BBC Media Action
BBC Media Action
Since 2009, Bright Future Trust has been supporting BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development charity. BBC Media Action is a fully independent charity which receives no funding from the Licence Fee. Its stated vision is for a ‘world where informed and empowered people live in healthy, resilient and inclusive communities’.
BBC Media Action produces its own dedicated content and works with local media organisations and journalists around the world to achieve its mission to ‘reach millions through creative communication and trusted media, helping people have their say, understand their rights, responsibilities and each other, and take action to transform their own lives.’
Examples of its work in action range from opening up spaces for public debate in the Palestinian Territories to supporting interactive youth-focused radio shows in Africa that curb the stigmas surrounding AIDS. It supports media and communication efforts that strengthen governance, improve people’s health, strengthen the resilience of vulnerable groups and help them survive, and recover from, humanitarian emergencies.
To date, Bright Futures Trust has contributed almost £350,000 to support BBC Media Action’s vital work.
Over the years BFT has supported much of BBC Media Action’s humanitarian response work – such as the outbreak of Ebola in Sierra Leone in 2014 and the response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake. More recently, BFT contributed to the charity’s Rohingya crisis response work in Bangladesh where BBC Media Action is supporting local radio stations to provide life-saving information to refugees.
Find out more about the response in this short video:
For a decade between 2008 and 2018, Dr Patel chaired the BBC Media Action Catalyst Fund, which raised a total of £350,000 and provided crucial flexible funding for the organisation, allowing it to respond with agility when needed. For instance, the Catalyst Fund supported and seed-funded the charity’s Somali Women towards Economic Empowerment and Transformation (SWEET) Project which, through engaging radio programmes and training, supports women across Somalia to understand their economic rights and thrive in the labour market.
“BBC Media Action is most grateful for Dr Chai Patel’s longstanding support of our organisation. In addition to the generous financial support of Bright Future Trust, his contribution and active leadership of the Catalyst Fund has allowed for meaningful long term engagement and given the organisation an opportunity to respond with innovation and agility where needed.”
“For example, Dr Patel hosted a dinner for BBC Media Action at which new supporters were introduced to the work of the charity and the Catalyst Fund. He also recorded a video message for BBC Media Action’s website, sharing his motivation for supporting our work and encouraging others to support the Catalyst Fund. For a charity with a small donor base of private individuals and corporate supporters this testimony is most helpful. His support of our annual fundraising dinner, the Correspondents’ Dinner, contributes to the success of the event. He has donated auction prizes and also shared his enthusiasm for our work by addressing the dinner guests.”
Gudrun Kulheimer, Senior Fundraising Manager, BBC Media Action
“What I most value about Chai’s generous support is his dynamism, drive and vision. As Chairman, he is enabling us to realise the full and exciting potential of the Catalyst Fund.”
Caroline Nursey, Executive Director, BBC Media Action
