Kicking Things Off: The Community Board's First Day
The Community Board came together for the first time connecting, learning, and laying the foundations for community-led funding.
The Community Board came together in person for the very first time, a milestone moment in the journey of this fund.
A group of local people from Brixton and Peckham, spanning different generations, backgrounds, and life experiences, each bringing their own energy, perspective, and passion to the table.
We kicked things off with an icebreaker: the board introduced themselves, shared laughs, stories, and their motivations behind getting involved.
We then took a step back to look at how this fund came to be. It all started with a co-creation group made up of residents from across Lambeth and Southwark who came together to design a model that would shift power and put communities at the centre of funding decisions.
Fast forward to where we are today, we’ve raised £400k and ready to put into practice the blueprint created by this co-creation group in these area as a pilot.
This session had a simple aim:
Build chemistry as a board
Clarify their roles and responsibilities
Understand what lies ahead on this journey
As paid board members, they will be leading the way, shaping the fund’s identity, conducting community research, and shaping the funds strategy and priorities.
“It feels like there’s flexibility… and that we actually have decision-making power.”
“I was pleasantly surprised - this doesn’t feel like a tick-box exercise.”
A real highlight of the day was the Lumina Spark session, led by Colleen and Stephen from the Amos Bursary. Using inclusive psychometrics, Lumina helps people explore their personalities, communication styles, and approaches to leadership.
It gave the board the chance to learn more about themselves and each other, building the kind of trust and understanding that strong boards are built on.
“I’m looking forward to more gatherings and working together.”
Of course, we also touched on the “boring but important” stuff - the nuts and bolts of governance and decision-making. We covered how the board will make fair, transparent choices, manage conflicts of interest, and ensure accountability throughout the process.
Our live illustrator, Raquel, captured the session as it unfolded, bringing the day to life in a fresh and creative way (because not everyone wants to read a bullet-pointed list!).
A huge thank you to our long-time friends at Juvenis, an amazing organisation supporting young people in Brixton, for kindly hosting us.
If you’re interested in supportng the fund, or want to know more, drop us an email stpfund@cvr.community.