Kensington + Chelsea Foundation

06/12/2024

Nicho*, 28, emigrated to the UK as a qualified engineer with the hope of continuing his work in construction. However, he quickly met a major barrier preventing him from gaining work as his qualifications were not recognised by the UK construction industry.

He heard about our Building Opportunities programme and instantly reached out. Nicho was assigned a CYT coach who helped him rebuild his confidence through employability-boosting workshops including mock interviews, CV masterclasses and 1-2-1 coaching sessions. We also connected him to first-hand experiences with a tour of a live construction site where he met a range of impressive role models from sustainability engineers to site managers.

With renewed confidence and insight, Nicho worked with his coach to find permanent employment in the industry. Having previously enjoyed his temporary agency role, when his coach heard of a permanent traffic marshalling job with a leading UK contractor he decided to apply. Following a successful interview, he was offered the job and was overjoyed to find permanent employment in the industry!

You can read Nicho's full story here: https://bit.ly/41mydQC

*Name changed to protect anonymity.

Kensington + Chelsea Foundation

17/10/2024

We want Kensington + Chelsea to be a borough where everyone can life a happy, healthy and more fulfilling life. With the Winter months approaching, many families and residents are making difficult decisions, choosing between food and fuel.

Our 'Cash First' scheme is still open and offers advice and emergency cash to anyone living in K+C (including those in temporary accommodation) who are experiencing financial hardship. Please contact one of our partners below to find out more and receive help.

Please note: The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation can’t help with individual applications and we encourage you to reach out to our dedicated charity partners working across our community instead.

Age UK Kensington & Chelsea
Citizens Advice Kensington + Chelsea
Nucleus Legal Advice
Nova New Opportunities

10/10/2024

Today is , an important moment for us all to pause and consider our mental wellbeing. At the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, we’re proud to fund local projects that offer targeted mental health support to some of our most vulnerable residents.

We’re also grateful to have RBKC Mayor, Cllr Will Lane, championing our mental health work. This Sunday, he’ll be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise funds for these vital projects. Balancing his training with his full-time role and Mayoral duties, he has shown incredible dedication to improving our community’s mental health.

To sponsor the Mayor and support our mental health portfolio, follow the link below. For more information about our work, visit our website.

https://thekandcfoundation.enthuse.com/cf/mayorhalfmarathon

01/10/2024

We’re thrilled to share the incredible impact we've made across Kensington + Chelsea with the launch of our 2023/24 Impact Report.

Thanks to our incredible supporters, we’ve raised £1.66 million, investing in 106 impactful, sustainable projects, improving the lives of our 23,000 residents, and reducing significant inequalities across the borough.

We were honoured to be joined by RBKC Mayor, Cllr Will Lane who spoke passionately about why he is proud to have chosen us as his Mayoral Charity for the year. The Glissando Steel Youth Orchestra also brought a vibrant Carnival energy to the event.

Thank you to everyone who’s supported the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation; we truly appreciate it!

24/09/2024

We were delighted to partner with H&F Giving to manage The Earls Court Development Company’s Community Fund and are thrilled that 20 brilliant, local organisations have received funding.

These projects will improve health and wellbeing, education, and foster community engagement, as we aim to enrich and support the Earl’s Court community.

Congratulations to Action on Disability, Art Theatre London, Barons Court Project, Children's Book Project UK, Climate Ed UK, Dads House Charity, Doorstep Library, Earls Court Youth Club, Earls Court Community Trust, Finborough Theatre, For Women CIC, Glass Door Homeless, Hurdles 2 Hoops, Mason Foundation MO1 Youths, Outside Edge Theatre, Refettorio Felix, Response Community Projects, Solidarity Sports and West London Welcome.

23/09/2024

We are seeking a Major Gifts Manager to become a part of our small and talented team at the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation. This is an exciting opportunity to join an ambitious organisation committed to improving the lives and opportunities of residents across Kensington and Chelsea.

