Brent Giving Launches to Tackle Poverty Through Community Power
We’re proud to announce the launch of Brent Giving – the newest member of London’s Giving movement and the latest community-powered fund incubated by The Social Change Nest.
Backed by major local players including the Football Association, Quintain, and The SNG Community Foundation, Brent Giving is a bold response to an urgent need: more than 30% of people in Brent live below the poverty line after housing costs. One in four earn less than the London Living Wage. This isn’t just unacceptable – it’s solvable.
Brent Giving is different. It’s not charity as usual. It’s not a top-down fix. It’s a long-term, resident-led approach to building local power and addressing inequality at its roots.
Born from the spirit of the Brent Mutual Aid network, which mobilised thousands of residents and distributed £30,000 in emergency support during the COVID-19 crisis, Brent Giving is the next evolution of local resilience. It combines grassroots wisdom with the strengths of its funding partners and is guided by lived experience from locals, as those closest to the challenges are closest to the solutions.
A New Model Of Giving
At the heart of Brent Giving is participatory grantmaking – where local residents design, decide, and distribute funding to grassroots initiatives that matter to them. This isn’t token consultation. It’s trust in action.
Elijah Williams, Brent Giving’s Director, said, “It’s about trust, accountability, and putting Brent’s future in the hands of those who know Brent best – its residents.”
This isn’t just a fund. It’s a movement. And it’s being built by a powerful coalition:
- The FA, anchoring the project through its Communities Together Action Plan.
- Quintain, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to creative, inclusive community development.
- SNG Community Foundation, driving equity through housing and community partnerships, SNG have a vision to create Thriving Communities in Brent over Generations.
- Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum and South Kilburn Trust, rooted in the hyper-local knowledge of Brent’s diverse neighbourhoods.
- Supported by City Bridge Foundation and us at The Social Change Nest, bringing deep experience in participatory infrastructure and collaborative funding.
“Brent Giving is a powerful opportunity to transform how we support one another. When we work together, we create lasting change for families and individuals facing the hardest times.” – Sandra White, Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum.
Join the Movement
Brent Giving is running a ‘Brent in Action’ photo competition to celebrate the people, places and movements that make Brent bold. The winner receives two premier seats to the FA Charity Shield. Enter here.
You can find other ways to get involved or donate on the Brent Giving website.
This is what the future of funding looks like. Community-led. Collaborative. Ambitious. And it starts today.
