Resilient Community

In November 2023, Freedom Works UK launched “Resilient Community” project in partnership with St Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre to empower Camden residents, particularly those affected by the cost-of-living crisis and discrimination, through Resilience and Confidence workshops that focused on creating a mindset free from constraints and learning tools of resilience and confidence to be able to produce tangible results that forward participants lives in the direction they wish to travel.

The success of this programme has led to us from October 2024 to collaborate with the Camden Council’s Good Work Camden on a trial basis till December 2025 to support wider Camden Community in dealing with the mental health crisis that is currently happening since the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

Ken leading a workshop

Workshops helped participants take practical steps to achieve extraordinary results. Participants are encouraged to join the Camden Resilient Community as volunteers to assist in the productions of future Resilience and Confidence Workshops to support the new participants and to deepen their own understanding and practical applications of the ideas.

Resilience Workshop launched in November 2023, by December, a grant from Francis Crick Chest was approved to cover the costs of running six sessions at the Living Centre. By October 2024, eight Resilience Workshops were held, and a follow-up Confidence Workshop was introduced.

A total of 34 people attended the Resilience workshops, with 15 volunteers joining the Resilient Community.

In September 2024, the project received approval from Good Work Camden Job Hub for an experimental series running until December 2025.

Freedom Works UK and the Resilient Community are now collaborating to get funding to run 16 Resilience Workshops, 14 Confidence Workshops, and 2 Resilient Leadership Courses and a 12-month Train the Trainer program to develop future leaders.

The Resilient Leadership Course, open to anyone in the Resilient Community, will teach practical leadership skills and empower participants to take on community projects which supports their neighbours by enlisting the support of their local community to help resolve their problems by the community supporting an individual or a group by taking on various supporting actions to resolve a person’s problem.

Train the Trainer programme, will prepare up to 10 participants to become future leaders of the workshops.

All workshops and training are free for residents and Resilient Community Volunteers and participants can add Resilient Community volunteer on their CVs, with opportunities for references to support their career development.

The feedback every session from participants showed that the material, coaching, and dedication of the coach have made a profound impact on their outlook, helping them secure jobs, start businesses, and overcome personal challenges and volunteer.

Out of 55 participants so far, 19 have joined the Resilient Community, volunteering to support workshops and share their experiences with new attendees. Many reported that they had never learned to use soft skills like resilience and confidence before, skills that are particularly vital in Camden’s current economic climate.

These workshops help participants manage emotional challenges and improve mental health. The project, in partnership with the Living Centre, Good Work Camden Job Hub, and the Resilient Community, supports residents facing economic hardship, joblessness, and mental health struggles.

We will work with the Living Centre, KX Recruit, Working Men’s College, and new partners like Fitzrovia Youth Action, Family Lives, Somers Town Community Centre, Somers Town Youth Centre, The Training Link, and New Horizons Day Centre.

Ken will give regular talks at their group meetings and events to promote upcoming workshops, which will also be advertised through the Living Centre and KX Recruit bulletins, posters, and at community centres and libraries.

The Resilient Community, which currently includes 19 members, plays a crucial role in the project. After each Resilience and Confidence Workshop, new members join and contribute. Volunteers, known as production assistants, meet with the course leader before each session to receive training and ensure the session runs smoothly.

They share insights, advice, and their personal experiences to help new attendees. Afterward, they reflect on what they learned and offer feedback to improve future workshops. Many volunteers are employed but still dedicate time to support the program, and we aim to expand this involvement.

Additionally, the New Resilient Leadership program will empower local residents to support their communities by helping family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues, fostering problem-solving and collaboration within the wider Camden area.

Detailed feedback from a selection of participants can be seen below: