Runnymede Trust

Runnymede Trust is an independent British think tank and registered charity focused on race equality, civil rights and the social, economic and political effects of ethnic and religious inequality. It began operating in 1968, a period marked by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech, and was founded by Jim Rose and Anthony Lester as an organisation intended to generate evidence and policy ideas for a multi-ethnic Britain. The Trust's work spans research, public education, campaigning, parliamentary engagement and coalition building. Its policy interests have included immigration and citizenship, education, criminal justice, health inequalities, poverty and financial inclusion, religious discrimination, antisemitism, Islamophobia, the experiences of older ethnic-minority people, and the consequences of government policy for communities affected by racism. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing brand, Runnymede functions as a public-interest knowledge organisation whose influence is expressed through reports, commissions, legal interventions, educational resources and participation in national debates. Runnymede has contributed to debates surrounding the UK's Race Relations Acts of 1971 and 1976 and has maintained a long-running role in developing policy approaches to institutional and structural racism. Its 1996 Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia produced the report Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, published in 1997, which helped make the term 'Islamophobia' widely used in British political and public discussion. Its Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain, chaired by Bhikhu Parekh, reported in 2000; the organisation states that approximately two-thirds of its recommendations were accepted by the government. The Trust also develops collaborative public resources. Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain, launched in 2016 with academics from the universities of Cambridge and Manchester, provides historical material and classroom resources about migration to Britain. Lit in Colour, launched with Penguin Books in 2020, investigated the representation and teaching of books by ethnic-minority writers in primary and secondary education and published recommendations in 2021. Runnymede has acted as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community since 2010 and holds the secretariat of the UK Race and Europe Network, a network of more than 200 organisations working on race relations and anti-racism. It has also played a prominent role in public discussions of the Windrush scandal, the COVID-19 pandemic's unequal effects, the Sewell Report and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. In 2020 it brought a judicial review concerning equality considerations in appointments to pandemic-related public bodies; the High Court later found that then Health Secretary Matt Hancock had breached the Equality Act 2010 in appointing Dido Harding and Mike Coupe. The organisation has been led by successive directors and chairs drawn from the fields of race equality, public policy, academia, law, media and civil society. Dr Shabna Begum became director in 2024 after Halima Begum's period as director and chief executive from 2020 to 2023. Sir Clive Jones has served as chair since 2009. Runnymede's funding has historically come from charitable foundations and other institutional donors, including the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Unbound Philanthropy, Barrow Cadbury Trust and Lankelly Chase.

Runnymede Trust began operations in 1968, founded by Jim Rose and Anthony Lester as an independent organisation concerned with race relations and the development of a multi-ethnic Britain. Its creation coincided with intense debate about race, immigration and national identity in Britain and internationally. From its early years, the Trust used research and public policy engagement to challenge racial discrimination and to inform legislative and institutional change. During the 1970s, Runnymede contributed to the policy environment surrounding the Race Relations Acts of 1971 and 1976. Its approach combined evidence gathering with network building and engagement with Parliament, government departments, civil society and affected communities. The organisation subsequently expanded its work beyond formal discrimination law to include education, employment, poverty, criminal justice, immigration, health, housing, religion and cultural representation. In 1992, the Trust established a committee to investigate antisemitism in the United Kingdom. After two years of research, it published A Very Light Sleeper: The Persistence and Dangers of Antisemitism in 1994. In 1996 it established a Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia, chaired by Gordon Conway. The commission's report, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, was published in 1997 and launched by then Home Secretary Jack Straw. The report helped popularise the word 'Islamophobia' in British political discourse and became a significant reference point for subsequent discussion of anti-Muslim prejudice. Runnymede created the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain in 1997 under the chairmanship of Lord Professor Bhikhu Parekh. Its report, released in October 2000, considered the political, social and cultural consequences of Britain's changing ethnic composition and offered recommendations for a more inclusive national framework. The Trust states that roughly two-thirds of those recommendations were accepted by government. The organisation continued to examine the relationship between race, class and social policy. In 2008 it published research arguing that faith schools in England should be open to children of all backgrounds in order to encourage interaction across religious and ethnic lines. In 2009 it issued a collection of essays on class and race, examining the distinct ways class disadvantage and racial inequality operate and cautioning against treating them as interchangeable categories. Runnymede has also developed a sustained institutional role in parliamentary and civil-society networks. It has served as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community since 2010 and is secretariat of the UK Race and Europe Network, which brings together more than 200 organisations involved in anti-racist work and race-relations policy across the UK and Europe. The Trust became prominent during the Windrush scandal. Alongside the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, it helped organise a meeting between Caribbean high commissioners, Downing Street officials and Prime Minister Theresa May. It also supported a parliamentary meeting at which people directly affected by the scandal spoke with parliamentarians. The government later included Runnymede as the only civil-society representative on the advisory group for the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. In education, Runnymede launched Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain in 2016 in collaboration with academics from the universities of Cambridge and Manchester. The online resource presents migration history across several periods and supplies lesson plans and classroom activities. It received recognition including the Royal Historical Society's 2018 Public History Prize for Best Online Resource, a 2017 Community Integration Award research-champion designation and a 2019 Guardian University Award for Research Impact. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trust produced research on the unequal exposure to infection and unequal access to protection experienced by Black and minority ethnic communities. Its Over-exposed and Under-protected survey of 2,585 adults examined failures in the reach of public-health and economic-support messaging. In 2020, it also worked with the Institute for Public Policy Research to call for a government strategy addressing ethnic inequalities in infection risk, isolation support and access to treatment. In November 2020, Runnymede and the Good Law Project initiated judicial review proceedings concerning the government's appointments of Dido Harding to lead the National Institute for Health Protection and Mike Coupe to lead NHS Test and Trace. The case alleged that equality duties under the Equality Act 2010 had not been properly addressed. The High Court held in 2021 that the Trust had standing to bring the action in pursuit of its charitable objectives and the public interest. In February 2022, the court ruled that Matt Hancock had breached the Equality Act in making both appointments. Runnymede also contributed to public debate over the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities' 2021 report and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. Its leadership changed over time from Halima Begum, who served as director and chief executive from 2020 to 2023, to Dr Shabna Begum, listed as director from 2024. Sir Clive Jones has been chair since 2009. The Trust remains an active UK race-equality organisation whose outputs combine research, education, campaigning, legal intervention and coalition advocacy.

