London Borough of Camden

Camden council wants to support projects which enhance and reimagine our high streets as sustainable places for the whole community to enjoy.

The Council are not looking for ‘business as usual’ projects, they are looking for projects that support the re-imagining of local high streets and provide clear benefits local businesses and the residents they serve.

Projects must generate additional social value and also have environmental sustainability as a core principle. In addition, projects with the following will be looked upon favourably:

- Projects that are ready to deliver on the ground.

- Innovative projects that try out something new, that could be a pilot for more permanent interventions.

- Projects that include community and business participation.

- Projects that include local partnerships, cross-sector partnerships or that generate new local high street partnerships.

- Projects that come with structures, expertise and project management included to drive delivery independently of Council support.

- Projects that are scalable, so that if successful they could rollout into larger projects or other high streets/ locations.

- Projects with the potential to unlock further funding and opportunities.

The Council will be looking to support a good spread of projects in high streets across the borough. 

Camden Council is supporting local high streets through the pandemic and into a robust recovery and re-imagined future. As part of this the Council has developed the Camden Future High Streets: Re-Imagining High Streets prospectus which sets out the vision for the future of high streets in the borough, including four key objectives:

• Community & Economy- High Streets at the heart of community life and local economies with more jobs and training opportunities, increased innovation, entrepreneurialism and a greater role for local partnerships, collectives and community activity.
• Diverse Uses- High streets with more diverse uses and less vacant space with increased leisure, workspace community space and culture; and appropriate activity day, evening and night.
• Sustainable & Accessible- High streets that are sustainable with better air quality, more greening and accessible to everyone in the community within 15 minutes travel from their home.
• Inviting Public Realm- High Streets that are inviting and enjoyable places to spend time with more space for people to meet, sit and socialise; more green and less dominated by polluting vehicles.

In order to receive a pledge from the council, projects need to demonstrate how they support the vision and objectives set out in the high streets prospectus.

Camden Future High Streets Crowdfund opperates two funding rounds a year. See here for a breakdown of the current round and associated timeline. 

1.    EXPRESSION OF INTEREST/ ATTEND A WORKSHOP

Complete our Expression of Interest Form as soon as possible to inform us of your project idea and knowledge of crowdfunding. 

2.    PROJECT PAGE AND PITCH

Create your project page on Spacehive which will match you to the Camden Future High Streets Fund. 

3.    VERIFICATION

The project costs and necessary permissions will be checked and verified. This involves checking quotes for all the major items and if you have landowner permission for your project.

4.    CROWDFUNDING

Begin your crowdfunding campaign. Start by getting lots of small pledges from the community to show local support for your project. This will help unlock bigger pledges.

5.    PLEDGE

The council will review all project campaigns usually a month after the campaigns start. Successful projects can expect to receive a pledge of up to £35,000, covering a maximum of 50% of your target (up to 75% in exceptional circumstances. 

6. HIT YOUR TARGET AND DELIVER YOUR PROJECT 

Funds are usually released 10 working days after you have reached your target. 

The Council is committed to making this opportunity accessible to everyone. If you experience any difficulties throughout the process (e.g. due to language or technical barriers) or would like additional support, please get in touch with us to discuss.