Blog Archives - Carisma Services - inspiring communities

Action Learning Programme - 2025

14/11/2025

Over the past year, CARISMA Services has undergone a period of transformative growth, made possible by a funding injection from The Phoenix Way. This enabled the successful launch of our innovative Community Action Learning Leadership Programme, aimed at equipping leaders with the tools, confidence, and networks to drive change in their communities.

Our programme trained a diverse cohort of leaders, many of whom have gone on to lead their own community projects and or engage with the institutions we introduced them to.

These one-day Action Learning sessions enabled us to express our black and brown lived experiences in a non-threatening but empowering way to us. Enabling participants to understand what is working for us and against us. Sessions enabled participants to understand and feel their own positive presence in a room/institution where not everyone looks like them.

We are expanding the Community Leadership Program to include young adults aged 18–25+, integrating social enterprise training, and introducing a peer-to-peer digital storytelling component to document change. We also aim to embed a trauma-informed wellbeing framework across all our work to deepen impact and resilience.

Hate Crime Awareness 2025

14/11/2025

CARISMA Services’ Hate Crime Awareness 2025 Grants Programme vividly demonstrated our positive community impact across Manchester. The project addressed several priorities of the Manchester Hate Crime Plan, including educating about hate crime, raising awareness of its consequences, preventing hate crime through early intervention, increasing confidence to report incidents, and bringing communities together to tackle hate-related issues.

Throughout early 2025, CARISMA delivered a series of workshops and events at varied locations such as Friends Meeting House, MCA Academy, Richmond Grove Church, and numerous schools and nurseries. These activities engaged 1500+ direct beneficiaries from diverse backgrounds affected by hate crimes related to race, religion, sexual orientation, and disability.

Participants reported feeling listened to and experienced an increased sense of belonging, with opportunities to share their lived experiences and ideas. They learned practical skills for managing and reporting hate incidents, fostering greater community awareness and resilience. The inclusive nature of the project ensured representation and meaningful engagement from historically excluded groups, strengthening trust and social connections.

The multi-venue approach exemplified our commitment to accessibility and outreach, reaching different age groups and communities within Manchester. Feedback mechanisms allowed the us to adapt activities continuously, enhancing relevance and impact.

This project highlighted our leadership in fostering understanding and empowerment while building bridges across diverse community groups. Through education, collaboration, and sustained engagement, we contributed substantively to safer, more inclusive communities, embodying our mission to tackle hate crime and support victims comprehensively.

More information and updates can be found on CARISMA’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/carisma

This initiative underscores our role in driving social change and exemplifies effective community-led action against hate crime and its effects.