Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £16m towards ActionAid’s work supporting women and girls living in poverty since 2016, in what is being celebrated as a milestone moment for the charity.
The vital funding has supported women and girls in more than 29 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to advocate for their rights, act in their communities and become leaders in times of humanitarian crisis.
It has also enabled ActionAid to begin working in new parts of the world, such as Syria, where it established presence and partnerships starting with a women and youth centre in rural Damascus in 2021.
At the centre, which is run in partnership with a local Syrian-led organisation, women and girls bearing the brunt of a humanitarian crisis resulting from 12 years of conflict can access essential resources, education, skills training and support, including training in humanitarian action and leadership.
Alam Janbein, Syria-Türkiye Senior Humanitarian Response and Resilience Manager of ActionAid Arab Region, says: “In an area so deeply affected by conflict, the centre provides specialised services to support the safety and well-being of women and girls and helps empower them to become leaders in time of humanitarian need.”
Young people trained at the centre were forced to put their learning into practice when the north of the country was struck by two major earthquakes six months ago, leaving thousands dead and many more injured and displaced.
They quickly mobilised and contributed to the response in Latakia, northern Syria, taking a leading role in the intervention.
ActionAid relied on its strong network of partnerships in Syria, established over the years thanks to funding by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, when it came to responding to the earthquake.
Through these partners, it was able to reach more than 104,000 people in the country with food, shelter, urgent medical care, mental health support and safe spaces.
Alam says: “We were ready to support the emergency response to the earthquake almost immediately after it happened, coordinating closely with other responders, facilitating access to affected areas and efficiently delivering aid and assistance to those in need.”
Over the last seven years, funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported a wide variety of innovative projects worldwide which tackle entrenched problems, from poverty to gender inequality to economic disempowerment.
In Zimbabwe, adolescent girls have been supported to become community champions, leading conversations and activities about preventing violence against women and girls.
Elsewhere, in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Indonesia, young women have been trained to conduct participatory research in their communities, to discover the challenges girls are facing and make recommendations on how to build power based on their findings.
Funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery also go towards ActionAid’s Emergency Action Fund, which is used to facilitate urgent women-led responses to humanitarian emergencies when they happen.
Emma Cullingford, Deputy Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships at ActionAid UK, says: “ActionAid’s work in Syria is an excellent example of a project that would have been difficult to fund if it weren’t for support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, which allows us to run innovative pilot schemes in new areas.
“Passing the incredible £16m funding milestone is a perfect moment for us to say how grateful we are for the ongoing support over the last seven years.”
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, says: “From preventing violence against women to providing humanitarian aid to communities that are affected by climate change, the work that ActionAid carries out is vital. And when women and girls are not only supported, but when they are encouraged to thrive, every person in society benefits.
“Together we make a difference and I’m delighted that funding raised by our players is helping women everywhere create the future they want.”