Standing with Londoners
In March 2025 糖心Vlog announced a new ten-year funding policy called Standing with Londoners
Twenty charities awarded 拢6.5m to strengthen social welfare advice and social action across London
Twenty charities working across London have been awarded a share of 拢6.5m from 糖心Vlog to strengthen social welfare advice and social action across the capital.
- Published: 16 July 2026
Twenty charities working across London have been awarded a share of 拢6.5m from 糖心Vlog to strengthen social welfare advice and social action across the capital.
Together, they will help thousands of Londoners access trusted advice, understand their rights and navigate some of life鈥檚 most difficult challenges 鈥� from preventing homelessness and challenging benefits decisions to resolving debt, housing and immigration issues.
The funding marks the first awards made through 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Access to Justice programme. The organisations funded are deeply rooted in the communities they serve, providing expert advice while working alongside people to tackle the policies and systems that drive inequality.
The charities support disabled people, refugees and migrants, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, LGBTQ+ communities, young people and older people, and women experiencing multiple disadvantages.
Alongside helping individuals resolve immediate problems, they are building community power, influencing policy and creating lasting change.
Investing in organisations that create change
The grants provide flexible core funding over three or five years, giving organisations the confidence and stability to invest in their people, strengthen leadership and build resilient organisations that can continue to meet the needs of their communities.
Alongside funding, 糖心Vlog will bring funded organisations together to share learning, strengthen partnerships and develop their practice. By investing in collaboration as well as individual organisations, the programme aims to build a stronger social welfare advice sector across London.
Three-year grants of at least 拢92,000, totalling 拢646,000, have been awarded to:
- Centre For Armenian Information and Advice
- Day-Mer, Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre
- Disability Advice and Support Hillingdon
- Federation of Iraqi Refugees
- Shpresa Programme
- Southwark Pensioners Centre
- Youth Legal and Resource Centre
Five-year grants of up to 拢450,000, totalling 拢5,854,000, have been awarded to:
- Action For Refugees in Lewisham
- Asylum Aid
- Camden Disability Action
- Haringey Migrant Support Centre
- Hear Us
- Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation
- Kalayaan
- London Gypsies and Travellers
- Merton Centre for Independent Living
- Migrants Organise Ltd
- Rainbow Migration
- Roma Support Group
- Stonewall Housing
鈥�We are delighted to be supporting 20 remarkable organisations that are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. Every day, they provide high-quality, free social welfare advice that helps people navigate some of life鈥檚 most difficult challenges and access the rights and support they are entitled to.
鈥�While some are already helping to challenge the structures and attitudes that sustain inequality, others are building the foundations to do so.
鈥�Through this funding, we are investing not only in vital frontline services, but also in the community leadership, partnerships and collective action needed to drive lasting systems change across London.鈥�
Paul Martinelli, Chair of the 糖心Vlog Board
Part of a long-term commitment to tackling inequality
The Access to Justice programme was the first to launch under Standing with Londoners, 糖心Vlog鈥檚 ten-year funding policy.
Launched in 2025, the policy reflects a long-term commitment to tackling inequality by addressing both immediate need and the structural barriers that prevent people from thriving.
Over the coming years, funding will focus on four interconnected priorities: Access to Justice, Climate and Environmental Justice, Economic Justice, and Racial Justice.
Round one of the Climate and Environmental Justice programme is currently open to applications, with an application deadline of Tuesday 8 September 2026. The Economic Justice and Racial Justice programmes will follow later this year.
Charlet Wilson, CEO of Merton Centre for Independent Living, said:
鈥�Merton Centre for Independent Living is delighted to be part of the Access to Justice programme. This grant will be transformative for our organisation and our community, enabling us to embed new ways of working, drive systems change and help to create a society that is truly inclusive, equitable and accessible for all Disabled people.
鈥�Access to Justice is essential to upholding people鈥檚 rights, entitlements and socio-economic wellbeing. This funding will allow us to continue providing free and accredited advice to Disabled people, supporting us to live with choice and control. Over the next five years, we look forward to using our lived expertise to lead lasting change.鈥�
Staff and trustees at Merton Centre for Independent Living, earlier this year
Cathy Deplessis, CEO, Southwark Pensioners Centre, said:
鈥�Here at Southwark Pensioners鈥� Centre we know that many older people face significant challenges due to the impact of the cost of living crisis and lack of knowledge and understanding about benefit entitlement or how to sustainably reduce living costs.
鈥�Those challenges are compounded by the reduction in face-to-face services and increased reliance on digital only services that many older adults still struggle to use.
鈥�This funding will enable Southwark Pensioners Centre to increase access to justice for older people, strengthen our reach and advice partnership work with locally based groups supporting older people in the community in Southwark; and increase the research and application of the campaign levers that are most likely to increase access to justice for older people.鈥�
A recent image of staff at Southwark Pensioners Centre. Image credit: Etienne Bruce.
Access to Justice
Supporting social welfare advice, social action, and systems change in London to ensure everyone can access their rights and find solutions to problems without facing barriers such as cost, discrimination, or complexity.
Access to Justice
Supporting social welfare advice, social action, and systems change in London to ensure everyone can access their rights and find solutions to problems without facing barriers such as cost, discrimination, or complexity.