Lambeth Council has committed £1.5 million through the Community Connections Fund to support a diverse range of organisations across Brixton, Stockwell, North Lambeth, and Waterloo. This fund provides grants to community-led projects aimed at helping local communities thrive. The money comes from the Neighbourhood Infrastructure Levy (NCIL), a tax on property developers that ensures local areas benefit from new investments in the borough.
Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Housing, Investment and New Homes, highlighted the success of the fund’s first round, which supported 13 organisations with £800,000. The second round has now allocated £1.5 million to 31 organisations, each offering unique projects that contribute toward the goals of the Lambeth 2030 Borough Plan. The Community Connections Fund is also a key element of the Lambeth Growth Plan, the borough’s 10-year strategy for inclusive and sustainable growth.
The second funding round opened in July 2024 and included new smaller Development grants of up to £10,000 for capacity building and idea testing, alongside larger Project Grants ranging from £10,000 to £200,000. The process was competitive, with over 200 applications requesting more than £15 million. The evaluation involved councillors, council officers, the Youth Council, and young people with lived experience to ensure diverse perspectives were included in decision-making.
One notable funded project is the Windrush Untold Stories initiative, delivered by a collaboration of local organisations including the Empathy Museum and Black Cultural Archives. This project created a free “living exhibition” in Windrush Square featuring large portraits of Windrush elders and their descendants, accompanied by audio recordings sharing personal experiences and reflections on community and belonging.
The fund also supports Van Gogh House’s Festival of Encounters, scheduled for September 2025. This free, hyperlocal festival will feature 40 talks and public events across 32 venues in northern Brixton. It aims to bring together artists, writers, activists, and community voices in both traditional and unconventional spaces to make the arts more accessible to local residents.
