Awarding funding during a pandemic
Anisah reflects on her role as a Future Changemaker panellist
On the 23rd of March 2020, the UK officially went into lockdown, grinding the economy to a halt.
Unsurprisingly, the unprecedented COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the public health measures designed to prevent its spread are having a profound effect on many young people’s mental health. There is the uncertainty over our future, cancelled GCSE and A Level exams, the absence of our normal routines, the very real disruption to our education and the fear of seeing our loved ones become ill. But most importantly, the coronavirus and the lockdown measures it has brought has highlighted and exposed the complex and multi-faceted societal inequalities present in the UK.
Not too long ago, I applied to join Camden Giving’s “Future Changemakers” Youth Grant-making Board because I wanted to make a difference in my community and give back to the community that I loved growing up in so much. I have lived in Camden my whole entire life and have been able to witness some of the hardships our younger population in Camden face. While I was very familiar with the idea of helping one’s community, the idea of philanthropy was a foreign concept to me. I always assumed it was just the wealthy who could direct how organisations and institutions could be funded. But now through the time I have been spending on the “Future Changemakers” Youth Grant-making Board, I have discovered the incredible and life-changing power of philanthropy to help others.
As a member of Camden Giving’s “Future Changemakers” Youth Grant-making Board, I feel privileged enough to be helping those who need the support the most during this challenging time. To be actively immersed in the grant decision making process is empowering. I enjoy learning about the challenges our community faces and thinking about the ways our generation can fix them. In our meetings and training, we talk about real problems such as knife crime, unemployment, discrimination, racism and drug misuse.
The diversity of the panels members allows us to share different views and experiences. These discussions open our minds and hearts to how we, as a panel, can address community challenges by investing our pool of £190,622.50 in philanthropic grants to nonprofits aimed at improving the lives of young people in Camden. Our work of getting the voices of young people heard is absolutely inspirational and rewarding.
Although we are all living in the midst of an actual pandemic, we hope to fund projects that will enable young people in Camden to thrive, prosper and reach their full potential. We hope that these projects can ease the burden coronavirus has made on nonprofits that young people in Camden value so much. We are grateful for the incredible work youth organisations do for young people, and your efforts are needed now more than ever with the current ever changing situation.
