CDEC led a group of organisations within the Same Storm, Different Boats project to bring to the fore and to support black, brown, minority ethnic, migrant and refugee people in Cumbria. The aim was to support these groups of people through the COVID crisis by pooling skills and experience harboured within the different organisations.

During its six month length (the project ended in March 2021), the organisations involved put in place practical support to help these groups of people through the COVID crisis here in Cumbria by combining their expertise.

Some of the aims of the project were:

• helping educators and schools to better understand and implement anti-racism within their classrooms
• helping young people of different cultural backgrounds through a mentoring scheme
• supporting Roma, Gypsy and Traveller groups within the community and education system who have been marginalised through this crisis.

Other projects that fall within this are the Bubble and Me project with M-Unit and Tullie House (funded by Curious Minds, with thanks).

By working together, CDEC, Anti Racist Cumbria, AWAZ Cumbria, Carlisle One World Centre, Furness Multicultural Community Forum, Multicultural Cumbria and M-Unit strengthened Cumbria’s networks, solidarity and collaboration.

Laura Goad, Director of CDEC commented “We hope our collaboration will allow each organisation and their mini-projects to become greater than the sum of our individual parts so that we can all best support black, brown, minoritised Cumbrians, migrants and refugees.”

She continues: “After six months, the aim is that here in Cumbria we will have better supported community groups as well as organisations that are stronger and better connected and that can use their expertise and experience in arts, culture and advocacy to support expressions of identity and belonging, and to create welcoming and resilient communities.”

The Same Storm, Different Boats project is funded by the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, with thanks to the Government for making this possible.

Cumbria Education Development Centre

This project was kindly funded by HM Government and the National Lottery Community Fund.
Carried out in partnership with CDEC, Anti Racist Cumbria, awaz Cumbria, Carlisle One World Centre, Furness Multicultural Community Forum, and M-UNIT.