The Commission met for the fourth time to reflect on opportunity areas within each of the missions and early project ideas to help the borough achieve the missions. The conversation also focused on the realities of inspiring cross-borough partnerships and sharing ideas from experience on mobilising people around the missions.
A start of the mission delivery journey
The April meeting zoomed out from previous discussions about policy ideas to take forward within the missions, to focus on how the missions can be brought to life. The Commission discussed next steps for them as a group, and proposals on how the work is being opened up to inspire cross-sectoral engagement.
A snapshot of early action and ongoing work that relates to the four Renewal Missions
The session showcased some of the early activity currently underway to bring the four Camden Renewal Missions to life including:
- How the Council is enabling social action and what the plans are for developing ways of working with partners on the missions
- Insights into the ongoing retrofit work as part of a larger agenda of greening Camden while providing local jobs
- The development of the Food Poverty Action Alliance
- The powerful potential of public private partnerships, as showcased by the collaboration between Local Globe and Somers Town Community Association in responding to the pandemic
- The diversification of school governor boards in Camden
Towards collective action and momentum
Following these project snapshots and examples of action, the commissioners discussed how to bring active citizen voices into the mission and ensure these voices are supported to build capability and how to build ‘neighbourliness’ between businesses, community organisations and residents living in an area.
Throughout the conversation people highlighted the potential that could come from creating new collaborations between people who live in Camden, and the stakeholders, assets and globally leading creatives and innovators in education and business that live here too.
At the end of the session, the commissioners discussed next steps and their involvement going forward, including through:
- 1:1 relationships on specific areas of work
- A couple of thematic deep dive sessions focused on sharing knowledge around specific themes or projects, such as active citizenship in neighbourhoods or sustainable forms of finance.
- Reconvening of the Commission in October to report on progress