We’re bowled over to learn that our application to the Dr Martens Foundation Grass Roots Grants for our “Boot Out Hate” project has succeeded. The £15,000 award, for one year, will cover the costs of us supporting 25 hate crime cases in the Bristol area. This helps contribute to the shortfall we have in funding for our work in the city. The majority of our Bristol Hate Crime Service is funded by the Bristol City Council Impact Fund 2 but they have had to make cuts to their grants due to the current climate of financial austerity for local authorities.
SARI is ideally placed to be able to support the newly formed Dr Martens Foundation as it aims to ‘make a stand’ for social justice and they want to ‘support social justice causes, which empower rebellious self-expression and drive forward positive change for society’. At SARI we’re very good at empowering ‘rebellious self-expression’ when it comes to fighting hate – albeit via the law, policies and procedures! Huge thank you to Dr Martens for recognising what we do and we are very proud to be one of the first to receive their new Grass Roots Grant!
Alex Raikes MBE DL (Hon LLD), Strategic Director of Stand Against Racism & Inequality