£50 million partnership secured by Churchill Fellows

Yvonne worked with Fellows Shane Ryan (CF 2018), Derek Bardowell (CF 2014) and other community leaders from Black and minoritised communities to secure the funding and create The Phoenix Way, a programme that connects decision-makers from Black and minoritised community-led charities and grassroots groups. As part of this new partnership, The Phoenix Way will allow funders to connect directly with those with lived experience of racism and racial disparities and offer funding opportunities in response to the challenges identified.

Yvonne organised this through her social enterprise, The Ubele Initiative. She says: “The Ubele Initiative and The Phoenix Way partners will work with The National Lottery Community Fund to capture and share learning to shape the future of grant giving to embed the principles of participation and collaboration with those with lived experiences and equity in processes and decision-making across England.”

The partnership builds on The Phoenix Fund, a £2.4 million community-led fund co-designed and co-led by community leaders from across Black and minoritised groups in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund, The Ubele Initiative and Global Fund for Children.

The new initiative will help to facilitate engagement with Black and minoritised community-led charities and grassroots groups to enable them to access funding and support that have previously failed to reach them or have been difficult for them to access.

Yvonne adds: “The Phoenix Way will also facilitate the deepening of a unique collaborative approach, which emerged during Covid-19, and to work together to transform systems of funding, decision-making and support to Black and minoritised communities and organisations over the next five years.”

Yvonne’s Fellowship to New Zealand and the USA explored how to create sustainable African Diaspora communities through intergenerational leadership, social action and community enterprise development. Upon her return, Yvonne was inspired to set up The Ubele Initiative, an African diaspora-led social enterprise that supports communities across the UK through social action.