Waltham Forest LBC

Community involvement is at the heart of Fellowship Funding grant programme, a key part of our London Borough of Culture programme delivering over 220 projects across the borough. Over 130,000 residents have already participated in local cultural activity, many from hard to reach communities, getting involved for the first time. Our radical new approach ensured an open, accessible process providing personal development and community support, a successful pilot with community ambassadors choosing the final projects, coupled with effective evaluation. The Fellowship Funding programme has created a step change in the council’s approach to resident-led decision-making to help achieve wider priorities.

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council-owned company. Private sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself. Many councils are seeking to establish a new relationship with local people and local communities. Community involvement and engagement is increasingly important as a way of shaping council thinking, contributing to service design and improvement and to responding to continuing resource pressures. It may also involve direct community involvement in service delivery. This award is intended to showcase the whole range of community involvement.