Naima, Future Changemakers
We caught up with Naima, local Camden resident and Future ChangeMaker panellist 2022. She took us on a journey through her words exploring her experience on the Future ChangeMakers Fund panel. Through expression and shared words of wisdom, have a read of Naima’s blog to capture how it is truly like to be a panellist with Camden Giving.
Naima Browne, Future Changemaker panellist 2022
“It’s safe to say, I’ve loved it.”
It’s May 11th and pouring down with rain as I step into the Auto Trader office. I’ve walked past the lavish and stately offices along Kings Cross for years prior, yet the thought of actually working in them never crossed my mind. As I’m sat in a lush, open boardroom with a basket of snacks displayed on the table between the other keen panellists, it dawns on me that I’m not only working in a place I like, but doing it with Camden Giving.
Auto Trader, Kings Cross.
After living in Camden for 6 years, I’ve grown to love how the borough continues to give back to the people. Camden Summer University helped me to discover my passion for creativity, while my family and I were given plenty of support from the area during the multiple lockdowns. Residents themselves are just as generous: parties on estates for special occasions and small street festivals are just some of the instances where this close-knit community made me feel accepted within them.
However, I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the injustices that occurred. It feels like there’s no escaping racism, homophobia or any other kind of discrimination while living in the UK, but Camden has given us ways of tackling them. This is where my motive to become a Future Changemaker Panellist stemmed from - giving young people the power to repay the borough’s generosity as well as deterring unfairness, is the kind of responsibility I will always be willing to have.
The most prominent feature in Future Changemakers to me are the ages of the panellists. We young people have seemed to accept that those who have the power to fund grants - usually prominent, affluent, white men - are often those who don’t consume them, or would benefit the most from them. So to find a job in participatory grant-making with an age range of 16 to 25 definitely came as a pleasant surprise to me! Young people making decisions that impact other young people; a straightforward idea in theory, but few organisations can put it into practice like Camden Giving does.
Ayma, Samiya, Naima, Rufaida, Future ChangeMaker Panellists 2022
Skip forward a month and it’s June 15th, still in the office but fortunately sunnier this time. It’s the penultimate training session before we get to work, and a sense of excitement is growing in me. After all these meetings together, we’re finally advancing towards making collaborative judgements as a panel. One thing I will mention - I’ve never dreaded us clashing as a team. Regardless of our ages and genders, I feel that our panel can debate whilst working well with each other. From staying a little while after each session has finished to talk with one another, to building on each other's points when having discussions, we’ve managed to collaborate not just as colleagues, but as peers and friends.
Future Changemaker panel 2022
And I’m more than happy that it’s worked out this way: I believe we represent what Future Changemakers is for. We’re a group of young people with a love for Camden and its community, so we work together to make Camden the best it can be for other teens and young adults. Now, it's the present day, and having finished my GCSEs, my focus is now on writing this blog. I’ve been given some prompts about what to write, so I saved my favourite till last: ‘How was your overall experience?’
Safe to say, I've loved it!
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Safe to say, I've loved it! 〰️
I’ve loved being able to work in a fancy office that’s comfortable and full of snacks. I’ve loved working with staff and visitors who’ve made everyone feel valid and comfortable in our workplace. I’ve loved the fact that I can take on such an important and impactful role. And most of all, I’ve loved how everyone on the panel is treated just the same as any adult would be treated. Camden Giving tells us how the work we do is vital, and it’s definitely been reflected in their approach to our sessions. We aren’t spoken to condescendingly, we’re listened to, we’re encouraged to say our opinions; we’re treated as equals.
There’s only a short while until fund decision-making, and I’m looking forward to it. Being on the 2022 Future Changemakers panel has been an incredible experience so far, and I’ve no doubt that we’re going to excel in the next stage of our journey.