On 7th September 2015, the twelfth anniversary of the death of Mikey Powell, who was killed in the custody of West Midlands Police, campaigning news group 4WardEverUK, launched the National Family Fund Appeal.

The Fund was developed and constituted in conjunction with the Friends of Mikey Powell Campaign, The United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) and Migrant Media. Organisers also acknowledged the late campaigner, Pauline Campbell, who died in May 2008.

The birth of the National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund followed the launch of a video and online Crowdfunder appeal in 2015.

Founder, Tippa Naphtali (cousin of Mikey Powell ) said; "The needs of affected families often gets lost in the equally important work of campaigning and lobbying of the state.

We want to change that with a permanent fund set up specifically for their needs."

view the appeal page

Initially triggered by the controversial death of George Floyd, subsequent international protests and a Tweet from Oonagh Ryder and subsequent follow-up Tweets by Lucy Brisbane McKay (@lucybrisbane) and others, we received unprecedented donations to the National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund (NMPMFF) in May and June 2020.

During this period we received over 900 single donations, and monthly donors increase from a few dozen to 140+ and thereby ensuring good levels of regular donor income.

This meant that the NMPMFF was now poised to open the first ever funding round since it launched the original Crowdfunder appeal in September 2015.

We now also run (or are developing) a range of other support and wellbeing services for families, children and young people that are affected.

The Fund is already making a real difference for families and campaign groups that need financial support during their long struggles for justice lasting for decades in many cases.

Are we a campaign group?

No, we are not!

A core part of our purpose and mission is to support families and individuals that have been impacted by deaths, killings or abuse in state custody. Through such contact we offer practical and wellbeing support to those affected, but do not drive their political or campaigning activity in this respect.

The Charity Commission uses the term ‘political activity’ to describe activities or campaigning to change or influence policies or decisions taken by national, devolved, local or overseas government public bodies including international organisations such as the UN and World Bank, and national or local organisations such as regulators or policing bodies and NHS Trusts. This is not what we do.

Charities can take part in political activity that supports their purpose and is in their best interests. It is recognised that there may be situations where carrying out some level of political activity is the best way for trustees to support their charity’s purpose provided that political activity does not become the main or sole reason for the charity’s existence.

Charities can participate in other campaigning that is not political activity. This type of campaigning must also further the charity’s purpose, and may include educating the public or raising awareness on a particular issue. For example, state abuse and deaths in custody etc.

See guidance on GOV.UK here