Leadership & Advocacy

Part of Lambeth's Voluntary Community Sector Support Infrastructure Partnership.

About our offer

Lambeth Council’s VCS Team has commissioned a new service of support for the VCS (Voluntary Community Sector), to provide accessible help, advice and advocacy. Lambeth’s VCS Team works in partnership with this support service to provide a joined-up support offer for local organisations.

The Brixton Project is proud to be leading on Leadership and Advocacy support for Lambeth’s VCS. We aim to represent the diverse and dynamic breadth of our VCS on policy and decision-making boards across Lambeth and the UK. Feeding into those boards, we are launching;

a VCS Leadership Circle who will meet quarterly to discuss the needs, wants, and desires of the local people they represent in order to forge a strong and cohesive sector with equity and justice at its heart.

a VCS Ecosystem Directory to map all VCS from across Lambeth.

a programme of VCS Spotlight Events will platform the success of Lambeth based organisations, exchanging knowledge, and fostering collaboration.

a VCS Leadership Mentoring programme will invite community organisations who are keen on growing their presence within the borough and beyond.

We are excited to be delivering this service alongside Lambeth Community Hubs Network and Integrate, who are offering capacity building and fundraising support respectively.

Keep up to date

Sign up to the Leadership and Advocacy newsletter to hear more about our offer and upcoming events

Meet the VCS Leadership Circle

Representing the breadth and diversity of the VCS Sector in Lambeth.

Tayo Adesina, Trash Gxng

Founder of Trash Gxng, Tayo runs a grassroots social enterprise using fashion and creativity to break social isolation and open doors for young people aged 14–25, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. He joined the Leadership Circle as an embedded community advocate, keen to see Lambeth's young people flourish and to drive lasting change across the sector.

Maryam Bachoo, Study Pro

Maryam delivers inclusive digital skills programmes for disadvantaged communities, drawing on her background as a qualified teacher. Her work focuses on reducing digital exclusion and creating pathways into education and employment. She joined the Leadership Circle to ensure grassroots organisations are heard, embed equity and justice in decision-making, and strengthen partnerships across the VCS in Lambeth.

Susie Baker, Home Start Lambeth

As Chief Executive of Home-Start Lambeth, Susie leads support for families with young children and survivors of domestic abuse. With a background in the justice sector, she is passionate about early intervention and tackling the root causes of social issues. As a member of the VCS Circle, she champions collaboration and stronger connections across Lambeth's voluntary and community sector.

Tony Cealy, Freelance

A creative practitioner and cultural producer using the arts to spark dialogue on social, economic and political issues. Tony works in partnership with governments, advocacy organisations and community groups to co-create programmes and events that amplify community voices and drive policy change through participatory processes that are joyful, creative and accessible. He joined the Leadership Circle because strategic collaboration strengthens the VCSE - together we are stronger.

Anna Coffey & Grace English, Hightrees

Co-CEOs Anna and Grace have each worked there for over 10 years, serving 1,500 Lambeth residents across education, employment and youth services. They joined the Leadership Circle believing that collective action is the only solution to the challenges communities face and are committed to ensuring the voices of the organisations they work with are heard within the circle.

Rev. Robert Falkner, St John the Evangelist Church

Vicar and a qualified accountant, Robert brings both pastoral experience and financial expertise to the Leadership Circle. Through his ministry he regularly encounters challenges facing families and vulnerable individuals, and represents a diverse inner-city parish working in partnership with local schools and Lambeth Citizens for the common good.

Peter Gay, Disability Advice Service Lambeth

An active ally of the disability justice movement for 25 years and with a background in social care and inclusive employment consultancy, Peter joined the Leadership Circle because Disabled residents' voices are too often overlooked in Lambeth. As a peer-led organisation rooted in the borough for 25 years, dasl is committed to putting Disabled people at the centre of decisions that affect them.

