We Make Camden Kit

The ‘We Make Camden Kit’ is open for applications

The We Make Camden Kit is a partnership between Camden Citizens, Camden Council, Camden Giving, and Camden businesses. We're funding and supporting great ideas that will make Camden a better place. The goal is to help achieve Camden’s Core Missions by 2030; everyone eats well every day, young people have great opportunities, there’s diversity amongst people in power and we’re living in sustainable neighbourhoods.

Decisions on who receives funding and support are made by a panel of Camden residents from across the borough, who have diverse experiences of Camden, with the panel of Camden residents supported by a partnership between Camden Council and Camden Giving.


Upcoming Break

We want to keep you informed about an upcoming break in our panel meetings. Please note that from the 5th of March to the 16th of April, there will be no panel meetings scheduled.

This means no decisions will be made in this periods because no applications will be reviewed.

If your project is time-sensitive, especially related to events like Eid or Ramadan, we highly encourage you to submit your applications before Friday, the 16th of February. This will ensure that your submissions receive timely consideration and avoid any delays due to the break.


What are the core missions?

  • Representative leadership:

    At Camden Giving, we aim to empower individuals and organizations rooted in Camden, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, providing them with the opportunities and resources they need to lead community projects that resonate with their lived experiences. Together, we are working towards a more inclusive and equitable Camden.

    Over the past year, Camden Giving has collaborated with partners and the community to envision a future in 2030 where the leadership landscape in Camden is truly representative of its diverse population. Our commitment to deconstructing systems of oppression drives us to support aspiring leaders who have historically been underrepresented in positions of power.

  • Opportunities for children and young people:

    Camden’s children and young people should have opportunities for education, happiness, and health and contribute to making Camden a better place. Our community panel wants to fund projects that are designed with or by children and young people.

    We want to create a borough where every young person can access and create opportunities – regardless of their background or identity.

  • Access to food for all:

    Everyone deserves to eat well, and issues surrounding our food systems are becoming increasingly urgent. Our community panel want to give grants to experimental ideas, new partnerships, entrepreneurial activity and community-led activities responding to food poverty.

  • Stronger Communities:

    Ensuring no Camden resident is left behind, projects applying under this mission will be thinking about ways to connect Camden residents for the betterment of the community, whether this is through sports clubs, walking groups, art projects, or developing a communal space. This mission is about bringing the community together, be that for an event, to learn something new, or to continue doing something they enjoy.

    Eco-friendly neighborhoods:

    Projects that encourage local residents to be eco-friendly in their everyday lives, whether this is growing their own fruit and vegetables, using compost bins, litter picking groups, developing a community garden, recycling, upcycling, or clean air initiatives. Projects applying under this mission will be thinking about Camden resident’s role in saving the planet.


Tell me more

Decisions on who receives funding and support are made by a panel of Camden residents from across the borough, who have diverse experiences of Camden, with the panel of Camden residents supported by a partnership between Camden Council and Camden Giving. The community panel who award these grants value the experience of people who have faced inequalities in Camden because they have faced them themselves. The community panel encourage applications from those who have faced barriers to receiving funding elsewhere.

Residents can also receive support with insurance, safeguarding and connections to make their ideas a success.


Ready to apply?

I am a Camden resident, not part of a charity or social enterprise, and are applying for the first time for a seed grant.

Tell us who you are…

I work for a charity, school or social enterprise, and are applying for the first time.

Don’t need any help and ready to apply?

I am a returning successful recipient of this fund and want more funding to build on the project - you’ll be applying for a growth grant.

Somalis in Tech is a social enterprise that was set up by Camden citizens to help empower the Somali community.They recently received funding for their upcoming mentorship programme. They aim to serve young people and career switchers by providing them with mentors that will support them with exploring career options.

Diversity in positions of power:
Representative leadership

Khady’s Dream was founded by Kevin Koffi, the project educates young people in the community about the legal system by delivering workshops in schools. These workshops enable them to interact with students and individuals at risk of committing crimes, discussing the risks of offending. Since being awarded a grant Khady’s dream has gone on to become a registered social enterprise.

Opportunities for children and young people

Food for homelessness in Camden is a project run by Camden Resident Malihe Sadeghipour. The project received funding for making 40 hot meals each week (vegetarian and non vegetarian) and drink for homelessness people who live in the borough of Camden for 3 months.

Access to food for all

Success Stories Spotlight

A group of 50 volunteers have helped to set up and maintain the Kilburn community garden. The garden was awarded a grant for the maintenance and expansion of the community garden, organisation of educational and community events, and provision of durable tools, seeds and seedlings for the next year.

Estates and Neighbourhoods

Still need some help? No worries

As part of this, we have a designated Grants Coordinator to help you achieve this…

Abukar in our team offers support for residents with things like safeguarding, insurance and finding connections they need to bring their projects to life. Abukar is an avid coffee drinker, so don’t be a stranger and opt to meet him in person!

So please contact Abukar on the following:

Abukar Elmi, Grants Coordinator
abukar@camdengiving.org.uk
07585715575

We’ve also got a few resources to help you on your application journey:

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We also host monthly drop-in sessions, 2nd Monday of the month, from 2pm-5pm, at the Collective. Come along for any additional help!

FAQs

  • No - Applicants can only apply for ‘Growth’ grants once they have successfully delivered a smaller ‘Seed’ project.

  • If you are new to the ‘We Make Camden Kit’ you can apply for a ‘Seed’ grant to £2,000 once, if successful and following the completion of all reporting requirements, you can then apply for a ‘Growth’ grant once per year once you have set up as a constituted group.

  • In order to apply for a ‘Growth’ grant, you will need to be registered as a constituted non-profit with either companies house or the charity commission. You will need to provide a copy of your governance, a bank statement in your companies name, details of your most recent accounts and a safeguarding policy.

  • The application process for both grants are nearly identical and work toward the same Camden missions. The ‘seed’ grant is open to Camden residents, organisations and schools to trial a new idea for the first time with grants of upto £2000. The ‘Growth’ grants are larger grants of up to £5000 for projects that have already been trialled and benefitting communities in Camden. ‘Growth’ grants are only available for constituted non-profits, they are in place to support residents ideas to grow and become sustainable.


This work is funded by Camden Council, Landsec and Shaftesbury through their continued commitment to supporting the brilliant ideas of local residents. To ensure the longevity of the We Make Camden Kit, Camden Giving continues to seek additional funding from local businesses invested in making Camden a fairer place for everybody.

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