2025: Choosing Community and Seeing the Impact

2025 has been a year of wins and near misses, but more than anything, it has been a year where we intentionally chose community over comfort.

This reflection is not about celebration for its own sake. It is about documenting what becomes possible when community-led work is done consistently, with purpose and care.

Supporting Access to the Legal Profession

In 2025, Black and Proud CIC was awarded £20,000 to support prospective lawyers with the cost of their law qualifying exams in England and Wales.

Ten individuals from different backgrounds benefitted from this funding. For many, the financial barrier to qualification had previously felt insurmountable. This support created a clear pathway to becoming qualified lawyers and, in turn, serving their communities with lived experience and insight.

This initiative directly addresses underrepresentation within the legal profession while creating long-term community impact.

Making Sport and Movement Accessible to All

We were also awarded £8,850 from Sport England to support the City United Movement, enabling greater access to sport and physical activity within the community.

As part of this work, we registered City United FC. The club was created not as a commercial venture, but as a community-first platform where sport becomes a tool for wellbeing, connection, and inclusion.

As part of the City United Movement, we also run open football sessions every Thursday evening, and everyone is welcome.

Sessions take place at Forest Recreation Ground from 8pm to 10pm, and are open to people of all backgrounds, abilities, and fitness levels. There is no requirement to be part of a team and no pressure to perform. The focus is simply on movement, connection, and showing up and is open to all gender.

These sessions were created with wellbeing in mind. Regular physical activity through football helps improve cardiovascular health, fitness, coordination, and overall physical strength. Just as importantly, it provides powerful mental health benefits.

Creating Sustainable Employment Pathways

Economic stability remains a cornerstone of community wellbeing. Through coaching, CV optimisation, and interview preparation, we supported seven individuals into Civil Service roles, each earning over £32,000 and collectively over £224,000 . This builds on the four individuals supported into similar roles in 2024 making it a total of over £320,000.

These outcomes represent secure employment, career progression, and long-term stability, with ripple effects across families and local communities.

Building Trust Through Community Sport

In partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Nottinghamshire, and African Corner Notts Cic, we organised a Community Cup football competition that brought frontline police officers and community members together through sport.

The event created space for meaningful engagement and dialogue, leading to a commitment from the Commissioner to make the competition a yearly fixture in Nottingham, with plans to involve additional frontline services such as the fire service.

We also organised a Unity Cup football competition bringing together six African countries and their communities. Football served as a shared language, supporting cultural exchange, social integration, and mutual understanding.

Responding When the Community Needed Support Most

Across three occasions in 2025, the community raised funds internally to support members facing urgent challenges. These moments reinforced the importance of community-led safety nets, helping individuals maintain stability and continue contributing to the wider economy.

Education and Knowledge Exchange

Education was also a key part of our impact in 2025. For the second year running, Black and Proud CIC was invited to work with second-year Linguistics students at Nottingham Trent University as part of their employer-led projects.

The students delivered thoughtful, well-researched presentations on how organisations communicate effectively, exploring areas such as tone, language, and the strategic use of hashtags. Their work included analysis of community initiatives like City United FC, demonstrating a strong understanding of how communication can drive engagement and community impact.

Looking Ahead

2025 demonstrated what is possible when community is prioritised over convenience. None of this work would have been achievable without the dedication of our staff, volunteers, partners, and the wider community that continues to believe in the mission.

You have showed us that community is not an abstract idea. It is built intentionally, through action, consistency, and care.