BHM 365 is a small grants fund that supports community groups to run community and cultural activities that educate and celebrate Black history and culture all year round. 

To mark 12 months of working collectively as a Racial Equality Group, three UK social landlords, A2Dominion, Catalyst (now part of Peabody) and Metropolitan Thames Valley, came together in 2021 to launch the Black History Month 365 Fund. Since then, Clarion Futures, Sovereign, Network Homes and Hyde Charitable Trust have joined the partnership, which is continuing to grow.

The fund was born out of a recognition that the history of social housing in the UK is entwined with the history of Britain’s Black communities and the lived experience of many Black people. 

The fund was also a response to a growing body of research that highlights inequality of funding. Research finds minority ethnic community organisations were less likely to be in receipt of charitable funds due to systemic failings in the design and administration of grant funding. 

Acknowledging the integral role of minority ethnic community organisations in the lives of so many in the UK, A2Dominion, MTVH and Catalyst (now Peabody) set up the fund with the intention of building long-term relationships, intersectional engagement and funds, and to share insights, networks and learning generously with partners.  

What challenges did they face?

The main obstacles faced by the partnership have been around grant management and capacity as the fund has grown. To address this, A2Dominion has invested in a new grants management portal called Good Grants, to enable a better user experience and more efficient management and reporting.

Currently, BHM 365 is only serving G15 areas, London and the South East, but the partnership is encouraging other housing associations to replicate the model in other regions.