Published: Thursday 8 July 2021
A new £1m Grenfell Housing Legacy Fund for residents living in Council-owned properties or placed by the Council in temporary accommodation in Notting Dale ward, has been agreed by the Leadership Team.
This Fund, which is part of the Council’s commitment to establishing a legacy from the Grenfell tragedy, will support projects designed and chosen by residents through a participatory budgeting process on an estate-by-estate basis.
The money could be spent on anything from community gardens, CCTV and improved lighting, a skills library to address barriers to employment or projects to tackle social isolation. Ultimately it is for residents to suggest ideas, vote and decide how the money will best make a difference and leave a lasting legacy on their estates.
Residents will be able to submit proposals if they:
- increase economic opportunities for residents
- focus on sustainability, the environment, and green spaces
- focus on community safety
- promote inclusion and accessibility
- promote residents having their own voice.
- provide opportunities and support for children and young people
Ahead of the Fund being agreed last night (Wednesday 7 July), we carried out a six-week consultation asking eligible residents about the key themes for the Fund and their ideas for how it would work best. We received 121 responses and a range of comments:
- Residents expressed support for all the proposed themes, with the most popular being projects that increase economic opportunities for residents and community safety projects
- Residents had ideas for other themes, including a focus on green spaces and opportunities for children and young people
- People asked for support in developing pitches and writing proposals
- Residents expressed a preference for an online voting system but had concerns about people who did not have access to technology.
During the consultation one resident said: “I would like to get a place so we could have gatherings with local families so they could learn more about their cultures.” There were also suggestions to run drug and knife awareness courses for young people as well as to deliver environmental improvements to local streets and enhancements to community spaces.
Residents were also clear that they wanted to support with developing ideas, with one suggesting they would like “access to people who have experience on writing and submitting proposals” and “advice on how to get people interested in your proposal and take it to the next level”.
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, Lead Member for Grenfell, Housing and Social Investment, said:
“This fund aims to give residents more control over the support they receive and ensure that the benefits of Grenfell recovery initiatives are felt directly by residents.
“This is a great example of a project that is being designed and led by residents who are taking ownership over how they want to make a difference and contribute to long-term change that is meaningful to the local community.”
We will now write to all residents to encourage them to put forward ideas and work with residents’ associations and interested individuals on individual estates to help generate interest in the Fund.
We will ensure targeted support for residents is offered on an estate basis, both online and in person, to help them develop their ideas and submit proposals. We expect to review proposals with residents in the autumn before they are put to a vote.
Read the full report on the Grenfell Housing Legacy Fund.