BBC Children in Need will match Stormzy’s £10 million funding pledge to fight against racial inequality in the UK.
The ‘Vossi Bop’ hitmaker announced in June he will donate the whopping sum to organisations focused on justice reform and black empowerment within the UK over the course of the next 10 years.
And now, BBC Children in Need have announced they will also be developing a new funding programme specifically to support "young Black talent to achieve their full potential".
In a statement on their website, the organisation wrote: "BBC Children in Need has announced that the charity will match the £10m funding pledge recently made by Stormzy to tackle racial inequality in the UK. Inspired by Stormzy’s commitment, BBC Children in Need will be matching his pledge of £10m over 10 years, and developing a dedicated new funding programme to support young Black talent to achieve their full potential, working in partnership with BBC Radio 1Xtra."
BBC Children in Need currently funds over 3,000 charities and projects across the UK supporting disadvantaged children and young people, and whilst their current work already includes projects which focus on addressing the specific challenges faced by young Black people, the new initiative will mark a further commitment to to tackle these issues, remove barriers and create opportunities.
Speaking about the matched pledge, Stormzy said in a statement: "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. 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 new funding pledge will be available to support young social entrepreneurs in making a difference in their local communities, to develop young leaders and youth leadership, to enable access to education and learning, and to develop young people’s skills and confidence for work.
Applications for the funding scheme will be considered by a grant making committee facilitated by BBC Children in Need, which will include young people and volunteers with direct experience of the Black British experience.
According to the BBC Children in Need website, further details about the programme – including how to apply for funding – will be announced in due course.