In 2025, we worked with community partners to design and deliver a series of ‘African-Caribbean Conversations’ across North Kensington. This initiative represents one of the steps forward that wetaking on our journey towards better serving the community. Through eight strategically designed sessions across two phases, these conversations created dedicated spaces for North Kensington’s African-Caribbean communities to share experiences, provide feedback, and shape future directions.
Facilitated by experienced community specialists Claud (Adisa) Steven and Ghino Parker, the conversations revealed a complex landscape of progress and ongoing challenges. Many participants acknowledged positive changes within Westway Trust since the Tutu report, while others expressed continued scepticism about the depth and sustainability of these changes. Recurring themes included barriers to formal engagement, desire for transparent representation structures, and complex intergenerational dynamics within the community itself.
Using the Be-Do-Have framework, participants articulated what both the community and Westway Trust need to BE (identities, values), DO (actions, behaviours), and HAVE (resources, structures) to create meaningful change. This approach enabled discussions that moved beyond identifying problems toward co-creating solutions.
Key recommendations emerging from these conversations focus on establishing creative community engagement processes with transparent selection processes, developing intergenerational mentoring opportunities, improving communication about engagement pathways, implementing programming for 18-25 year-olds, providing trauma-informed training for staff, supporting community-led documentation, increasing visibility of community voice in decision-making processes, and creating informal community connection opportunities that honour diverse participation preferences.