With the improvements to public realm in Harlesden coming to a close and with the new plans for Old Oak common, we are now launching a new phase of Harlesden’s community engagement around neighbourhood planning, working with various residents and business groups, faith organisations and individuals, to produce an aspirational spatial plan around town centre to improve the mix of housing, commercial and community activities.
To ensure visibility and inclusive engagement, we are looking to open a community hub on the high street by March 2015 and have already secured a location.
The Hub will host a range of community, cultural and support activities, inject a sense civic pride and local stewardship and support new and existing projects and businesses to thrive.
The hub and the neighbourhood planning will support the formation of a clear leadership, vision and voice for Harlesden, and generate a much greater community contribution leading to local improvements.

What we'll deliver:

• • Deliver an engaging calendar of community, cultural & business events
• • Facilitate a neighbourhood planning process around the high street
• • Invite local people and groups to develop projects & test ideas in the space
• • Launch and maintain a well-designed high street community hub
• • Offer food growing training, to compliment around nearby food growing site

Why it's a great idea:

We want to build on the momentum generated by recent public realm improvements in Harlesden, funded by the Mayor, and to support inclusive and sustainable regeneration, that will also responds to the Old Oak Lane Development. Harlesden being nearest town centre to the Old Oak Lane area requires investment to bring it in line with this future development that is likely to have a dramatic impact on the area.
The project builds on Harlesden’s existing resident-led, community development work, championed by Harlesden Town Team work around the public realm improvement, Lift’s joined work with the Friends of Harlesden Town Garden to transform a pocket park and more recently, the launch of a new exciting phase of neighbourhood planning, brining all those community champions together.

Steps to get it done:

• We will consultant with local groups and residents to see what type of events they would prefer to see
• We will deliver a calendar of events to meet local people’s aspirations
• We will develop a high quality, visible community hub, working with expert designer
• We will develop a volunteer base to help with running of the hub and coordination of the neighbourhood planning process
• We will support the development of a sustainable neighborhood forum
• We will facilitate neighbourhood planning process working with expert consultants
• We will host a range of projects / people testing ideas in the space

Lift has 10 years’ experience of delivering innovative engagement projects from Harlesden, which has received numerous awards and citations. Over the last years, we expanded our work to address the other needs of our community by working with other to review local issues and situation. We know that housing, employment, business and space, health and community safety are all interlinked – and a change in one aspect can lead to a change in another.
Our interest is in those whose voices are seldom heard; we are passionate about bringing them to the fore of the public debate and excited to embark on supporting a neighbourhood forum and plan for Harlesden.
There are many amazing assets in our neighbourhood, the most remarkable are the people & groups that make this place what it is –a unique, vibrant and diverse neighbourhood; we are looking forward to work with them in developing this work