Social Impact –
A place to belong
We believe good development has a clear social impact, and through our community projects we are measuring and evaluating what we do.
Thames Futures, the BRL Community Fund and the Community Partnership Offer gives opportunities for residents to shape and lead the future of the area.
Thames Futures
Thames Futures – a partnership between BRL, The Young Foundation and community members – began in 2019. It has formed Barking Riverside’s bespoke social impact assessment framework.
Central to Thames Futures is the Community Vision, which sets out nine priorities that reflect residents’ concerns and hopes for the future. It also includes over 50 project proposals that will help the Community Vision become a reality.
In January 2022 a team of Community Researchers spoke to over 150 residents about the progress that has been made since the Community Vision was established. This will be repeated every year so that progress can be measured and we ensure that our targets are achieved.
We believe that Thames Futures is a pioneering project, creating an important benchmark for how you can increase transparency and collaboration in areas experiencing growth and transformation.
'Winner of the Community-led Placemaking category at the Planning Awards 2021.'
Fatuma, Lucy, Jacqui and Erica - Community Researchers, Thames Futures 2022
Take a look at the 2022 Thames Futures Social Impact Report here
BRL Community Fund
The BRL Community Fund is a scheme that offers residents grants of up to £1,500 to deliver a project or initiative for community benefit.
Applications must address at least one of the nine priorities that have been established by residents in the Thames Futures Community Vision:
1. Keep me connected with my neighbours
2. Be somewhere that my voice is heard and acted upon
3. Improve my health and wellbeing
4. Be a safe place for me and my neighbours
5. Make it easy for me to get to where I need to go
6. Be a place I'm proud to call home
7. Support me to achieve my potential
8. Be somewhere my friends and family are excited to spend time
9. Love and care for its natural and outdoor spaces
The next round of applications will open in October 2023.
Community Partnership Offer
Barking Riverside is transforming into one of the most exciting and inspiring places to live in London, with the recently opened Overground station and river bus service, as well as a Wellbeing Hub with a state-of-the-art waterpark on the horizon. However, we know it takes more than establishing facilities and transport systems for a community to flourish. At its heart, a neighbourhood is about the people in it, and so we’ve been working with residents to shape the future of the area.
Take a look at the Community Partnership Offer Review to find out about community projects that have been achieved with residents and our plans for the future.
