2022 Shortlisted Nominee
Community Organisation Award: Race, Faith, Religion
Operation Black Vote, established in 1996 is a non-party political campaign not-for-profit. Historically, OBV’s main focus was to address the political deficit that was present within the Black community. It sought to impact the political system in such a way as to ensure that not only were Black people represented within mainstream politics and civic society, but also that the Black population was equipped with a political education and awareness that were profound enough for it to readily hold public officials to account and guarantee policy was reflective of the needs of the entire UK. From its inception through to the present day, OBV has continued to grow through its continued work alongside Parliament, the Judiciary and various other sectors of the democratic system. In 1996 there were 5 BAME MPs in Parliament, by 2020 there were 66. 10% of BAME MPs are previous participants in OBV mentoring schemes.