Six local residents named as part of newly launched community grants panel

Photojournalist Cinzia D’Ambrosi and visually impaired campaigner Ramona Williams are among six local residents who have joined UNITED in Hammersmith & Fulham’s new Community Grants Panel which pilots distributing decision making power to local people.

The place-based giving scheme’s first ever community panel will receive full training and go on as a group to make independent decisions to allocate pots of funding which support community initiatives for the next 18-months. Together, they will bring unique insights and represent the needs of people with their experience of diverse communities in the borough.

The full list of successful panellists (in alphabetical order) is below:

  • Cinzia D’Ambrosi
  • Iashia John
  • Louise Jones
  • Jeannetta Orton
  • Trey Campbell-Simon
  • Ramona Williams

All will work part time and be paid the London Living Wage for their training, and for assessing and distributing each round of grants, thanks to funding from City Bridge Trust.

Trey Campbell-Simon of Fulham, and the youngest of all the panellists, said:

“It fills me with immense pride to know that through this role I will be able to give back even more to the borough that has given so much me.”

Savraj Kaur, Executive Director of UNITED said:

“This panel is a vital step in helping us continue our mission to help make Hammersmith & Fulham an even better place to work, live and play. We are lucky to have these six incredible residents in our first cohort, who will no doubt bring great energy, independent thinking, and challenge and assure our grant making ways.”

A further announcement about applications for the first round of funding will proceed in the Summer months.

You can read more about each panel member at the link here.