Empowering local communities
Build, Hustle, Grow with Southwark LAP.
Do it Now Now provides funding, training, and hands-on support to help businesses, social enterprises and charities grow, strengthen their leadership, and build long-term financial resilience. We’re driving lasting change and creating more opportunities for Southwark’s communities to thrive.
Let’s grow, Southwark.
The Southwark Local Access Partnership (LAP) is a bold initiative driving social and economic change in our community. Backed by Southwark Council and Access - The Foundation for Social Investment and Better Society Capital. Do it Now Now will provide essential funding, training, and support to charities and social enterprises, empowering them to tackle inequality and create sustainable impact.
Our programme strengthens through capacity building, leadership development, advocacy, and financial resilience. Together, we’re shaping a collaborative, sustainable, and diverse social economy—one that delivers lasting benefits for all Southwark residents. Join us in transforming Southwark’s future.
About the programme
Our programme is designed to strengthen Black women-led social enterprises and charities in Southwark. Through hands-on training, expert mentorship, and financial support, we equip organisations with the skills and resources to grow, sustain their impact, and create lasting change in their communities.
We recognise the barriers that lived experience led organisations face in securing funding and scaling their work. This programme is designed to bridge that gap, providing practical tools and tailored support to help organisations build financial stability, strengthen leadership, and expand their reach.
We are committed to supporting 20 organisations with annual revenue between £10,000-£30,000, and ready to establish something great. We will run 2 rounds of recruitment:
31 March to 23 May 2025
30 June to 29 August 2025
Our goal is to empower Black-led charities and social enterprises to become sustainable, resilient, and impactful forces for change in Southwark. By working together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive social economy that benefits everyone.
Eligible Southwark Districts
To be eligible for support through the Southwark Local Access Partnership, your organisation must be based in or primarily serving one or more of the following districts within Southwark:
Newington, Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Peckham, Camberwell, Dulwich, Southwark, St Saviour, St Olave, or St George Southwark. Whether your work uplifts a single neighbourhood or spans several of these historic and vibrant communities, if your impact lives here, we’re ready to support your growth.
The Experience
This six-month programme is for organisations that are already operating successfully but need support to grow, diversify their income, and increase their impact. It is exclusively for Southwark-based organisations earning £10k-£30k revenue annually.
A compensated capacity building grant of £3k is available to each organisation upon successful completion of the programme.
What’s included?
Financial resilience – Strengthen financial planning, budgeting, and income diversification.
Leadership development – Gain skills to manage teams, engage stakeholders, and drive strategic growth.
Governance and sustainability – Build strong structures for long-term resilience.
Investment readiness – Learn how to access funding, social investment, and other financial opportunities.
Ongoing mentorship and networking – Access expert guidance and a network of peers for continued learning and collaboration.
By the end of the programme, organisations will have the strategies, tools, and connections needed to scale sustainably and increase their impact.
Eligibility Criteria
Legal Incorporation
Organisations must be legally incorporated with Companies House or the Charity Commission.
Organisations must have a clearly stated mission to support issues impacting Black and Global Majority Communities.
Non-profits: Applicable structures are Charities and community Interest Companies Limited by Guarantee. Organisations must reinvest 100% of surpluses into pursuing their social mission and have a constitutional or contractual lock on their social mission, dividend, and surplus distribution policy (also known as an asset lock). If unsure please contact us.
For-profits: organisations must have an Asset Lock, Mission Lock and Profit Lock/Dividend Cap in place. This is common in Community Interest Companies Limited by Shares, however, your Articles of Association may have amendments that allow you to meet this criteria. If unsure please contact us.
Geography
Organisations must be based in and operating in Southwark. Either by location, partnerships or practice.
Leadership
At least one DiNN Member - to become a member of the Do it Now Now community please fill in this form bit.ly/dinncode.
Black, and women-led organisation.
At least one Director or Trustee.
75% of the organisation’s Directors, Trustees or equivalent Governing Body members must have lived experience of the social issues your service users face and is the focus of the organisation. (The percentage is in line with the DEI Data Standard, if this percentage is not met because the Board is too small or for other reasons, you may still be eligible, as long as the decision-making is led by people from Black communities).
51% of leadership/senior management must represent Black or Global Majority communities.
Finance
Organisations must be generating an annual income that is between £10k and £30k for the Build, Hustle Grow programme, as evidenced by their submitted accounts to Companies House/Charity Commission.
Organisations must be able to provide at least the last 1 year accounts submitted to Companies House/Charity Commission.
How we’ll work
-
Submit an EOI form to help the programme team understand your organisation's alignment with the eligibility criteria. This initial submission gathers essential details about your organisation’s mission, leadership, and aspirations.
-
If successful in the EOI, you’ll move to proposal development. This involves working with the programme team to delve into your request to receive support, ensuring we fully understand your needs before we make a decision.
-
Once your proposal is approved, you'll begin the onboarding process. The onboarding phase ensures that you have all the resources and guidance needed to implement your project and achieve sustainable growth.
-
We know that to achieve your goals capacity building, and more importantly, tailored support is necessary to move in the right direction.
You will engage with a dedicated Critical Friend, subject matter experts as mentors, and much more. This LIVE online training is best suited to the leadership of the organisation.By the end of our journey together, you’ll have built a solid foundation, developed lasting community, and crafted a clear, actionable plan for your organisation’s ongoing growth and sustainability.
-
Upon successful completion of the programme, you will be provided with an unrestricted core funding grant that must be spent down within three months of receiving it.
For Build Hustle Grow, the compensated capacity building grant is £3000. A report will be expected from you about the impact of the money on your organisation.
Apply here to take the next step for your future
This is your opportunity to access funding and practical support to strengthen your organisation. If you’re ready to build long-term sustainability and make a real impact in Southwark’s impact ecosystem, apply now and move your organisation forward.
Why us?
As a Black community-focused infrastructure organisation, DiNN works intersectionally across the demographics and causes our community is active in. Over the past couple of years, we have been particularly active in supporting the sustainability of Black-led climate action, youth-led, lived experience-led, and strengths-based organisations.
Application Support
We want you to have the best possible experience of this funding programme. Please feel free to get in touch with us so we can help you through.
-
Get in touch with us directly by email and we’ll get back in touch within 2 working days.
-
1-2-1 support calls are available throughout the duration of the Expression of Interest window.
This is an opportunity for you to clarify any questions you may have about the application process. To request a call, please email us. Please join the call with your questions prepared.
-
Drop in sessions are available following stage 1 of the application process. We encourage applicants to attend these sessions even when they don't have a specific question to ask because it is a fantastic networking opportunity as well as a chance to be inspired by the questions others ask.
Our Collaborators
