Spotlight on impact: Engaging communities to inform the development of a giving scheme in Waltham Forest

Groundwork London secured City Bridge Foundation funding to launch ‘Waltham Forest Giving’, the borough’s first place-based giving scheme. Public Voice was commissioned to conduct a needs assessment exploring how best to support local people and groups through funding, resources, and time.

Aim

To bring about simple, transparent grant processes accessible to individuals and groups in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, and, through co-design, to ensure the scheme reflected the voices and priorities of Waltham Forest’s diverse communities.

Activities

We carried out desk research, stakeholder interviews, and community surveys to understand local needs and shape the giving scheme, engaging with residents, community groups, businesses, council staff, and other giving schemes to ensure broad and inclusive input.

Impact

The findings from the needs assessment directly influenced the formation of Waltham Forest Giving’s strategy and year-one action plan. The insights gathered formed the basis for key recommendations that Groundwork London implemented.

Outcomes

• Collaboration and resource sharing between local groups.
• Shared training and peer support among organisations.
• Core, unrestricted, and multi-year funding to support both existing and new initiatives.
• Simple, transparent and accessible grant processes.
• Cultivated relationships with high-net-worth individuals in the borough.
• Joint funding bids and shared learning across the borough