Let communities lead the way

We all want to build a better future, don’t we? How do we get there? The short version is, let’s shatter silos, open up decision-making process and let communities lead the way. If you have a few minutes, you can read the slightly longer version below and I’ll tell you about how we’re embodying these principles at Camden Giving.  

Radical change

In our pursuit of radical change, we're actively engaging Camden residents who are leading localised research, a powerful tool in shaping how government, funders, and local organisations respond to key issues. Collaborating with BRAP - a Birmingham-based anti-racism organisation - our current research delves into the impact of localised racism in both cities. In phase 1, 9 Kilburn-based researchers highlighted the lack of inclusive decision-making on policy matters and how employment struggles and housing disparities disproportionately affect racialised global majority communities. 

We’re now expanding on this work, diving deeper into key issues identified in Kilburn as well as engaging researchers in Somers Town to explore how structural racism is perpetuated through responses to crime and community safety, access to employment opportunities, access to public & community infrastructure and the distribution of power and investments.

Lived or learnt experience? 

Those that know me are probably sick of how much I talk about our We Make Camden Kit (sorry, not sorry!). The We Make Camden Kit is a fund that was established in June 2021 and since then, has awarded £516k in grants of up to £2k to Camden residents, community groups and schools. 64% of these grants are awarded to individuals who are leading local projects and a staggering 92% are running without any other sources of funding. As the fund grows more and more popular, the challenge lies in stretching resources to address the diverse needs and the difficult decisions that our community panels are making.  

Too often people compare the differences between lived experience and learnt experience, as if the two are mutually exclusive. The seemingly elusive third option, a combination of lived experience and learnt experience, is personified and embodied by our grant making panels. Our panellists are experts in all things Camden. They live here, go to school here, raise their kids here, work here, breathe here, exist here. They know their communities and what people need most. They bring their whole selves to every meeting; they listen and learn from each other. 

Our panellists also appreciate the value of data. Across panels, there is a big appetite for relevant numbers, charts, graphs, tables and maps. Our panels regularly ask to see data that can inform their decision making - so much that our Head of Grants has made ‘panellist data requests’ a standing agenda item. We’re working with Plinth to build a digital tool that brings together relevant public data in an accessible format for our panels to explore during their meetings. Their wealth of diverse lived experience coupled with key data enables panels to make decisions that meet the needs of Camden’s communities.  

Also represented in our grant panels and alumni are individuals who navigate the intersection of lived and professional experience, bringing their dual perspectives. The wider grantmaking and policy scene could benefit from having greater representation of people with these nuanced insights who can incorporate personal understandings of communities into strategic planning and decision making.  

The people are the heart of it all

I really struggled to write this part. I re-wrote it countless times, scrapping sentences and replacing adjectives. Every version fell short, and I realise now that I was trying to achieve the impossible. The people I tried to describe can’t be captured by words on a page; the adjectives that I need simply don’t exist.

Community members are the beating hearts of their neighbourhoods. I’ve been lucky to work with residents who transformed their £2k social action grants into enduring connections between neighbours. Being the first to spot local issues, some citizens feel compelled to use their grants to respond. One grantee set up a warm space in their estate’s TRA hall and distributed free blankets and fleeces when the cost of living crisis and hiked electricity bills impacted residents the most. The citizens I meet with inspire me every day with their contagious dreams for Camden. They continue to bring life to their communities, fuelling my work with their unwavering commitment to positive change. 

Knowledge is power 

It would be a disservice to Camden Giving’s alumni, grantees, community researchers, and local residents if we amass such vital information only for it to sit idly. We draw inspiration from the likes of The Trussell Trust who are platforming a broader dialogue on poverty, influencing policy discussions and prompting initiatives to address the root causes of food insecurity. New Horizon Youth Centre’s #Planforthe136k campaign draws attention to the catastrophic Centrepoint figure of 135,800 16-to 25-year-olds who approached their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness in 2022-23. New Horizon are advocating for mobilisation within schools and communities and are campaigning for policy change at the local and national government levels to tackle the youth homelessness crisis.  

In September we’ll be holding a Citizen Assembly, bringing together Camden and Birmingham researchers to share their findings and put forward recommendations for government, businesses and funders. We believe that the knowledge held by communities has the power to transform outcomes. It is our duty to share these insights far and wide, catalysing tangible change. If you are in a position to make decisions that could impact Camden’s communities, then it is your duty to listen to what they have to say. Anyone with the power to enact meaningful change in the borough should actively seek community guidance and allow themselves to be led by local insights. We hope that by amplifying unheard voices, our efforts contribute to a more inclusive society in Camden, influencing positive changes across multiple sectors.