We spoke to CJ Lloyd Webley, a writer and theatre-maker from Birmingham, about his newly found project. The Black Pounds Project.
” The Black Pounds Project is a simple initiative I set up to raise funds that could support small black owned businesses in the West Midlands.
On Thursday evening last week, a thought crossed my mind; Imagine if every black person in Birmingham gave just £2, What could we do with that money to help support the black community?
I set up an online fundraiser for The Black Pounds Project where I wrote a little about my thought process and what I plan to do with the money.  I initially shared the page with family and friends and most of them were really supportive.
I didn’t want this to be just another fundraiser, as to me building a real community spirit is the most important thing.
Not long after I shared it, donations started flooding in. I was really surprised to see that such a simple concept had resonated with so many people.
This project is about everyone sharing the load. Big changes come from small change.
Once we have hit the 5k target, I wish to work with Midlands based charities who can help me distribute the money.
At this stage the plan is to raise awareness of The Black Pounds Project, so black business owners can submit a proposal for how they plan on using the available funds. I think it is important to start small in order to get a sense of what the businesses are about and then we can look into ways of supporting them long term.
Eventually I aim to build a directory of High quality, professional, reliable black owned businesses that everyone can benefit from.”
To understand the project a little more. Here is a link to the fundraising page: Click hereÂ
Who is CJ Lloyd Webley?
CJ Lloyd Webley, 26,  is a writer and theatre-maker from Birmingham. He majored in Theatre and Performance Studies at The University of Warwick, and recently completed a Master of Arts in Creative Writing (Screenwriting & Playwriting) at City University of London. His play, Shadows, received 4 & 5 star reviews and sold out its three-night run at Theatro Technis, Kings Cross last year. Since then, CJ has had new work performed at The Birmingham Rep, Soho Theatre and the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre. He was part of the 2019-20 Tamasha Playwrights cohort in London where he has been nominated for the Adopt a playwright Award, and has since been selected for Criterion Theatre’s New Writing Programme in Piccadilly.
CJ is one of the newly appointed Lead Artists for Lightpost Theatre Company at the Birmingham Rep, a scheme that seeks to improve the mental well-being of young black men. He also runs Creative Writing workshops in schools as part of his organisation Sorrel Park Theatrical, and online sessions with Beatfreeks. CJ is currently part of Regional Theatre’s Young Director Scheme, and hopes his stories will inspire the next generation of artists.
It is so wonderful to see how much work CJ puts into his community.
To Donate to his project, Click HereÂ
