Runnymede Trust

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The Runnymede Trust is a race equality think tank. It was founded in 1968 by Jim Rose and Anthony Lester^[1] as an independent source for generating intelligence for a multi-ethnic Britain through research, network building, leading debate and policy engagement.^[2] It is led by its director, Dr Halima Begum, who was appointed in September 2020.^[3] Its chairman is Sir Clive Jones.^[4]

Policy areas[]

Runnymede undertakes research in the following areas:^[5]

• COVID-19 and health inequalities
• School curriculum reform
• Immigration policy and practice, including the hostile environment policy and the Windrush scandal
• Education policy
• Islamophobia, antisemitism and other forms of religious discrimination
• Criminal justice policy
• Financial inclusion and ethnicity
• Black and Minority Ethnic older people

The Runnymede Trust has acted as secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Race and Community since the start of 2010, and holds the secretariat of the UK Race and Europe Network (UKREN), a UK-wide network of more than 200 organisations involved in race relations and combating racism at a local, national or European level.^[6]

Research and campaigns[]

COVID-19[]

Runnymede has been a leading source of research and data confirming the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Minority Ethnic communities in Great Britain. Its survey of 2,585 adults, Over-exposed and Under-protected identified Bangladeshi and Black African communities as most vulnerable, and warned that important public safety and economic contingency measures – including "Stay Home" messaging and furlough advice – were not reaching BAME communities. A statement from the Department of Health said, "We know that Covid-19 has had a disproportionate effect on people from BAME backgrounds ... and the equalities minister is now taking forward vital work to tackle these disparities and protect our most vulnerable communities from the impact of the virus."^[7]

In October 2020, Runnymede published a blog with the Institute for Public Policy Research calling on the government to set out a comprehensive strategy to mitigate ethnic inequalities for the subsequent months of the pandemic. Their research suggested this strategy should tackle two key inequalities. Firstly, because almost all minority ethnic groups are more likely to get Covid-19, the government should put in place measures to better protect these communities and support people to isolate. Secondly, the consequences and harms associated with Covid-19 for most minority ethnic groups, once they have caught it, are more severe. This means the government must ensure that minority ethnic groups have better access to treatment than they currently do.^[8]

Windrush scandal[]

Runnymede took a prominent role during the unravelling of the Windrush scandal and were acknowledged by the UK Government in bringing the injustice to light. Working with the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, Runnymede organised a meeting of 14 Caribbean High Commissioners with Downing Street officials and the Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May. This meeting was organised in parallel to another meeting in Parliament, where 5 of those citizens directly affected were able to discuss their treatment to 40 parliamentarians, including the Immigration Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Runnymede was subsequently named as the only civil society representative on the Windrush Lessons Learned Review Advisory Group and one of The Guardian's five Christmas appeal charities.

School curriculum[]

"Our Migration Story"[]

In 2016 Runnymede launched "Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain", a collaboration with academics based at the universities of Cambridge and Manchester. The website is designed to support teachers and students studying migration to Britain and aims to present the 'often untold stories of the generations of migrants who came to and shaped the British Isles' through interactive source material spanning four time-period categories: AD43–1500; 1500–1750; 1750–1900; 1900–2000s. The website also gives access to multiple teaching resources including lesson plans and classroom activities.

"Our Migration Story" was awarded the Royal Historical Society Public History Prize for Best Online Resource in 2018, named as a Research Champion in the 2017 Community Integration Awards and won The Guardian University Award for Research Impact in 2019.^[9]

"Lit in Colour"[]

In October 2020, Runnymede launched "Lit in Colour" with Penguin Books, a research project to better understand the gaps in the teaching and learning of books by ethnic minority writers in UK primary and secondary schools and produce recommendations for change. As part of the research, The Runnymede Trust consults with teachers and students to ensure these recommendations are practical and informed by the realities of the classroom.^[10]

The completed research is due to be released in summer 2021, along with some concrete recommendations to support inclusive teaching and learning in schools.

Essays on class and race[]

In 2009, Runnymede published a collection of essays by leading thinkers on race and class, considering the relationship between social class and race equality. They argued that the white working class is discriminated against on a range of different fronts, but they are not discriminated against for being white.^[11][12]

Antisemitism[]

In 1992, The Runnymede Trust set up a committee to examine antisemitism in the UK. In 1994, after two years of research, the committee published its final report, A Very Light Sleeper – The persistence & dangers of antisemitism.^[13]

Faith schools[]

Runnymede published research in 2008 concluding that faith schools in England must become schools for all children in order to encourage interaction between people of different faiths and ethnicities. The report was published after a two-year investigation into the impact that faith schools have on community cohesion.^[14][15]

Islamophobia[]

In 1996, Runnymede established a Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, chaired by Gordon Conway, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, and published Islamophobia: A Challenge for us All in 1997.^[16] The report, which was launched by Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw, was largely responsible for popularising the term Islamophobia in British political discourse.^[17][18]

Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain[]

In 1997, Runnymede established the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain to consider the political and cultural implications of the changing diversity of the UK. The commission was chaired by Lord Professor Bhikhu Parekh. The commission published its findings and recommendations in October 2000. Two-thirds of its recommendations were accepted by the government.^[19]

Controversies[]

In 2021, the Runnymede Trust and its director Halima Begum were criticized by The Times for politically motivated criticism of the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities. It also criticized the Trust for partnering with the Good Law Project to challenge the appointments of Kate Bingham, chair of the government's vaccine task force, something which the paper argued had nothing to do with the Trust's stated objectives.^[20][21]

Senior staff[]

Chairpeople[]

• Sir Clive Jones CBE, 2009–
• Samir Shah, 1999–2009
• Diana Brittan, 1998–1999
• Trevor Phillips, 1993–1998
• Anthony Lester, 1991–1993
• Jim Rose, 1980–1990
• Jock Campbell, 1968–1980

Directors[]

• Dr. Halima Begum, 2020–
• Dr. Omar Khan, 2014–2020
• Dr. Rob Berkeley, 2009–2014
• Michelynn Lafleche, 2001–2008
• Sukhvinder Stubbs 1996–2000
• Robin Richardson, 1991–1996
• Kenneth Leech, 1987–1991
• Ann Dummett, 1984–1987
• Usha Prashar, 1977–1984
• Tom Rees, 1975–1977
• David Stephen, 1973–1975
• Dipak Nandy, 1968–1973^[22]

Partnerships[]

Runnymede has operated within ongoing partnerships alongside organisations working in intersecting fields. The most prominent of these are:

• Race On The Agenda (ROTA)
• CLASS: Centre for Labour and Social Studies
• Voice4Change
• University of Manchester and University of Cambridge
• Institute for Public Policy Research
• Penguin Books

Funding[]

The Runnymede Trust is a registered charity under English law.^[23] In the past funding has been wide ranging, from high-street banks to TV companies. The most significant donors are:

• Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
• Paul Hamlyn Foundation
• Unbound Philanthropy
• Barrow Cadbury Trust
• Lankelly Chase

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• UKREN website