Artist News

BBC Children In Need matches Stormzy’s £10 million pledge to fight racial inequality

By | Published on Tuesday 14 July 2020

BBC Children In Need has announced that it will match Stormzy’s recent pledge of £10 million over the next ten years to fight racial inequality. The charity will also launch a new funding programme in partnership with BBC Radio 1Xtra.

“Further to making my pledge last month, I’m happy to hear that the BBC have also taken up my plea for others to pledge”, says the rapper. “I’m also pleased to know of their commitment to allow young black people to decide where the money will be spent and I believe this decision is an imperative factor in supporting and strengthening the young black community. We continue to urge others to join us in pledging”.

The Children In Need funding will be available as grants to young social entrepreneurs working on projects in their local communities. BBC Radio 1Xtra will support the project, in part by telling the stories of those who receive funding. The BBC’s Controller Of Pop Lorna Clarke adds that the broadcaster’s other pop music stations are also “committed to telling authentic stories of young ‘hard to ignore’ lives across the country”.

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of BBC Children In Need, says of the new funding: “As a charity, we exist to unlock and celebrate the talent in every child and young person; in order to do this, we need to support them to overcome any barriers that stand in their way, including racial injustice”.

“Recent events have been a stark reminder that we all have a responsibility to act”, he goes on. “BBC Children In Need is committed to playing our part in addressing these issues and creating a fairer society in which young people can thrive. I’m delighted that we will be working alongside Stormzy to make a real difference to young black lives right across the UK”.

Full details of the fund and how to apply are yet to be announced.



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