Seventeen organisations working to address some of London’s most deep-rooted inequalities are receiving over £19.7 million in long-term funding, through grants of up to seven years, as part of Propel’s Long-Term Grants Programme.
Photo of a participant from a Propel Programme Workshop
This second cohort builds on the momentum from Propel’s first Long-Term Grants cohort, announced in January 2026, and marks the continued growth of a programme testing how long-term, collaborative funding can better support organisations and communities to lead lasting change.
Together, the two cohorts represent nearly £30 million committed to 28 organisations across London through the Long-Term Grants Programme, funding designed to give organisations the time, stability and flexibility to lead change that simply cannot happen within short funding cycles. Learning from the programme will be shared with the wider funding and civil society sector as the work develops, with further grants to be announced over the coming months across London.
Meet our funded partners from cohort 2
Meet our funded partners from cohort 2
Action on Disability
Advice UK
African Community School
Connect North Korea
Future First Alumni
Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO)
Law Centres Network
Legal Advice Centre (University House)
Money A+E UK CIC
South London Counselling and Support Services
Sunbeams London Ltd
The Africa Centre
The Avocado Foundation
The Love Tank CIC
The Maya Centre
The Ubele Initiative
Women’s Environmental Network
The funded organisations work across disability justice, racial equity, access to legal and financial advice, mental health, gender justice, climate justice and community infrastructure. Together, they are focused on tackling systemic challenges affecting Londoners and changing the services and structures that shape people’s lives.
The majority of funding has been awarded to organisations led by and for the communities they serve, reflecting a deliberate focus on lived experience and community leadership. The long-term funding marks a continued shift in funding practice. Rather than short-term, project-based grants which only address the symptoms of inequality, this programme is designed to give organisations enough time, stability, and flexibility to tackle the root causes of the inequalities affecting their communities.
Three of the organisations set to benefit from the programme are Action on Disability, African Community School, and The Ubele Initiative.
Action on Disability
Action on Disability is strengthening a programme enabling Deaf and Disabled people to influence local systems through co-production, collective leadership and structured engagement with decision-makers. Centred around forums, a youth board and campaigns activity, the work supports participants to shape policies, services and community environments across West London.
African Community School
African Community School is working to establish a zero-exclusion zone in Hackney by shifting power from institutions to communities and changing exclusionary practices in schools. Its programme combines mentoring, supplementary education, family support, school partnerships and policy advocacy to influence borough-wide education systems.
The Ubele Initiative
The Ubele Initiative is strengthening community infrastructure, leadership and asset ownership to support long-term sustainability for Black and racially minoritised communities. Its programme focuses on community wealth-building, leadership development, and enterprise support to redistribute power and influence wider systems.
Propel is a collaboration of funders powered by London Funders. Funding for the Long-Term Grants Programme is pooled through Collaboration Circle, which holds funds on behalf of City Bridge Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund. The programme was shaped with Propel partners, drawing on learning about what enables lasting change, including time, trust, flexibility and putting decision-making power closer to communities.
Pooling funding through Collaboration Circle has allowed funders and equity partners to decide how funding is awarded together, rather than decisions being made separately. This brings together funder expertise, alongside the knowledge and experience of organisations working closest to communities, to ensure that funding decisions are better informed and grounded in real-world needs and realities.
Alongside the funding, organisations will be supported through long-term relationships with Collaboration Circle focused on learning and adaptation, rather than one-off grants and compliance-heavy reporting.
"We are absolutely delighted to receive this support through Propel’s Long-Term Grants Programme. This funding will strengthen our Our Voice project and create more opportunities for Deaf and Disabled people to influence services, challenge barriers and help drive systemic change. The long-term and flexible nature of the funding gives us the stability to build stronger community leadership, deepen partnerships and ensure Disabled people’s voices remain central to the decisions that shape their lives”
"Sustained funding gives us the stability and capacity to expand our outreach, strengthen partnerships, and deepen our impact through mentoring, supplementary education, and advocacy. It enables us to continue driving meaningful change, supporting young people and families, and creating more equitable opportunities within education and beyond.”
“This is vital investment in the strength of Black and racially minoritised community infrastructure across London. Through Agbero 2100, it enables us to deepen our support for grassroots leaders and organisations who are building community wealth, securing assets, and creating lasting systems of change. The long-term nature of this support gives us the stability to respond to community needs with greater intention, collaboration, and impact.”
“Propel’s second cohort of long-term grants continues to demonstrate what is possible when funders move beyond short-term funding cycles and commit to shared, long-term investment in communities. By pooling resources and decision-making through Collaboration Circle, City Bridge Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund are supporting organisations with the time, stability and flexibility they need to tackle the root causes of inequality and lead change on their own terms.”