Project summary

The Moments To Connect funding round was developed in response to the recommendations of Spirit’s Inquiry into the Power of Events. We sought projects that could apply the Inquiry’s lessons to use major events to increase social cohesion by connecting individuals and communities, and building common ground across social divides. 2023 saw a series of major events, anniversaries and national moments seeking to engage, inspire and unite people – including Eurovision, the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Windrush, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the Coronation of King Charles II. Each of the Moments To Connect projects awarded funding focussed on connected people through the inspiration of one of these events or moments.

Spirit of 2012 awarded grants totalling £299,322 to seven projects (grantee organisations in brackets):

• The Spirit of Windrush (Royal Museums Greenwich, £47,060) – Participatory community activities and an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush.
• FestivalsConnect (University of the West of Scotland, £29,925) – a research project which looked at three levels of events in Scotland to understand how festivals and events can be used to strengthen equality, diversity and inclusion outcomes.
• Windrush 75: Shared past, shared future (British Future, £30,000) – a research project investigating how the Windrush 75 Anniversary can bring people together from different ethnic, social and political backgrounds. It produced a report and a toolkit to widen the coalition of organisations celebrating Windrush and to support practitioners in designing events.
• Year of the King (Jack Drum Arts, £58,475) – An intergenerational community carnival and creative workshop programme that used the Coronation of King Charles III as a catalyst to bring people together across generations.
• Songs of Endurance and Inclusion (The Young Foundation, £49,500) – a project sought to explore how Eurovision can be used to celebrate the contribution of refugees and migrants and bring diverse communities together through local events.
• Our Lives, Our Legacy (Springboard Opportunities, £59,500) – a project which brought together 15 young people from across the sectarian divide to participate in a series of development opportunities through 2023, including a co-created event to mark the 25th anniversary of The Good Friday Agreement.
• Reimagining Volunteering (Neighbourly Lab, £30,000) – underpinning most events is the use of volunteers, this project seeks to ‘reimagine volunteering’ by exploring how ‘small v’ volunteering (people in the community who serve/help others but do not see themselves as volunteers but as people happy to help out) can help with social connection during national events.