A guest post from Sophie Pritchard of Edge Fund

Edge Fund is a grant-making organisation that funds individuals and small groups working to challenge injustice and inequality. We are run by our members, who come from many different backgrounds. We aim to put decisions about what we fund into the hands of those affected by them.

The fund was set up to support work that is not well supported by other funders. Often it seems that funders are reluctant to support groups that are working on unpopular or controversial issues or those that are pushing for a change in society rather than simply offering support and services to a community.

Funding for migration justice

So far, over a third of our funding has gone to work addressing issues affecting migrant communities, much of which relates to the immigration system such as immigration raids, deportations and detention centres.

Our largest grants have gone to groups such as Lesbian Immigration Support Group, Anti Raids Network and Why Refugee Women, with smaller grants going to a number of other groups, including Stop Deportation Network, Unity Centre, Filipino Domestic Workers Association, UK Chagos Refugees Group, Migrant Artists Mutual Aid, International Federation of Iraqi Refugees, Cardiff Migrant Solidarity and Women Seeking Sanctuary Advocacy Group Wales.

We particularly look for groups that are run by and for migrants.

We are currently open for funding applications, with a deadline of 8 September. We’re expecting to receive many applications relating to issues affecting migrants.

Migrant members deciding on funding for migrant issues

We are looking for people from migrant backgrounds to join us as members to help us decide which of these applications we should fund. Whilst all our members are involved in reading and assessing applications, members from migrant backgrounds have the first say on any applications relating to migrant communities and the rest of the members are guided by their comments. Being a member is flexible and could include as little as reading a few applications and giving feedback. We can also offer support where needed. To apply to join you need to answer 3 questions about yourself and pay a membership fee of just £1.00.  The deadline to join as a member (for this application round) is 15 August.

So often decisions about our lives are made by people from very different backgrounds to ourselves; many people see this as a problem in government but it often applies to charities and funders too. We believe that communities themselves know best what they need and that they should have the greatest say about issues affecting them.