Annual Report BD

2020 was a difficult year for communities around the world. The year reinforced the need for local, highly contextual solutions to humanitarian problems, and heightened the need for proactivity, flexibility and speed when managing disasters. In 2020 Start Network stepped up its support for communities, while demonstrating and advocating for change across the global humanitarian system. Our 2020 Annual Review demonstrates what the network achieved in 2020, it covers three areas; locally led action, collective innovation and new forms of financing.

Some highlights include:

- We began the incubation of five national and regional hubs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, India, the Pacific region, and Pakistan. These hubs are now accessing funds and working with us on risk financing and innovation programmes.

- We approved 5 and inducted another 12 new members into the network. 14 of which are local and national NGOs, which brings our diverse membership total to 55 civil society organisations.

- We awarded £35.8 million in emergency funds to our members, reaching 9 million people across six continents through our global Start Fund, Start Fund Bangladesh, Start Fund COVID-19 our Migration Emergency Response Fund, ARC Replica and DRF Pakistan programmes.

- We hosted our first virtual assembly and AGM, and ran 36 sessions over four days for 350 registered member participants across 61 countries.

- As part of our anniversary, we marked a decade of positive disruption at Start Network, and celebrated inspirational change makers from across the sector.

- Internally, we have grown the team by almost one-third, focusing on equity, diversity and inclusion in our hiring, speaking openly about difficult issues such as racism and colonialism, and committing to staff wellbeing. The impressive achievements documented in this annual review are a testament to the power of shared vision and collective action.