We’ve worked with our boroughs to identify where local needs could best be supported by King’s strengths and expertise. King’s Civic Challenge exemplifies all of this. It recognises that by working together we can do even more to address local challenges and opportunities.
Baroness Deborah Bull, Vice President & Vice Principal (London)
17 March 2020
SSPP Students helping local charities overcome challenges
Students from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy have received funding to make their ideas a reality at the final of King’s first ever Civic Challenge.
Students from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy have helped to win thousands of pounds of funding to help local charities overcome key challenges.
For King's first Civic Challenge, supported by the Mayor of London and Team London, teams of students were tasked with coming up with ideas to help local charities to overcome key obstacles.
Last week,finalists presented ideas to a panel that included representatives from Team London, Lambeth Council, Southwark Council and Westminster City Council.
At the event at City Hall, prizes for their civic contributions were awarded to The Mousetrap Theatre projects and Carers' Hub Lambeth teams, both of which included students from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy.
This means they will receive up to £5,000 of project funding for the charity and ongoing support and coaching to make their idea a reality.
Welcoming guests, Baroness Deborah Bull, Vice President & Vice Principal (London), emphasised the university’s commitment to working in partnership with London and our home boroughs.
Mousetrap Theatre
Students from King’s and Westminster charity, Mousetrap Theatre Projects, won the King’s Civic Challenge award for Education and Attainment. The team which includes Moegi Takaishi from the School of Education, Communictation and Society, will now work together to plan and launch an after-school drama club at Gateway Academy in Westminster to improve children’s confidence and communication skills through ‘active play’.
The children will also be introduced to live theatre by going on trips to the West End to see shows such as Wicked and The Lion King, as well as experiencing backstage tours.
FULL TEAM: Patrick O’Sullivan and Emily Sanctuary from Mousetrap Theatre Projects with Moegi Takaishi (MA Education in Arts & Cultural Settings), Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy; Megan Hain (BA English) and Lorra Videv (MA Arts & Cultural Management), Faculty of Arts & Humanities; Wenxi Huang (Master of Laws LLM) and Hanzhi Meng (International Financial Law LLM), The Dickson Poon School of Law.
This idea has creativity at its core and will genuinely benefit young children while also supporting their parents and families.
Alison Duthie, Director of Programming (Culture & Strand Aldwych) and King’s Civic Challenge judge
Carers’ Hub Lambeth
The prize for health and wellbeing was awarded to two teams: Carers’ Hub Lambeth and the Cardinal Hume Centre in Westminster.
The Carers’ Hub Lambeth team, which includes Alia Yusuf from the School of Politics and Economics, will develop ‘Caring Stories’, workshops that aim to reduce loneliness among informal carers to help improve their mental and physical health through peer support. It will culminate in an exhibition to raise awareness of the challenges that carers face.
Councillor Mark Shearer, Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Services & Digital at Westminster City Council, presented the health and wellbeing award. He explained that the Carers’ Hub Lambeth team had identified a clear problem with strong community need and reason for action.
FULL TEAM: James Holdcroft and Ellen Reeves from Carers’ Hub Lambeth with Alia Yusuf (BSc Political Economy), Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy; Dania Quadri (Medicine MBBS), Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine; Alysha Ratnam (Law LLB), The Dickson Poon School of Law; Fatma Ali (Lead Analyst), Ali Hepple (Sustainability Officer (Engagement)), Professional Services;
The Civic Challenge was designed in collaboration with King’s staff, partners across our home boroughs and Team London.
The ten finalist teams were supported by King’s alumni mentors and co-developed their ideas with charities across Lambeth, Southwark and Westminster: Cardinal Hume Centre, Carers’ Hub Lambeth, Friends of Windmill Gardens, Girls United, GlobalGirl Media UK, London Youth, Mousetrap Theatre Projects, Rathbone Society, Southwark Pensioners’ Centre and Theatre Peckham.
Every team will now be supported by King’s to find their next step, through connections with relevant expertise or signposting to alternative funding.