Community Empowerment Fund 2025 The Wholesome Retreat.
Alongside its intellectual work — including the Winter Gatherings, the Ibn Rushd and Ibn Sina lectures, and its quarterly journal Critical Muslim — the Institute has consistently engaged with the practical concerns of British Muslim life. It helped establish institutions that have shaped the community, such as the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain (1992), the Muslim Women’s Institute (1991) and the Halal Food Authority (1994).
The Institute has always been willing to address difficult and sensitive issues within the community itself, including forced marriage, domestic violence, so-called ‘honour’ killings, and child abuse. Its Muslim Marriage Contract (2008), grounded in equality, and its Guideline Report on Child Protection in Faith-Based Environments (2006) reflect a long-standing commitment to dignity, justice, and accountability.
This combination of independent thought and practical engagement has always been central to the Institute’s role. We firmly believe that a stronger, healthier and more engaged Muslim community can and will drive positive change and lift their fellow citizens locally and nationally.
In 2023, the Muslim Institute established the Community Empowerment Fund to support educational, research and capacity-building work addressing pressing issues facing British Muslim communities and wider society. Over £25,000 has been invested to date. The Fund sits alongside the Institute’s wider activities, helping to resource areas of concern that have long been part of its mission to advance knowledge, informed debate and intellectual engagement.
From 2026, the Institute will allocate a budget of £100,000 to its Community Empowerment Fund. This will be distributed over the next 3–5 years.
We wish to fund educational, research and capacity-building initiatives in three interconnected areas where deeper understanding and informed public engagement are needed: community wellbeing, supporting young people, and defending civil liberties in British Muslim communities and wider society. Allocation will be dependent on our published criteria and the quality of applications.
Community wellbeing, supporting young people, and civil liberties are closely bound together: they highlight the need for communities to advance, to live healthy lives and with dignity, to be heard on their own terms, and to participate in society without fear. Each strand reinforces the others, helping to sustain the conditions in which interdependent, ethical and confident communities can thrive through the development and sharing of knowledge and informed public discussion.
The three strands.
Community Wellbeing: We will seek to support educational and community organisations working to advance understanding of mental health in areas with significant Muslim communities and in wider society. Projects should aim to deliver mental health education and stigma-reduction initiatives, including through engagement with mosques, women’s projects and community associations to develop culturally competent and faith-literate approaches to care; Applications from female-led organisations and community groups will be particularly welcome. The Fund does not support the provision of direct clinical or therapeutic services.
Young People: We want to support individuals and organisations advancing the educational, intellectual and civic development of young people from our Muslim communities, particularly those from economically hard-pressed areas and marginalized demographics, such as refugees. Many young people from Muslim backgrounds continue to struggle with a range of barriers and issues, including anti-Muslim bigotry and racism, economic injustice, social isolation, a fragile sense of self and well-being, and a lack of voice and representation in local, regional and national discourses. We want to help projects that provide educational programmes, leadership development, mentoring, and platforms advancing youth voices that help young people discuss and respond to the challenges they face.
Civil Liberties: We will work with UK-based individuals and organisations seeking to uphold civil liberties, human rights and international law, and the right to hold power to account through education and informed public discussion benefiting British Muslim communities and wider society. This may include forums for informed debate, practical workshops, educational and institutional support and working with legal and civil society partners. Where appropriate, support may be provided through the Community Empowerment Fund. The Fund will not support party-political campaigning and all supported activities must remain independent, balanced and educational in character.
To find out more and apply click here
Community Empowerment Fund 2024 ‘Be’ youth group, Oldham.