News

£845k in charity grants supporting disabled people in London

One London charity has been awarded £248,000 in funding to develop accessibility in jobs and services for disabled people.

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable arm, presented the money to Business Disability Forum in Southwark.

It comes as part of a collection of charity grants worth £845,000 supporting disabled people living and working in the capital.

A free, online self-assessment tool will be made available by Business Disability Forum to all SMEs in London to help them become more accessible and inclusive for disabled employees and customers.

The funding will also go towards the recruiting and supporting of disabled employees through free advice and guidance for businesses.

Disability employment rates have risen by 5% over the last decade, but the rate in London is still only 51.4%, compared to 89.9& for non-disabled people.

A recently published TUC report highlights a distinct pay gap between disabled and non-disabled employees, one which has increased over the last year.

Of the 11 million disabled people living in the UK, disabled women are still facing the most significant pay gap of all, adding to the financial stress experienced by disabled workers, according to the report.

Contributing to the £845k charity funding package, City Bridge Trust has also given funding to five other disability focused charities in London.

They include:

• £198,900 to Harrow Association of Disabled People, to pay for a new autism mentoring service
• £130,500 to Share Community, to deliver vocational training and employability schemes for disabled people through arts, sports and recreational services
• £100,000 to Research Institute for Disabled Consumers to provide information and help for disabled and older people to choose the right products and services
• £84,800 to Centre 404 to support people with learning difficulties to get more involved in community activities in Islington, London
• £83,000 to Action Space London Events in Newham, to support the development of artists with learning disabilities

Dhruv Patel, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust Committee, said:

“The Business Disability Forum is doing vital work in helping businesses to improve the experience of disabled employees and customers.

“And our package of funding will give London’s business the tools and knowledge they need to improve the lives of the disabled community.

“City Bridge Trust is committed to funding charities working hard to tackle inequality in London, work which will really make an impact and change thousands of lives.”

Since it began in 1995, City Bridge Trust has awarded around 8,000 grants totalling over £400m, changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners.