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A programme for community innovators who are transforming Camden’s neighbourhoods by bringing buildings and spaces to life.
Footwork, in collaboration with Camden Council, is launching a 12-month support programme for community innovators like you to turn bold ideas into projects that deliver long-term change for your neighbourhood.
You’ll be brought together in a supportive network, with expert mentorship, a grant of £5,000, peer-learning opportunities, workshops, and the chance to connect with a national movement of inspirational community innovators across England.
Applications closed
Are you deeply rooted in your local community, with a bold solution to a local issue, and a vision to transform your place for community benefit?
Who do we support?
'People and Place: Camden' supports up to 10 small groups or individuals whose experience of an issue or challenge in their neighbourhood has motivated them to take action and address it.
These ideas can take many forms, but in each case you will be acting to shape your local environment. This might mean community ownership or use of buildings, greening and growing on land, transforming streets, retrofitting, generating community energy, or other types of community asset development.
You'll likely be meeting challenges in one or more of these areas,
to ensure:
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You’ll be aiming to build community power for the long term —
so local people are able to live affordably, sustainably and together.
for example...
open access to materials to build and repair our homes, streets and neighbourhoods
advocate for fair and equitable planning processes
make new use of a local open space, land or buildings
rethink how local facilities (my local library, high street or others) can work better for our community
work with local stakeholders to acquire and repair building assets
involve everyone to have a say in regeneration processes
protect our local social and built heritage
What's included?
Over the course of the programme, you’ll strengthen your idea and strategies, deepen your skills and confidence as a community innovator and asset developer, and build lasting peer networks in Camden and beyond.
Together with your peers, and with support from Footwork you’ll experience:
There's more!
Space
During the programme, Footwork’s home in Farringdon, London, is yours to use as a space to come together: to hold a workshop with your mentor; to use as a co-working space; or simply to pop by if you’re in need of a cuppa.
The wider movement
You will have opportunities to connect into a network of fellow community innovators doing inspirational work across England, from Footwork’s People and Place alumni to Local Property Partnerships to the Mycelial Network.
Our aim is for more and more community innovators nationally to have the solidarity, inspiration, shared power, knowledge and improved conditions to take action.
Just having someone there saying we believe in you, and you can do it, makes such a huge difference when you are tackling challenging and seemingly impossible situations in your place.
The programme made us question the essence of the project (what actual change we want to see happening and how we get there) and redefine who we are as an organisation - a space operator for circular economies to flourish.
One-to-one support
Work with a mentor, from a pool of inspiring people and organisations across the country, who is carefully matched with you. They will bring their specific expertise and experience to focus on the areas in which you most need support.
You’ll also be able to draw on ad hoc support from peer mentors and a wider ‘community of industry’ (e.g. architects, engineers, finance experts).
Together you can tackle knotty problems. This may include: working on your strategy; helping you tell your story; developing a pitch for funding; or finding ways to measure and explain the difference your project is making in your neighbourhood.
Be together
Know you’re not alone! Connect with peers tackling similar challenges - share experiences, swap tips, and build confidence together.
Every few months, come together to celebrate, reflect, and learn from community innovators and practitioners; from Field Trips to inspiring community projects across the country, to taking part in online huddles, and sharing your story on national platforms.
Read our latest field trip reflection here:
It felt energising being able to speak with others with similar traits and challenges as there was less focus on trying to understand each other and more focus on the issues at hand
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Problems are best resolved by identifying those with power to help, and finding common-ground with them to encourage cooperation and solutions …
Connect with council partners
Build trust and partnerships with people in Camden Council through ‘buddy’ matches, workshops and peer-led events – to explore ways to unlock your idea and convene local stakeholders like developers and residents longer term.
People and Place Grant
Each group receives an unrestricted grant of £5,000. Its main purpose is to give you the headspace and resources to fully take part in the programme.
Timings?
The People and Place: Camden programme requires a commitment of 12 days in total, spread out over a 12 month period.
All of the costs associated with the programme (e.g. travel to field trips, mentor fees, residential accommodation) are covered. In addition, you have an unrestricted grant of £5k, which we recommend you use it in a way that helps cover your time to take part in the programme, and engage fully with everything People and Place: Camden has to offer.
How do I apply?
Step 1. Prepare
Please take our anonymous Quick Quiz to indicate if People and Place: Camden is a good fit for you (2 mins)
Feel free to our free webinar on Wednesday 22nd October to understand more about the programme and ask the Footwork team any questions.
Step 2. Apply
"I've taken the quiz and it looks like People and Place: Camden could be a good fit for me!"
Please complete and submit your EOI form by Monday 3rd November at 11:59pm.
Large Font Expression of Interest Form, 14pt
Click to download
"I don’t find forms easy, how else can I apply?"
You can answer the application form questions using an audio recording and send that to us instead.
Step 3.
We aim to review all Expressions of Interest with the support of our Selection Panel as quickly as possible after the closing date.
If your EOI is successful, the team would be delighted to visit you in your neighbourhood for approximately one hour. The visit will give us an opportunity to put a face to your application and gain a deeper understanding of your challenge and your proposed idea.
Site visits are scheduled for the week commencing the 17th November. If you are invited to a visit, Ellie will be in touch with further details including talking points and to arrange a time convenient for you.
FAQs
If you have any queries that aren't answered on this website or the supporting documents, please email applications@footwork.org.uk
We so look forward to hearing from you!
Until then, see what previous People and Place participants have to say...
Being part of the Footwork People and Place cohort has been transformational. Surrounded by other brilliant organisations who share and understand the costs and joys of making change happen together. The generous programme of meetups and mentorship made space and time to step outside of the work and imagine, plan and connect and that has been invaluable.
Being part of the 2024 People & Place cohort has been such an honour, it has grown our community to include people up and down the UK who are doing incredible things in their neighbourhoods. It’s wonderful to be connected to so many inspiring and determined innovators, and I know that the relationships we’ve started to build through this programme will continue beyond this year!
Illustrations by Amy Browne
In collaboration with
