Communities in the driving seat: building a place-based funding ecosystem in Southwark

There's a quiet revolution underway in Southwark. Not a pilot, not a theory — a living funding ecosystem with different entry points for communities at every stage of development: from the first idea that ever got funding, to mature initiatives going deeper.

Come and hear from the people who design, lead and experience these funds - and what they unlock for their organisations and the people they serve. Three programmes sit at the heart of the conversation:

• Changemakers — seed funding for an idea that isn't ready for a form, a portal, or a panel
• Funding Differently — a borough-wide peer-led small grants scheme (£5k–£10k), devolved and pooled, drawing on NHS and independent funders in genuinely accessible ways
• Core Grants — trust-based, relational, long-term core funding for established community organisations

Using a fishbowl format, you'll watch a facilitated exchange between funders and local partners - then pull up the empty chair and bring your own questions and experiences into the room.

Hosted by United St Saviour's, Active Communities Network and Community Southwark, and facilitated by Julia Slay.

This session will be particularly relevant if you are thinking about how to move from funding individual organisations to investing in a local ecosystem that holds space for communities at every stage