Posts by Cameron Holleran
BD Giving Note #63: What Makes a GROWer
This Note explores and explains the changing face of the GROW Funding. Cameron Holleran and Jack Webb weave data and experience to unpack the shifts in who we fund and how our support is evolving. When we first ran the GROW Fund in 2023, our reach was much smaller. Our grantmaking meant that the majority of organisations and groups in…
Read MoreSpaces & Places Update
A Year of Spaces & Places Over the past year, Spaces + Places has been working with residents (Neighbourhood Stewards) across Barking and Dagenham to shape how £1 million could be invested in local spaces and places. Alongside the development of project ideas and business cases, the programme has also created space for residents to…
Read More5 Years of Barking and Dagenham Giving: Community-led Decision-making sees over £1m distributed locally
Yesterday, BD Giving marked five years of being a participatory grantmaker, while also celebrating passing the £1m mark in grant distribution. Over the summer of 2020, we ran our first ever participatory grantmaking process – the Rapid Response Fund – which saw 50 local people decide how to distribute £100,000 during lockdown. At the time,…
Read MoreBD Giving Note #61 – Becoming a Data-Informed Funder
However much our culture pushes a narrative of the rugged and brilliant individual, the reality is learning is a communal endeavour. Cameron Bray Barking and Dagenham Giving has always been committed to being as open and transparent about our work as possible. We think this is an important part of our work as a local…
Read MoreLocal changemakers seek new ideas
Be a Disruptive Explorer Over the last three years, a small group of dedicated local organisations have been meeting regularly to discuss how to change the who and how of decision-making in Barking and Dagenham. Now you can join them! Calling ourselves the Disruptive Explorers, we want to make sure everyone has a say in…
Read MoreJoin us on a journey of disruptive exploration
Who are the Disruptive Explorers? The work started three years ago, as part of a learning journey started by the BD_Collective. Over the course of 18 months, organisations from across Barking and Dagenham met regularly to share their experiences of living and working in the borough. One of the things that we recognised was that…
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