5 Minutes With Sofia: Listening with an Empathy Hat
Hello! I’m Sofia, and I recently had the incredible opportunity to work as a community researcher right here in Camden. When I first heard about this project, I was immediately drawn to it. A lot of what I’ve been learning in my course came to life with this research. It wasn’t just theory anymore; it was a real chance to contribute to my community and make a tangible impact on the place I call home, and for the people I live alongside.
A Day in the Life: The Empathy Hat
People often ask what a typical day looked like. For me, it was simple: I started by putting on my empathy hat. Empathy isn't just a nice idea in this work, it’s the main drive. A typical day was about truly listening to my neighbours, local groups, and communities. It was about hearing their hopes and frustrations without judgement. Just as important was the time spent afterwards, reflecting on what I’d heard. A typical day became a cycle of listening and reflecting, making sure I understood the heart of what people were sharing.
A Surprising and Hopeful Camden
This experience changed how I see Camden. I’ve always known Camden has potential, but I was surprised by how many passionate people are ready to roll up their sleeves and make change happen. I realised I’m not the only one who believes Camden can make a difference in people’s lives. There’s a whole network of us, and that discovery filled me with hope.
Reflections and Learning: The Power of Local Voices
The biggest lesson for me, about my community and myself, was the fundamental importance of listening. It seems simple, but it drives everything. You can’t know what people want unless you create the space for them to tell you. That’s why it’s so important for local people to lead or take part in research like this. We know what’s best for us. We live the reality of what our community needs every single day. An outside researcher might collect data, but a local researcher can understand the nuance, the history, and the unspoken challenges.
That’s the change I’d most like to see come from our findings. I want to see services that actually suit the community's needs, services that feel designed with us, not just for us. The council has a real opportunity to base next steps directly on what the community has voiced. The discoveries have been made; now is the time to take action.
Final Thoughts and Looking Forward
What will stay with me is a feeling of solidarity, knowing I am not alone in my passion for this borough. That shared belief in Camden’s future is a memory I’ll carry forever. This experience has inspired what I want to do next. It has solidified my desire to continue working within the Camden community, to keep contributing, and to be part of the positive growth we all want to see.
If I could give one piece of advice to someone joining a project like this, it would be this: just listen. Listen to what the community wants, empathise with their situation, and be a passionate translator of their needs and wants. That is the heart of real, impactful change.
This year, Camden’s Health and Wellbeing Team commissioned research to understand the experiences of global majority families with school-aged children accessing universal services. Camden Giving and The Young Foundation worked with local citizen researchers to carry out the project using a participatory approach, building community research skills and promoting equity. The findings were finalised and shared with the Council in November 2025 and will help shape future service delivery in the borough.