To view the complete job description, salary information, and application instructions, please follow the link below. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. If you have any questions or would like additional information prior to applying, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Photo credit: Centre for Ageing Better

https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/the-kensington-chelsea-foundation/major-gifts-manager/983691

10/09/2024

Trigger warning: ill mental health, depression, addiction, grief

James’ Journey
James was trying to cope with an unimaginable loss after his partner and both children were killed in an accident, and he began to slide into substance addiction. He was initially referred for bereavement counselling, but the service rejected him, stating he needed drug and alcohol support first. When referred to the drug and alcohol service, they said he needed bereavement counselling before they could help. After a second referral for grief counselling, James was denied support again—this time due to a past criminal conviction. Left with nowhere to turn, he struggled alone with both his loss and addiction.

Thankfully, James went on to access support from one of our incredible charity partners offering counselling, social connections, and therapeutic activities. Today, James is moving forward in his life.

Our latest research report, ‘Poverty and Prosperity: A Deepening Divide’, reveals that 1 in 12 residents in Kensington and Chelsea have been diagnosed with depression by their GP, and 1 in 6 children face severe mental health challenges such as depression or developmental speech issues. Over the last three years, we have significantly invested in improving our community’s mental health. By partnering with local organisations who are delivering tailored, targeted and impactful support to vulnerable residents, we’re ensuring that that more residents like James are aided in their recovery.

22/08/2024

We were delighted to be invited to speak with local businesses and share more on how they can support our work at Opportunity Kensington’s Summer Social last night. It was a brilliant evening filled with great conversations, culminating in an exciting raffle that raised £600! A huge thank you to Opportunity Kensington for all their support and to Justine Locker and The Orangery team at Kensington Palace for their generous hospitality.

20/08/2024

We are honoured to be nominated for 'Charity of the Year' at the 2024 Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. We feel incredibly fortunate to be recognised for our work and impact in supporting over 21,000 residents in the last year. More importantly though, we're thrilled to see the deserved recognition for the enormous difference that organisations like our partners, Dalgarno Trust, Young K and C, Cook Off CIC, and Portobello Business Centre along with the other fellow nominees make every day in improving the lives and life chances of people in Kensington + Chelsea.

13/08/2024

Watch our interesting and inspiring panel discussion with 3 community heroes who work tirelessly to support young people at risk in Kensington and Chelsea, helping them to have brighter futures.

We were delighted to be joined by Carlos Husbands, Founder of
Becauze CIC and Youth Engagement Officer at Metropolitan Police, Christopher Herbert, Founder and CEO of Fit For Life Youth and Rashpal Grewal, Peer Circles Project Manager at St Giles Trust who shared their own experiences and spoke about the challenges for our local young people growing up in a borough of extremes.

A huge thank you to our speakers and our wonderful hosts, The Other House, South Kensington for a brilliant evening.

Last month, our wonderful partners at The Other House, South Kensington, hosted an interesting and inspiring panel discussion with 3 community heroes who wor...

08/08/2024

Wet and muddy but a whole lot of fun! We had a brilliant day supporting the Pursuing Independent Paths 'Seedlings' project on Tuesday. We were delighted to be joined by our enthusiastic corporate partners as we worked to tidy the Canalside and support adults with additional learning needs to develop gardening and growing skills.

A huge thank you to Jack Taylor from PIP, and everyone who joined us from Cadogan, Costain, Knight Frank, LMAX, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pegasi Properties, Park Tower Hotel, Randox Health and Savills in volunteering to brighten up the Canalside.

01/08/2024

We’re delighted to welcome Catherine Watling as our new Corporate Partnerships Manager.

Catherine has been working in the borough since 2008, most recently at a local voluntary sector organisation. She has seen first-hand the profound impact local charities have on reducing isolation and transforming lives. Catherine is inspired by the significant role businesses can play in supporting the voluntary sector and is dedicated to fostering partnerships that create lasting positive change.