About this event
Join The National Lottery Community Fund and a panel of speakers as we discuss the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on disabled communities. We will also be sharing research from our recently commissioned report ‘Towards Equity’ on how funders can support and include disabled communities.
Chaired by Hannah Paterson, Senior Portfolio Manager at The National Lottery Community Fund, we will be hearing from disabled organisations about their experiences of the pandemic, how they worked in their communities through lockdown and how other organisations and funders can work to better support disabled organisations. Our panel will include voices from a variety of organisations from across the UK to help provide a broad range of insights and lived experience. You will also have an opportunity to directly put your questions to our panel.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many of the challenges faced by the disabled community and has seen new ways of working and partnership in response. It is important we learn the lessons from the pandemic, ensure funding is accessible and the voices of disabled communities are heard and supported.
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James is disabled person and works as a freelance consultant with funders and other organisations. James is also the Chair of the Grants Committee for BBC Children in Need (London) and sits on advisory boards for Habinteg; UnLtd; Transport for London and the Greater London Authority.
Saadia has over 30 years’ experience working to promote disability equality and the human rights of Disabled People. She have experience working across a wide range of professional sectors including voluntary and public sector at a local, national and international level.
Hannah Paterson is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Churchill Fellow who has been exploring and testing ways co-production can be used within funding. This has been demonstrated through the Leaders with Lived Experience Programme which was co-designed with over 70 lived experience leaders. Hannah specialises in participatory grantmaking which aims to devolve decision making power to communities who are benefiting from funding.
Chief Executive of Disability Wales (DW) since 2001, Rhian Davies is a longstanding disability rights campaigner with a track record in developing, supporting and leading Disabled People’s Organisations.
Tania in the Programme Manager of the Trust for London’s Strengthening Voices Realising Rights (Disability) Initiative. She has over 35 years’ grant-making experience, having worked for a number of large, small, generalist and specialist funders, both statutory and independent here and abroad.
The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest community funder in the UK – and is proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since June 2004, we have made over 200,000 grants and awarded over £9 billion.
