INQUEST has donated £7,500 in grant funding to the National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund (NMPMFF) to further our development of the Annual Gala Dinner & Awards initiative.

The NMPMFF (developed in 2015) is the first permanent national resource of its kind specifically for those that are affected by deaths in custody and makes small grants available for families and their campaign groups across the United Kingdom to provide practical domestic assistance.to further the work of their own campaigns or to assist them in engaging in a range of other local, regional or national campaigns, events and initiatives.

The NMPMFF is also closely involved with initiatives such as Red Alert HELP!, The United Families & Friends Campaign, Black Lives Matter UK, The People’s Tribunal on Police Killings and others, all seeking to challenge injustice and influence structural change reform.

Daniel Machover, Chair of INQUEST said;

“We have, for the last few years, collaborated closely with the Fund, which has proved to be of immense benefit to the families we work with, at a time when they go through a complex, traumatic and protracted bereavement. Their work, like ours, has families at its core, and we are delighted to be able to contribute to its further development.”

Deborah Coles, Executive Director of INQUEST said;

“INQUEST works with families bereaved as a result of state violence, racism, neglect and indifference and on the struggle for justice, accountability and systemic change. We very much recognise and value the importance of close links with organisations sharing that work and our values and are therefore delighted to be able to support the highly impactful NMPMFF.”

The Family Fund Annual Gala Dinner & Awards

The NMPMFF’s 5 year Development Plan includes the establishment of the Annual Gala Dinner & Awards scheme as part of a wider set of aspirational projects. Led by 4WardEverUK, we plan to work with a range of other campaign and civil rights groups, individuals, charities and companies to launch the Annual Activists Awards & Gala Dinner.

We seek to run a pilot event in late 2022. Its principal aim is to formerly recognise those affected families and individuals that have influence structural change. Its secondary purpose is to raise the profile of, and resources for the National Memorial Family Fund.

Other National Memorial Family Fund plans!

As well as our current funding programmes and gifting schemes, the NMPMFF also aspires to develop other initiatives that recognise and support affected families.

National Events Programme:

In June 2020 it was announced that the NMPMFF had appointed Catalyst 4 Change CIC to organise a series of national live music and arts events (which was delayed by COVID-19 restrictions). This has been made possible with a small part-funded grant from the Edge Fund together with our own investment. Read more here.

Regional 24-Hour Advice Lines:

The NMPMFF aspires to develop regional helplines (in partnership with Red Alert HELP!) for families concerned about a loved one detained in police, immigration, prison institutions or detained under the Mental Health Act.

Bereavement & Counselling Hubs:

The NMPMFF aspires to develop a range of counselling & therapy hubs across the UK to help children, young people and families deal with the devastation following a custody death. They will work with established charities, companies and individuals ensuring that affected families can get the help they need as quickly as possible in their regions.

Year-Round Holiday Schemes:

The NMPMFF aspires to provide respite breaks, group outings and short UK-based holidays for families affected by custody deaths. These will include river & coach tours, activity & theme parks and self-catering breaks in some of the UK’s areas of outstanding beauty.

What can you do?

Can you help with the Memorial Family Funds’ aspirations? If you have skills, experience, knowledge, resources or connections that can help, please contact us.

About INQUEST:

INQUEST is the only charity providing expertise on state related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians. Their specialist casework includes deaths in police and prison custody, immigration detention, mental health settings and deaths involving multi-agency failings or where wider issues of state and corporate accountability are in question. This includes work around the Hillsborough football disaster and the Grenfell Tower fire.

INQUEST’s policy, parliamentary, campaigning and media work is grounded in the day to day experience of working with bereaved people. Employing an integrated model, this brings together casework support, family participation, identification of thematic trends, statistics and analysis that feeds into the organisation’s work on campaigning, information sharing and policy and parliamentary work. Visit the INQUEST website here >