Working collaboratively with local authority partners to maximise positive impacts for communities

Although we are no longer in and out of lockdowns, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was still felt acutely in communities across the country throughout 2022.

Earlier this year in South Kilburn, a key location for us and our partner Brent Council, we started to reshape our programme to respond to the issues of health and wellbeing, isolation and access to nature - three key Covid-19 recovery themes for the South Kilburn community.   

As a result, throughout the year, we have been delivering a number of community initiatives with Brent Council to support the focus of our post-Covid programme, including:

• ‘Changing Perspectives’ six-week photography workshop
• Urbanwise London ‘Mini Mappers’ environmental programme
• Dr Bike workshop
• Researchers in Residence programme with the London School of Economics (LSE)
• 100 Hours volunteering at the Trussell Trust food bank
• Donation of £1,000 to the Family Wellbeing Centre to support new winter coats for school children in need

In March, local resident and trained therapeutic photography practitioner, Jon Rees, hosted a face-to-face six-week photography workshop for 16 members of the local community. Jon’s ‘Changing Perspectives’ sessions focused on how photography can help to improve overall wellbeing and mental health, and how connecting with others can help to build supportive and creative communities.

The ‘Mini Mappers’ environmental programme from Urbanwise London – an educational charity that promotes active outdoor learning in local environments – took place at Carlton Vale Infant School this summer and focused on teaching students the importance of navigation in their local area to maximise their enjoyment of spending time outdoors. Students were taught how to read maps and learnt some of the key vocabulary and geographical skills they need to explore their local parks.

Taking place at the Granville Community Centre, in collaboration with Cycletastics and Dr Bike, we hosted a half-day workshop over the summer on how to fix bikes, encouraging the local community to cycle more in turn improving physical and mental health, and helping to reduce travel costs.

Recently, we started our Researcher in Residence programme with LSE to encourage Brent’s young female community to engage in discussions about public facilities in the local area. On 12th November we invited Brent-based 13–27-year-olds, who identify as a girl or young woman to join us for a mapping workshop afternoon. During the session, attendees shared their thoughts on how to improve the design and provision of public space in Brent - a meaningful programme and one of many that we will look to roll out across selected London boroughs over the next 12 months.

Additional initiatives are planned for 2023, including ‘Class of Your Own’ in January, a three-year learning programme which will take place at a secondary school in Brent. The programme is designed to inspire young people to pursue a career within the housebuilding industry and will provide specialist teacher and student training which can lead to students achieving specialist Design Engineer Construct qualifications.

We are also working with Box Up Crime to deliver a boxing facility in the Granville Centre, set to launch in early 2023. Box Up Crime uses boxing as a tool to inspire, educate and develop young people, offering safe space away from crime.

Countryside Partnerships is currently delivering the transformative scheme North West Quarter, formally known as Peel House, in the London Borough of Brent, which includes creation of a new local hub for South Kilburn to serve local residents.

Countryside Partnerships’ work alongside the London Borough of Brent builds on our shared commitment to delivering cohesive, long-lasting impact for local residents, providing much needed housing and, importantly, positive socio-economic value for the local community.

To find out more about the meaningful social impact that Countryside Partnerships South, and our partners, have delivered across our London-wide regeneration and development programmes during 2022, please read our Social Value Highlight Report below.