Past Reports
Built on Trust, Starved of Resource
The BME VCSE Sector Mapping Report
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, drawing on the reflections, insights and lived experience of over 300 organisations through interviews, focus groups and a sector-wide survey.
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The findings reveal a sector that is functionally essential yet systemically undervalued. BME organisations bring high levels of specialised expertise and community trust, yet operate amid chronic underfunding, capacity constraints, exclusion from decision-making, and asset poverty. While the sector remains a lifeline for grassroots communities, the infrastructure meant to support it is often fragile and under-resourced. Post-COVID awareness of equity and justice has failed to translate into stability — leaving frontline organisations managing crisis reactively rather than focusing on strategic growth.
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You can download the report here.
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Built on Trust, Starved of Resource
The BME VCSE Sector Mapping Report - Executive Summary
Drawing on insight from over 300 organisations, this executive summary sets out why the BME VCSE sector, deeply trusted and often a lifeline for grassroots communities, remains chronically underfunded, excluded from decision-making, and asset-poor.
Despite growing post-COVID awareness of equity and justice, frontline organisations remain stuck managing crisis rather than pursuing strategic growth. This summary makes the case for strategic investment in infrastructure, income diversification, and community-led asset ownership to secure a sustainable future for the sector.
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You can download the Executive Summary here.
Your Voice Matters
Engaging Asian Communities on Mental Health and Learning Disability Services
In partnership with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, V4CE held 'Your Voice Matters' engagement events in Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley to understand how Asian communities experience local mental health and learning disability services. Sessions combined NHS presentations with facilitated discussions, bringing together community members, faith and VCSE organisations, clinicians and Healthwatch representatives.
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A consistent picture emerged: awareness of services is low on both sides, and stigma, language barriers and fear of intervention keep people away until crisis point. Trust instead sits with faith leaders, family and people within the community. The project underscored the value of relationship-based engagement — built through personal networks, trusted connectors, and V4CE's outreach and facilitation — to bring community insight into service development.
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You can download the report here.
Together in Motion
The Impact of Community-Led Sport
In partnership with Sport England, V4CE distributed over £261,000 through the Together Fund to 28 Black and Minoritised Ethnic-led organisations, using sport and physical activity to tackle inequalities exposed by COVID-19. Grants reached people mainstream sport rarely does — elderly Asian women, non-English-speaking teenagers, disabled children, refugees and carers — through trusted, locally-rooted organisations.
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Demand was overwhelming: 108 organisations applied for over £1 million, nearly four times the funds available. Further Sport England investment let V4CE extend support to 25 recipients over 18 months, with capacity-building workshops growing attendance by 148%.
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You can download the report here.
Building Power, Strengthening Communities Supporting Black and Minoritised Ethnic Change Makers and Infrastructure
The Race Equality & Infrastructure Flexible Fund (REIFF) invested £283,000 over twelve months through seven established, locally-rooted, racial minority-led infrastructure organisations working across five regions of England — trusted, culturally grounded bridges between communities and the systems that shape their lives.
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This report sets out what was delivered across all seven partners, the communities REIFF reached, and, drawing on the programme's own lessons, where the work needs to go next to place more community leaders in the rooms where decisions are made.
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You can download the report here.
National Capacity Building Conference Report
What 'Really' Works for Black and Asian Organisations?
“What ‘Really’ Works for Black and Asian-led Organisations when it comes to capacity building?” Last year, Action for Race Equality, The Ubele Initiative, Voice4Change England and Olmec came together to explore this question at the National Capacity Building Conference. The newly published report brings together the lived experiences, challenges and solutions shared by over 40 organisations on the day. It goes beyond theory, highlighting what needs to change in order for Black and Asian-led organisations to access fairer, more effective and more sustainable support.
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You can read the full report and watch the conference video here.​​​
London Bangladeshi Health Inequalities Summit
The Bangladeshi Health Inequalities Summit, held on September 24, 2024, addressed critical health disparities within the Bangladeshi community across London. The Summit focused primarily on topics of great concern to the community, namely diabetes, including early-onset Type 2, and, in relation to pregnancy.
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You can download this report here.​​​
Bridging Voices, Building Change
Co-Producing Diabetes Care Solutions with The Bangladeshi Community in Tower Hamlets & Newham
In April 2025, Voice4Change England, in collaboration with the London Bangladeshi Health Partnership and Bangla Housing Association—and with funding from the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) —held two diabetes workshops in Tower Hamlets and Newham. This initiative specifically aimed to develop concrete proposals for tailoring and improving diabetes prevention and management support in North East London to better meet the unique needs of the Bangladeshi community. The workshops brought together patients, health professionals, and system stakeholders to identify and address these needs collaboratively.
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You can download this report here.​​​
HPV and Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness among Bangladeshi Women
In June 2025, Voice4Change England and partners held a cancer awareness workshop with Bangladeshi women in Tower Hamlets, combining interactive activities and discussions on HPV and cervical screening. Insights, strengthened by a follow-up workshop in July, informed recommendations to tackle health inequalities among Bangladeshi women in London.
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You can download this report here.​​​
Bridging Health and Community
Report on the Bangladeshi Health Melas November 2025
The Bangladeshi community represents one of the largest ethnic minority groups in East London, with deep-rooted ties to areas like Tower Hamlets and Redbridge. However, longstanding challenges such as language barriers, digital exclusion, and limited trust in healthcare services continue to shape disparities in health outcomes, particularly around conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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To address these challenges, the Bangladeshi Health Melas were designed as vibrant, community-led initiatives combining health promotion with cultural celebration. Each event created accessible opportunities for residents to seek advice, health checks, and vaccinations from trusted sources.
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You can download this report here.​​​
Pargiter Trust Fund End of Project Report
In partnership with the Pargiter Trust, we have awarded £43.5k in grant funding to 9 organisations. This enabled them to carry out health, wellbeing, advice, and training support with those aged 65 and over in Black and Minoritised communities.​
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You can download this report here.​​​
