Putting Community Centres at the Centre
Our Vision is that by 2035, Camden’s model will be recognised as a leading ecosystem for thriving community-led social infrastructure and impact. Every resident should be within reach of, and connected to, a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient community space which supports them and is able to amplify their voice.
Through sustained collaboration, investment, and leadership, our centres will be catalysts for systemic change, shaping a Camden where communities lead, belong, and flourish.
Our growing network of 20+ organisations are at the heart of communities throughout the borough. Through local delivery in local spaces, together we support:
Local people – more than 25,000 people access the support of our member organisations every week.
Local impact – we tackle social isolation, poverty, ill-health, unemployment and the effects of London’s inequalities.
Through advocacy, collaboration and partnership, C4 ensures community voices are united and heard at a local, regional and national level. We also support collaboration between our members and external partners.
From traditional community centres to farms, gardens, and arts centres, our network and reach span the borough. We work with communities of place, identity, age, lived experience and need. More than 80% of C4 members deliver programmes outside of the walls of our buildings, reaching people in the places where they are, while making our spaces more welcoming and permeable in the process.
Government policy over many years, across political boundaries, have led public policy toward localism and ever-increasing devolution. Camden’s a visionary local authority, pioneering ‘Mission-led’ working.
We’re approaching a unique moment for community centres: we’re vital social infrastructure; public policy is ready for us; society needs us the most; but we’re struggling to keep the lights on. The power of collective action can ensure we thrive, led by and with our communities.