Last week, we made the decision to take a step back and pause all of our social media activity. We did this to ensure that individual black voices, and charities who are directly supporting issues that the black community are facing, were given the space to have their voices amplified and heard. As an organisation, we used that time to take stock of the world around us, to actively engage with the issues the black community face on a daily basis and to recognise our role in combatting institutionalised and systemic racism.

We listened, we read, we researched, we discussed and we all agreed: we need to do better. And we decided, we will do better.

School of Hard Knocks exists to empower and support individuals facing social inequality, and we need to do that in every aspect of our work. It is our job to step up and dismantle unjust systems that have pervaded our society for years. We have made a commitment to continue with and deepen the conversations we are currently having internally, and actively look for ways to turn talk into action.

This week we would like to use our platform to highlight some UK grassroots organisations doing crucial work supporting black people to thrive. Please keep a keen eye on our social media platform, engage with these organisations’ work and donate where possible.