How one Caribbean led organization seeks to work collaboratively, authentically and sustainably in the wake of COVID-19

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Introduction

Back in 2015, three Caribbean led Not for Profits in the UK joined forces to set up and run the Caribbean STEM Coaching Club. Our vision was to equip Caribbean families in the UK with the mindset, skills and know-how to succeed in our fast and constantly changing, technologically sophisticated world of work.

We included a strong focus on Maths and technology given their growing importance across all industry sectors. At the same time, we recognised the importance of arts and the humanities and ensured that a healthy respect for both was built into the programme. Parenting discussions covered changing mindsets, motivation, learning how to learn and self management. And we sought to raise aspirations and open eyes to new possibilities through exposure to, and engagement with high achieving role models.

The STEM Coaching Club was quite successful these past five years, and a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching experience for many. We are very mindful that much of this success was down to our dependence on trusted relationships going back several years, and a ruthless focus on building and nurturing trust, even as we sought to maintain high standards of excellence at all times.

What about funding?

We very deliberately sought to fund ourselves and not apply for funding. We hoped that this would:

  • Build a sense of agency and confidence in our abilities as a community to solve our problems ourselves;
  • Ensure that we had the independence and flexibility to problem solve in ways that made sense to us; we did not want to be beholden to funders and tick their boxes instead of our own;
  • Ensure that we always had the flexibility and agility to iterate and pivot to keep pace with fast and constant changes in the economy and labour market. We were very clear that we did not want to be constrained by funders in any way.

Having said that, we were always fortunate enough to receive enthusiastic, non-financial support and contributions from the Barbados High Commission and one of the country’s leading independent schools in the form of premises, resources, teaching and wonderful afternoon teas. Again, trusted relationships going back several years were responsible for bringing these important non-financial contributions to the table.

So how do we cover our costs?

Our costs are kept to a minimum. Deliberately so. The Club is free for all participating families and we do not charge membership fees. The three collaborators contribute funding and all participants are invited to donate as and when necessary in line with their means. We do not build up any significant cash reserves in the Club and do not intend to.

Are any volunteers paid?

No. We ensure that no individuals or anyone connected with the three collaborating organisations receives financial payments from the Club. The most we do is reimburse expenses.

So why do we organize ourselves in this way?

We were very mindful of the fact that many Caribbean organisations here in the UK have a promising start and unravel over time for various reasons. So very early on we thought quite hard about sustainability and did some research. We discovered that when Caribbean people first came to the UK, many Caribbean organisations were very effective. They established successful Saturday Schools and community groups, and actually set up the first Credit Union in the UK. However, it seems that when the government and councils started to provide funding for community work, too many saw this as a personal income earning opportunity. A mindset of competition rather than collaboration  took root which often undermined the effectiveness of otherwise excellent work undertaken by many community organisations.

So what do volunteers get out of it?

 First and foremost, the privilege of serving others, and helping to create a more inclusive society here in the UK. Secondly, the opportunity to build important intellectual, social and cultural capital, all critical for nurturing our mental and emotional wellbeing. Over the longer term, these forms of capital also lead to economic returns, albeit often in indirect ways.

How has COVID-19 changed the direction of the Club

The Club started a new “People Helping People” Problem Solving  initiative to address the many serious challenges facing the community. Meetings are facilitated every Saturday via ZOOM and have proved to be very useful thus far.

Going forward, we recognise that the problems emerging in the wake of COVID-19 are varied, complex and overwhelming.  We need to focus.  In light of the widespread unemployment expected to kick in over the next few months (which is expected to disproportionately impact the young), we think the best way forward is to focus our energies on a digital literacy and entrepreneurship/e-commerce programme for under 30s.  We have the expertise and networks within the Club to provide a high quality offering. We hope to run this over the summer holidays.

How will we fund the Club going forward

Research by the social enterprise Ubele suggests that 9 out of 10 BAME charities are expected to go under over the next couple months.  The Club faces no such worries.  Clearly, the self funding approach has made  the Club resilient.We will continue to fund the Club ourselves and invite participants, old and new to contribute in line with their means to cover our expenses which, as always,  will be kept to a minimum. In 2020/2021, our major expense is likely to be more sophisticated technology to facilitate more effective digital meet ups.

However, should anyone in the Club or interested in the Club seek to raise funds on our behalf, we would not be averse to this.  But we do not want to depend on external funding.

End. Penny Carballo-Smith,May 19, 2020.