Start Network Annual Report and Accounts 2021

In 2021 Start Network reached 5 million people with emergency humanitarian assistance. The Start Network Annual Report and Accounts 2021, tells the story of how the network made progress using five keys to systems change:

• Purpose – A refreshed strategy, vision, mission, and theory of change around locally led humanitarian action to enable communities affected by and at risk of crises to demonstrate their agency and power.
• Power - Spaces and systems created for decision-making, ways of working, and resource allocation to be increasingly determined by local and national organisations.
• Practice - A locally led focus was embedded into activities, re-centring activities around community leadership, solutions, and accountability.
• Resources - Resources were made more easily accessible to local organisations. Funds flowed to and were managed by local and national organisations to respond to and increasingly act ahead of predictable crises.
• Relationships - Stronger relationships grew between different players by ensuring collaborations and partnerships were equitable and sustainable, in support of community priorities.

The report also details key impacts and achievements:

• 5 million people were reached with emergency humanitarian assistance.
• £14.5 million in funds were disbursed for emergency humanitarian assistance.
• £2.2 million of this was for crisis anticipation.
• £2.9 million of this went to local and national organisations for emergency humanitarian assistance.
• Start Network began working with six new prospective hubs.
• Start Ready a new and unique financial service was launched to expand the network’s disaster risk financing portfolio.
• The network’s culture of innovation and learning was strengthened by supporting community-led innovation and a lab for participants to experience and cultivate new ways of working.
• Additionally, the network looked to transform its organisation by analysing and testing how to decolonise its methods and diversify its team across the Global South.

“World events and crises [in 2021] made it increasingly clear that the humanitarian system’s ways of working are ineffective against overwhelming risks and needs. It was also clear that Start Network and its collective ambition to transform the outdated humanitarian system is needed now more than ever.” Christina Bennett, Chief Executive Office, Suzanne Lyne, Chief Finance and Operations Officer.