Camden Council & Footwork Fund 9 Community Projects 2026

Key Points

• Camden Council and charity Footwork are partnering to support nine projects led by residents and community groups aimed at transforming areas on Camden estates and neighbourhoods.
• The programme, titled ‘People and Place: Camden’, is a 12-month initiative designed to encourage and assist residents and community organisations with big ideas to make long-term change in their communities.
• Selected project leaders will receive tailored support, including expert mentorship, peer-learning opportunities, workshops, a £5,000 grant each, and opportunities to connect with community leaders across England.
• This programme forms a key part of Camden’s Estates and Neighbourhoods Mission, which aims to ensure that by 2030, Camden’s estates and neighbourhoods will be healthy, sustainable, and unlock creativity.
• Nine project ideas from residents and small community groups were chosen following an open call for expressions of interest.
• Danie Gilbert, Footwork trustee and Good Shepherd Studios co-founder, expressed excitement about the collaboration and highlighted the programme’s role in supporting local innovators addressing issues like green space access, community facilities, environmental pressures, health, social inequality, and spaces for meeting, resting, creating, and belonging.
• Katie Gosling from the project ‘Bloom Along the Railway and Belong’ shared how her experience as a parent inspired the idea to rewild an overlooked space, improve the environment, and create opportunities for growing food and herbs as a legacy for future generations.
• Participants will spend the next few months shaping ideas, testing concepts, and learning from each other, supported by mentors, workshops, and a network of community leaders.
• The programme has received £30,000 funding from the Mayor of London and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as part of efforts to support mission-driven property management across London’s high streets.

Camden, London (North London News) February 14, 2026 – Camden Council has joined forces with the charity Footwork to back nine innovative projects spearheaded by local residents and community groups, set to reshape estates and neighbourhoods across the borough. This 12-month ‘People and Place: Camden’ programme offers tailored support, including £5,000 grants per project, mentorship, workshops, and networking with national community leaders, as part of the council’s broader Estates and Neighbourhoods Mission targeting healthier, sustainable communities by 2030. Funded with £30,000 from the Mayor of London and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the initiative responds to an open call that selected these resident-led ideas tackling key local challenges.

What Is the ‘People and Place: Camden’ Programme?

The ‘People and Place: Camden’ programme stands as a 12-month effort explicitly aimed at encouraging and helping residents and community organisations with big ideas and the desire to make long-term change in their communities bring their projects to life. Project leaders will receive tailored support, encompassing expert mentorship, peer-learning opportunities, workshops, a £5,000 grant, and the chance to connect with community leaders across England. This comprehensive package is designed to empower those with firsthand experience of local issues to drive tangible improvements.

As outlined in the official announcement, the programme is a key component of Camden’s Estates and Neighbourhoods Mission, which harbours the ambitious goal that by 2030, Camden’s estates and their neighbourhoods will be healthy, sustainable, and unlock creativity. Nine project ideas led by residents and small community groups have been selected following an open call for expressions of interest, ensuring a diverse range of grassroots initiatives gains momentum.

The residents and community groups involved will now dedicate the next few months to shaping their ideas, testing concepts, and learning from each other. This phase will be bolstered by dedicated mentors, practical workshops, and access to a wider network of community leaders, fostering both skill development and collaborative growth.

Who Are the Key Partners and Supporters?

Camden Council and the charity Footwork form the cornerstone of this partnership. Footwork brings valuable experience from its national ‘People and Place’ programme, now localised for Camden. The initiative has also secured £30,000 from the Mayor of London and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This funding aligns with the Mayor of London’s work to support more mission-driven property management across the city’s high streets, injecting vital resources into community transformation.

Danie Gilbert, Footwork trustee and Good Shepherd Studios co-founder, provided insight into the collaboration. As reported in coverage of the announcement, Danie Gilbert said:

“We’re excited to collaborate with Camden Council and these brilliant community innovators, and to bring insights from three years of Footwork’s national People and Place programme.”

Gilbert further elaborated:

“Around the country, there are so many people ready to drive change in their neighbourhoods, but they often lack the support, power and partnerships to make that change. People and Place: Camden backs local people across Camden whose experiences of a local challenge have inspired them to take action, and who are working to transform local land and buildings for long-term community benefit.”

Gilbert emphasised the innovators’ deep commitment:

“Each innovator cares deeply about their community and their place, and together they are addressing a range of issues – from access to green space and community facilities, to environmental pressures, health, social inequality and the need for places to meet, rest, create and belong. Together they’ll strengthen their ideas, develop their projects and confidence, and build the skills and connections needed for lasting change.”

What Do the Selected Projects Entail?

While specific details on all nine projects remain forthcoming pending further development, the selection process followed an open call for expressions of interest, prioritising resident-led ideas with potential for enduring impact. One highlighted project, ‘Bloom Along the Railway and Belong’, exemplifies the programme’s focus on environmental and wellbeing enhancements.

Katie Gosling from ‘Bloom Along the Railway and Belong’ shared her personal motivation. As reported in the programme’s launch details, Katie Gosling said:

“My experience as a parent revealed how much this overlooked space affects families’ wellbeing. Our idea is to rewild the area, improve the local environment and create opportunities for growing food and herbs. This would be an exciting legacy for the next generation, like the other projects in this programme.”

These projects collectively target transformations on Camden estates and neighbourhoods, addressing pressing local needs through community-driven solutions.

Why Was This Programme Launched Now?

The timing reflects Camden Council’s strategic alignment with its Estates and Neighbourhoods Mission, which sets a 2030 horizon for healthier, sustainable, and creative communities. Footwork’s involvement draws on three years of national expertise, identifying a gap where local people lack the necessary support, power, and partnerships to enact change. By selecting nine projects from an open call, the programme ensures broad representation and responsiveness to Camden’s unique challenges.

The £30,000 infusion from the Mayor of London and UK Shared Prosperity Fund underscores broader governmental commitment to levelling up through community-led regeneration, particularly in mission-driven property management on high streets.

How Will the Support Be Delivered?

Over the coming months, participants will engage in a structured process of idea refinement, practical testing, and peer learning. Expert mentorship will provide one-on-one guidance, while workshops offer skill-building sessions. Peer-learning opportunities and connections to a national network of community leaders will expand horizons and forge lasting partnerships.

Each project receives a £5,000 grant to kickstart implementation, ensuring financial viability from the outset. This multi-faceted support aims to build not just projects, but also the confidence, skills, and networks required for sustained community impact.

What Challenges Does It Address?

The programme directly confronts barriers like limited access to green spaces, inadequate community facilities, environmental pressures, health disparities, social inequality, and the scarcity of spaces for social interaction, rest, creativity, and belonging. Danie Gilbert noted that innovators are inspired by personal experiences of these local challenges, positioning them uniquely to effect change.

Katie Gosling’s project illustrates this: transforming an overlooked railway-adjacent space into a rewilded area for food growing addresses wellbeing for families, creating a generational legacy.

What Is Camden’s Estates and Neighbourhoods Mission?

This mission encapsulates the council’s vision for 2030: estates and neighbourhoods that are healthy, sustainable, and brimming with creativity. ‘People and Place: Camden’ serves as a pivotal element, translating high-level goals into actionable, resident-led projects.

How Does Funding Tie into Wider Efforts?

The £30,000 from the Mayor of London and UK government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund links local action to city-wide priorities. It supports the Mayor’s push for mission-driven property management on high streets, amplifying community voices in urban development.

What Comes Next for the Projects?

The initial phase focuses on ideation and testing, with ongoing support to refine concepts. Successful projects promise lasting transformations, from greener spaces to enhanced facilities, strengthening Camden’s social fabric.