism. 

8. To date, the fund has supported over 70 grassroots projects. The results from the project’s independent evaluator have demonstrated that the projects have had a significant impact on building Londoners’ resilience to radicalisation and extremist recruitment, as well as reducing intolerance, hate and extremism.  

9. Now in Call 4, the Fund will support 23 projects which, collectively, will deliver work across every London Borough and will reach over 59,000 Londoners. 

10. This action will fulfil the Mayoral Manifesto and Police and Crime Plan (2021-25) pledge to “provide even more grants” to community projects which counter racism, hate, intolerance, extremism, radicalisation and terrorism across London. 

11. Financial Comments  

12. The total budget requirement for this work totals £873,925.  The programme will be funded from the agreed Shared Endeavour Fund allocated from the Counter Terrorism and Counter Extremism budget for the 2023/24 financial year (previously agreed in PCD 1335). 

13. In total the recommended portfolio includes over £270,000 of match funding and approximately £120,000 of in-kind support. Furthermore, the projects will reach over 59,000 Londoners. 

4. Legal Comments  

1. Section 3(6) of the Police Reform and Responsibility Act 2011 (‘PRSRA’) provides that MOPAC must secure the maintenance of the Metropolitan Police force and secure that the Metropolitan Police force is efficient and effective. Paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the PRSRA provides that MOPAC may do anything which is facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the exercise of its functions. Furthermore, MOPAC has powers under section 143 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to commissioning services and grants that will contribute to securing crime and disorder reduction in London. The proposed expenditure is consistent with MOPAC’s functions under section 3(6) of the PRSRA and section 143 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.     

2. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all offers made of grant funding and the award of all grants (including approval of strategy prior to award of grants).  

3. Legal advice has not been sought for this Decision. The authority for the DMPC to approve this Decision is clear in the scheme of delegation and this Decision is not considered to be novel in nature nor contentious.  

4. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all bids for grant funding. 

5. Public Health Approach 

1. A public health approach is rooted in good multi-agency working and close working with communities, focused on prevention, and informed by the systematic use of evidence.      

2. The programme report, ‘A Shared Endeavour,’ recognised that the first line of defence in tackling racism, hate, intolerance and extremism is London’s diverse communities, but they are often under resourced to stand up and challenge extremism. Continuation of the Shared Endeavour Fund into Call 5 will ensure that community-based, preventative work to tackle hate and extremism will continue throughout the remainder of this Mayoral term and Police and Crime Plan delivery period.  

3. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.    

7. Equality Comments  

1. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

2. Challenging racism, hate, intolerance and extremist ideologies which champion supremacy and deny the rights of others sits at the very heart of the Shared Endeavour Fund and helps to protect ethnic and religious minorities alongside other protected characteristics. Many projects specifically seek to work with marginalised cohorts, who are often targeted by extremists, whilst also considering the intersectionality of ethnicity, religion, gender and sexuality.  

3. All successful applicants must support MOPAC and the GLA’s equality, diversity and inclusion practices and policies.  

8. Background/supporting papers