Over the last 18 months, Neighbourly Lab has proudly partnered with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and and London Councils on the "Supporting London Boroughs' Engagement Project."
This initiative, funded by the GLA and run in partnership with London Councils, launched in Spring 2023, provided grants to 13 London Boroughs to deliver innovative community engagement projects through a flexible and long-term process. Each project aimed to foster deeper connections with local communities, especially those experiencing post-pandemic challenges and the cost-of-living crisis.
Throughout the grant our role as a Learning Partner has been to bring together these diverse projects, troubleshooting challenges and spreading shared learning. This included facilitating a series of Action Learning workshops, conducting ethnographic visits to see the projects in action and understand their community impact first-hand, and providing one-on-one support sessions to help grantees reflect on and refine their engagement strategies.
The impact of the grantee’s projects has been deep and wide-ranging. Boroughs have diversified their engagement techniques, reaching new communities and fostering inclusivity. From LB Barnet, LB Hounslow, and LB Redbridge working to improve the accessibility of their services for their deaf and hard of hearing communities, to LB Islington delivering a novel participatory budgeting process on two estates, the grantees have been afforded time and space to develop new approaches to engaging communities. As a result, each project has created real change within the communities they aimed to serve.
This partnership has not only supported immediate community needs but also established new skills and practices within the councils. The insights and experiences gained will now inform and improve future community engagement efforts across London. This partnership between Neighbourly Lab, The GLA, London Councils, and the 13 grantees, has further evidenced the power of collaborative learning and community-led initiatives in driving meaningful social change.
Click below to download the report & Impact Gallery.
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