• 2022

  High Court judgment on pandemic appointments

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The High Court finds that Matt Hancock breached the Equality Act 2010 in appointing Dido Harding and Mike Coupe.

• 2020

  Pandemic research and legal challenge

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Runnymede publishes research on COVID-19 inequalities, launches Lit in Colour with Penguin Books and brings a judicial review concerning public appointments.

• 2016

  Our Migration Story launches

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The Trust launches an online migration-history and teaching resource with university partners.

• 2010

  Parliamentary secretariat role

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Runnymede begins acting as secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community.

• 2000

  Multi-ethnic Britain commission reports

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain publishes its findings and recommendations.

• 1997

  Islamophobia commission report

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia publishes Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All.

• 1994

  A Very Light Sleeper published

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  A committee established by the Trust publishes research on the persistence and dangers of antisemitism in the UK.

• 1976

  Further race-relations legislation

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  The Trust's policy work forms part of the debate surrounding the Race Relations Act 1976.

• 1971

  Race Relations Act context

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Runnymede contributes to the wider national debate that helped shape the Race Relations Act 1971.

• 1968

  Runnymede Trust begins operations

  [1]Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org

  Jim Rose and Anthony Lester establish the organisation as an independent source of research and policy intelligence for a multi-ethnic Britain.

An independent, evidence-led race-equality and civil-rights organisation connecting academic research, lived experience, public debate and policy change.

• Educational digital resource · 2016

  Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain

  An online resource created with academics from the universities of Cambridge and Manchester. It presents migration histories spanning the Roman period through the modern era and provides source material, lesson plans and classroom activities intended for teachers and students.

• Education research and campaign · 2020

  Lit in Colour

  A Runnymede Trust and Penguin Books project examining the representation and teaching of books by ethnic-minority writers in UK primary and secondary schools. Its 2021 research report offered recommendations for teachers, parents, publishers and teacher-training providers.

• Policy report · 1997

  Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All

  The 1997 report of Runnymede's Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia. It examined anti-Muslim prejudice and helped establish 'Islamophobia' as a widely used term in British political and policy debate.

• Policy report · 1994

  A Very Light Sleeper

  A report on the persistence and dangers of antisemitism in the United Kingdom, produced after a committee established by Runnymede conducted a two-year investigation.

• 2020Lit in Colour

  United Kingdom

  A partnership with Penguin Books investigated the limited presence of ethnic-minority writers in school reading and teaching.

  Outcome. Research published in 2021 set out recommendations for schools, families, publishers and teacher-training organisations.

  Source
• 2020COVID-19 ethnic-inequality research

  United Kingdom

  The Trust researched disproportionate infection, protection and economic risks experienced by Black and minority ethnic communities during the pandemic.

  Outcome. Its findings were used in calls for targeted public-health protection, isolation support and treatment access.

  Source
• 2018Windrush advocacy

  United Kingdom

  Runnymede worked with the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and Caribbean representatives to bring affected people's experiences to senior government and parliamentary audiences.

  Outcome. The Trust was included as the sole civil-society representative on the Windrush Lessons Learned Review Advisory Group.

  Source
• 2016Our Migration Story

  United Kingdom

  Runnymede worked with Cambridge and Manchester academics to create an educational platform presenting migration as a central part of British history.

  Outcome. The resource received public-history, community-integration and research-impact recognition.

  Source

• 2020

  Judicial review of pandemic-related appointmentsOther

  Background

  Runnymede argued that equality considerations under the Equality Act 2010 had not been properly addressed in appointments made during the COVID-19 emergency.

  Action taken

  The Trust brought proceedings with the Good Law Project challenging the appointments of Dido Harding and Mike Coupe to senior pandemic-related roles.

  Aftermath

  The High Court recognised the Trust's standing in 2021 and in February 2022 ruled that Matt Hancock had breached the Equality Act in making both appointments.

  Source

1. 1Runnymede Trusten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Runnymede Trust official websiterunnymedetrust.org