Brent Solidarity Fund
A solidarity fund for anyone in Brent who is struggling financially.
Contribute
Become a financial contributor.
Top financial contributors
Individuals
Daniel Susser
£856 GBP since Nov 2020
Nick Humfrey
£243 GBP since Aug 2020
3
Incognito
£225 GBP since Aug 2020
Sandra F
£203 GBP since Sep 2020
5
Incognito
£200 GBP since Apr 2020
Sam Greene
£200 GBP since Aug 2020
7
Incognito
£200 GBP since Dec 2020
Robert Stearn
£180 GBP since Aug 2020
Nicola Chambury
£180 GBP since Aug 2020
Margarita
£150 GBP since Oct 2020
Robin Sivapalan
£120 GBP since Aug 2020
Esther Foreman
£100 GBP since Jul 2020
13
Incognito
£100 GBP since Dec 2020
14
Incognito
£100 GBP since Dec 2020
15
Incognito
£100 GBP since Apr 2021
Organizations
The Social Change Nest
£6k GBP since Apr 2020
Goose Green Solidarity Fund
£1k GBP since Dec 2020
BOM LTD / 9kitchens
£950 GBP since Mar 2021
Brondesbury Park Mutual Aid Group
£200 GBP since Sep 2020
Brent Solidarity Fund is all of us
Our contributors 61
Thank you for supporting Brent Solidarity Fund.
Pat Fernandes
Admin
Reuben L Ross
Admin
Incognito
Admin
BOM LTD / 9ki...
Financial Contributor
Total contributions
£950 GBP
Happy to have organised this fundraising event for Brent Solidarity Fund, a great local initiative that has supported many of my neighbours
About
Hello Neighbours!
All across Brent, twenty mutual aid groups have been working together since March, offering practical support and care to their neighbours. Many people have found themselves in hardship as a result of Covid-19 – and we know the effects of this crisis will be felt for a long time to come. In response, people from Mutual Aid groups across the borough have come together to set up the Brent Solidarity Fund, to provide direct assistance to Brent residents who are struggling financially.
What is the Brent Solidarity Fund?
The Brent Solidarity fund provides assistance to Brent residents who are struggling financially. This fund can be used for anything: we are not here to judge you and there is no obligation to pay back the money. The fund is run with respect and trust, in accordance with principles of mutual aid: “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need”.
Each individual can apply once per calendar month.
Applying for funds
Who can apply?
Anyone in Brent who needs financial support can apply.
How much can I get?
We are currently providing £30 per calendar month, per applicant.
Are there restrictions on what I can spend the money on?
No - the fund can be used for anything you are struggling with.
How can I or someone I know apply?
If you or someone you know, wants to apply to the fund, please contact your nearest mutual aid group and they will help. You can find a list of Brent Mutual Aid groups who are currently able to refer callers here. Don’t worry if your area is not listed, please contact your closest one.
Will my application be private?
Yes. We understand that some people do not want to or cannot have their details publicly available. Your local Mutual Aid group will process your application and the Solidarity Fund team will keep all details passed onto us secure; your application can be as private as you need.
How do I actually get the money?
Your local mutual aid group will send your basic details to us - name or alias, year of birth and postcode - and give you instructions on how to claim through the Brent Open Collective Platform (a money transfer and accounting system). We will match the information we have received to claims, and release funds once a week. The platform is very easy to use, and money will be disbursed directly into your bank account. Your local Mutual Aid group can help you use the platform if you don’t have internet access.
I don’t have a bank account or don’t want to use my bank account. Can I have it as cash?
If you need it as cash, where possible your local Mutual Aid group will help you to do that in a way that is safe and secure.
What happens to my data after I have received the funds?
Be aware that when uploading your personal data into this fund, your data is covered by the privacy policy of the Open Collective, who are based in the US, and as such data protection is covered by US law rather than UK and EU data laws. Their full privacy policy can be found here: https://opencollective.com/privacypolicy
The very limited data that we are collecting separately - name or alias, year of birth, postcode, will be stored in line with our own Privacy Notice, which you can see here.
Contributing
How can I help?
The fund is only as strong as its donations. If you can contribute to the fund, a suggested contribution is one hour’s wage per month, but smaller, larger and one-off contributions are all welcome. If you are either contributing to the fund or withdrawing from it, you can also get involved in the running of the fund.
Where can I donate money?
Recurring donations can be made through Brent Open Collective – please go here to donate: https://opencollective.com/brent-solidarity-fund/donate
For one-off donations, you can donate through our Local Giving page, which allows you to add Gift Aid to your donation: https://localgiving.org/charity/mutualaid/project/brentsolidarityfund/
How can I get involved in running the fund?
We always need more hands on deck. If you would like to get involved and volunteer with the Brent Solidarity Fund organising team please drop us an email at [email protected]
Statement of Principles and Equality of Access
- Housing and immigration status should be no barrier to accessing the fund.
- Applicants will be signposted to other organisations that can provide support in the short or long term.
- People accessing the fund can be assured of confidentiality.
- We actively seek to move towards participatory decision making.
- Contributors and recipients should be equally represented: more money should not, for the purposes of this fund, equal greater power.
- The fund is open to all adults living in Brent irrespective of disability, gender expression, marital status, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
- We recognise that ‘open’ is not the same as ‘easily accessible’, and we are committed to actively working towards making the fund equally accessible to all.
Our team
Robert Stearn
Admin
Esther Foreman
Admin
Marta Albrigh...
Admin
Pat Fernandes
Admin
Reuben L Ross
Admin
Incognito
Admin
Budget
Transparent and open finances.
To buy furniture
by Katherine Hawkins • April 22, 2021
-£150.00 GBP
Pending
Grant #38976
Solidarity fund request
by MMA (account for applicants without internet) • April 22, 2021
-£30.00 GBP
Pending
Grant #38961
Solidarity fund request for ZA
by Kensal Green Solidarity Fund Requests • April 22, 2021
-£30.00 GBP
Pending
Grant #38954
£
Today’s balance£966.80 GBP
Total raised
£13,163.55 GBP
Total disbursed
£12,196.75 GBP
Estimated annual budget
£14,875.78 GBP
Connect
Let’s get the ball rolling!
News from Brent Solidarity Fund
Updates on our activities and progress.
Applications are now limited to £30
In an effort to make sure that we cover most applications this month, we are limiting individual applications during April to a maximum of £30. We are sorry if this causes any inconvenience but we hope to move back to the £50 cap in May. Ho...
Published on April 1, 2021 by Jess Stacey
Update and Thanks! April 2021
Brent Solidarity Fund has been up and running for six months and we wanted to share where we’ve got to. First, a massive thank you to everyone who’s contributed money to the fund and done fundraising for us! Without you, we couldn’t exist....
Published on April 1, 2021 by Jess Stacey