People and Place: Camden
Citizen’s Assembly on a Greener Neighbourhood
Putting residents at the heart of local environmental decision-making
meet ...
Alice, Amina and Hannah
Our Why
Our neighbourhood faces a range of environmental pressures, including limited green space, high noise levels and climate risk. Many residents feel excluded from shaping solutions that affect their daily lives and shared future. These issues are intertwined with social and economic inequalities. For example, many green spaces are gated and open only to a few.
Our Idea
We’re aiming to convene a local Citizens’ Assembly that puts residents at the centre of environmental decision-making in Swiss Cottage and South Hampstead. Our idea is to bring together a diverse, representative group of people to learn, deliberate and develop shared recommendations on local environmental priorities. By creating a safe, inclusive space for dialogue, including respectful disagreement, we hope to rebuild trust, strengthen relationships and show how community voices can translate into meaningful action and fairer outcomes.
About
The Winch
Alice Robson (Head of Communities at The Winch), Amina Scott-Dooman (Community Participation Worker), and Hannah McDowall (Community Development Manager) together lead the Good Neighbourhood Project, a multi-year, place-based initiative in Swiss Cottage and South Hampstead developed by the Winch, a local charity with over 50 years of history in the area. Rooted in lived experience and long-term relationships, the project supports community-led change through cycles of neighbourhood inquiry and action.
