During the "lock-down", all has not stayed still at KCSC. As some of you will know by now Nada joined the KCSC team. Like many, she was thrown in at the deep-end working on the logistics for the emergency food provision that KCSC and others were involved in. But now, three months after starting Nada is fully in the swing of her own job - and she is looking to hear from you.

Nada tell us about your role: 
“I’m working on a new programme at KCSC that’s trying to get local people more involved in the charities and community groups in the borough. The aim is to help people access opportunities that they may have been excluded from, and to help organisations become more diverse and representative of the people living in Kensington and Chelsea.
 
Wow very zeitgeist, though this started before recent events, what exactly are you working on now?: 
“We’re actually looking for three local community members to join the programme’s Steering Group. Why? First, we don’t think the programme will be effective if we don’t understand the opinions and experiences of people living in the borough. Second, if we’re honest, charities and other voluntary organisations are just not diverse or inclusive enough. There is such a rich mix of cultures, lifestyles and backgrounds in the borough, and we want to see more of that reflected in our organisations.” 
 
That sounds powerful. What will the Steering Group do? 
“The programme is managed by KCSC staff, but the Steering Group is there to help shape the design of the programme, and provide advice and insight into some of the needs of the local community. The Steering Group meets once every three months and gives the staff team feedback on their work, and connects them to other members of the local community. Think of it like an advisory group. 
 
Although it’s not a 'job', we know how important it is to pay people for their time, so we’re providing financial compensation and covering relevant expenses. The details of this are all in the role description we have on our website. 

Thanks Nada, so important an piece of work. How do people follow this up?
 
"If people are interested in getting involved, they can check out the role and other opportunities to share their ideas by following this link, or getting in touch with me at [email protected] or 020 3399 8162"

Finally, during the last Grenfell Network Group there was a strong desire to amplify the community voice, with feeling that lockdown had retarded progress made during the month running up to it.

The prevailing mood was that this needed urgent attention. With this in mind Grenfell Network Group is looking forward to hosting a Public "in person event" and will be looking for speakers from the community and local charities who would like to bring forward concrete ideas on how to realise the ambitions of the RBKC "Charter for Public Participation" . If you wish to speak at this event please contact [email protected]