Our Strategy 2026-2031
Since 2006, Afro Innovation Group has supported refugees, migrants and disadvantaged communities across Leicester, Leicestershire and the East Midlands to overcome barriers and build sustainable futures. Our Strategic Plan sets out our direction for the next five years - and how we'll get there.
Why Now
Demand for our services has grown sharply; AIG now supports over 5,000 people a year, roughly double the level of two years ago. At the same time, communities have told us clearly that support for individuals isn't enough on its own: real change needs stronger collective leadership and a voice in the decisions that affect people's lives.
In June 2026, we asked. We consulted 32 community leaders from migrant-led organisations, faith groups and voluntary organisations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. What we heard was consistent: there was no dedicated platform bringing migrant-led organisations together to share knowledge, tackle shared challenges and speak with one voice. That conversation directly shaped this strategy, and led to the launch of Lead to Change.
Our Vision & Mission
Vision: A society where refugees, migrants and disadvantaged communities are empowered, included and able to thrive, contribute and shape the decisions that affect their lives.
Mission: To empower refugees, migrants and disadvantaged communities by providing accessible and culturally responsive support, strengthening individual and community capacity, building collaborative partnerships, and enabling community voices and lived experience to contribute to positive change.
Our Values
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Empowerment - we support people to recognise their strengths and take control of the decisions that affect their lives.
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Inclusion and Equality - we challenge the barriers and discrimination that prevent people from participating fully in society.
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Community-Led - lived experience and community knowledge sit at the heart of everything we do.
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Collaboration - we believe change is greater when we work with others.
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Integrity and Accountability - we act responsibly, transparently and ethically.
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Learning and Innovation - we listen, evaluate, and adapt.
Three Priorities, One Direction
We're pursuing three priorities together over the next five years - not in sequence, but side by side, because each one strengthens the others
01 Empowering People & Communities
Delivering high-quality, person-centred support through our BASE+ service that helps people overcome barriers, build confidence and move towards independence. This remains our largest single area of investment.
What this looks like by 2031: continued growth in the number of people supported each year, stronger housing and financial stability, and more people moving into education, training, volunteering and employment.
02 Community Leadership, Partnerships & Influence
Building Lead to Change into a recognised regional platform where migrant-led organisations connect, share evidence and influence the decisions shaping their communities.
What this looks like by 2031: the network growing from its founding members to more than 120 organisations, an annual Community Insight Report, and a stronger AIG voice in local policy.
03 Building a Sustainable Organisation
Strengthening our governance, our people, our financial resilience and our systems — so we can keep delivering for the long term, not just the next funding cycle.
What this looks like by 2031: no single funder providing more than 30% of our income, stronger reserves, and a well-governed, well-run organisation behind everything we do.
How We Work: Our Support Pathway
Our strategy is delivered through the same journey we've always offered to service users, now extended to include community-wide influence.
See how it works on our Our Impact page: Stabilise → Navigate → Recover → Progress → Influence.
Governed & Accountable
Afro Innovation Group is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity No. 1191803), governed by a Board of Trustees with expertise in law, safeguarding, community leadership, finance and risk management. Every trustee brings lived experience of migration or displacement.
Get Involved
Three ways to be part of this strategy:
Get Support → If you or someone you know needs help, our team is here.
Join Lead to Change → If you lead or work for a migrant-led or community organisation, join our growing network.
Partner With Us → If you're a funder, corporate partner or public body who shares our ambition, we'd like to talk.