Winston Goode, Juvenis

Founder and CEO of Juvenis, a Black-led Lambeth charity, Winston has spent over 20 years supporting young people navigating trauma, exploitation and community violence. He joined the Leadership Circle to shift power towards local organisations and ensure community expertise is properly recognised and invested in.

Eliza Infante, Myatt's Fields Park Project

A Lambeth resident for over 20 years, Eliza began her journey with Myatt's Fields Park Project as a local volunteer before becoming Operations Director. She oversees the strategic management of this award-winning urban park which is a vital hub for food growth, heritage and social cohesion. She joined the Leadership Circle to advocate for sustainable green spaces and ensure Lambeth's infrastructure supports the diverse needs of local residents.

Caspar Kennerdale, Clear Community Web

Founder of ClearCommunityWeb, Caspar has worked across Lambeth for over 30 years helping people build confidence with technology through classes, workshops and one-to-one support; including support for those affected by cybercrime and tech-facilitated abuse. He joined the Leadership Circle to champion equitable digital access across the borough.

Josie Kyan, Breadwinners

A creative facilitator, manager and photographer supporting refugees and people seeking asylum to build skills, confidence and pathways into work. Josie's work offers a joyful counter-image to negative media stereotypes of refugees, while connecting participants to work experience and paid opportunities. She joined the Leadership Circle to champion opportunities for refugees and marginalised communities across Lambeth.

Abigail Mensah, Ladies in Waiting

Abigail founded Ladies in Waiting to empower women, young girls and underserved communities, particularly within the African and diaspora community, through wellbeing and personal development. She joined the Leadership Circle to collaborate with like-minded leaders and contribute to meaningful change, using her voice to advocate for growth, connection and opportunity.

Alexandra Norman, Age UK Lambeth

Head of Services at Age UK Lambeth, Alex has spent a decade building the organisation's Social Prescribing and advice services alongside key partnerships across health and social care. With 15 years in the charity sector, she joined the Leadership Circle to shape honest, strategic conversations about community needs and ensure older people's voices are heard across the VCS.

Will Ollard, Longfield Hall

Trustee of Longfield Hall since 1995, a Grade II listed Victorian community hall in Camberwell, Will oversees a seven-days-a-week hub hosting a pre-school, memory café, churches and a National Theatre youth drama project. With a background in financial journalism, he joined the Leadership Circle because of his deep belief in the vital role community buildings play in local life.

Andrae Palmer, Ethical Events Academy

Founder of Ethical Events Academy (EEA), Andrae is a social entrepreneur and creative producer with over 20 years' experience at the intersection of youth development, culture and social impact. Driven by lived experience and a commitment to prevention over cure, he uses creative and wellbeing-centred events and programmes to support socially excluded individuals and families in Lambeth.

Jane Duncan Ribeiro, St. Vincent's Brixton

A printmaker and community arts practitioner with over three decades of experience, Jane is a Project Smith Community Connector helping distribute funding to Lambeth organisations, and Centre Officer at St Vincent's Brixton. She joined the Leadership Circle to bring her deep roots in community arts and development to the table.

Lara Samuels, Rapport Festival

Lara is Founder, Artistic Director & CEO of Rapport Festival, a multi-disciplinary African diaspora arts festival and social enterprise based in Brixton. With 30+ years experience across the arts, she joined the Circle to learn from VCSE leaders outside the arts and share her experience building a Black-led festival rooted in racial equity and community-led change.

Amy Warner, Feathers Up

Amy is founder of Feathers Up, providing free trauma-informed counselling to children aged 3–16 across South West London. They support children who've experienced trauma, exclusion, and ACEs through creative therapeutic interventions. Amy joined the Circle to connect with fellow changemakers, strengthen leadership capacity, and amplify the voices of inclusive organisations working to create lasting community impact.

Join the VCS Ecosystem

Add your organisation's details to the VCS Ecosystem.

VCS Directory

Loading organisations…