The A B Charitable Trust is seeking applications for its Grants Program 2021 that promotes human dignity and defends the human rights of marginalised and excluded people.

The A B Charitable Trust works with charities which do any or all of the following:

• Provide specialist legal advice and representation
• Work to influence policy through e.g. strategic litigation or public law challenges
• Strengthens the sector and supports charities delivering work in this area

Priority Areas

• Migrants and Refugees:
  • Individuals arriving in the UK must navigate a complex and often unhelpful legal and policy environment. Their experiences can include status insecurity, enforced destitution, and indefinite detention, along with significant and related impacts on physical and mental health. Even those with secure immigration status often continue to face considerable barriers to integration in terms of housing provision, health services, language support, access to employment and more.
• Criminal Justice and Penal Reform:
  • The conditions in UK prisons are very challenging, and reoffending rates continue to be a significant problem. There are disproportionate numbers of disadvantaged groups in prison, and individuals in the system have often had chaotic lives before conviction.
  • Charities play a key role supporting individuals at all stages in their journey through the criminal justice system, but they face increasing demands whilst budgets are shrinking. Charities also shine an independent light on the criminal justice system.
• Human Rights, Particularly Access to Justice:
  • Access to justice is a fundamental concept that underpins democracy and human rights. Cuts in legal aid and government funding have significantly reduced services, and there are ‘advice deserts’ across the country.
  • Individuals may not always be aware of their rights, and many experience multi-faceted problems that may have an unrecognised legal solution at the root. Without free and easily accessible legal advice, individuals with social welfare needs who cannot afford lawyers are denied access to justice.

Funding Information

• Grants range in size, with most grants awarded being in the range £10,000 to £20,000.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the open programme, an applicant charity will:

• Work in one of ABCT’s priority areas
• Be registered as a UK charity, delivering work in the UK
• Usually have an annual income between £150k and £1.5m
• Have operated for at least a year and be able to provide a full year’s audited or independently examined accounts

Exclusions

• Individuals
• The promotion of religion
• Capital appeals
• Academic research
• Charities with large national links

For more information, visit AB Charitable Trust.