Photos and update from our Safer Spaces panel event at Newham Music

We are pleased to share a selection of photos, taken by Chris Baker, from our recent Empowering Safer Spaces panel event, which was held on 17 Sept at Newham Music.

We invited a range of stakeholders to come discuss issues affecting them or the young people they worked with and explore solutions on a local level. We had a full house including local entrepreneurs, young artists, community organisations, funding bodies and others.

Our new Community Ambassador Tiwa King hosted the event, with panelists including:

• Sarah Nelson, CEO, Foundation for Future London
• Alyson Hodkinson, Head of Sustainability UK, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
• Lisa Stepanovic MBE, Founder & CEO, Social Ark
• Tamsin Ace, Director, East Bank
• Ioana Simion, Artizine UK
• Kianu Glasgow, Co-Founder and Director, Dipped In Creativity Engagement (D.I.C.E)
• Zakarriyah Katakyie Addae-Kodua Khalil, Founder, X-Conversation CIC

The discussion addressed evolving definitions of safe spaces, the role of major institutions in community development, and the importance of visibility and representation. There was stimulating interaction between the audience and panel, which covered a lot of ground and enriched the conversation around safer spaces.

The panel also explored the broader implications of creating safe spaces, stressing the importance of considering emotional and mental well-being alongside physical safety. Key discussion points included:

• Youth empowerment through practical applications – Foundation for Future London-funded programmes provide young people with hands-on experience, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility.
• Holistic safety approaches – Ioana from Artizine advocated for clear, confidential reporting channels for harassment, enhancing safety for women and marginalised groups.
• The importance of visibility and representation – Zak from X-Conversation highlighted the need for role models who reflect community diversity, helping young people feel welcomed and respected.

Thank you to Newham Music for providing an amazing venue and invaluable support from their staff. Also a huge thanks for the support from Social Ark and the young people they work with.

Watch the film screened at event

About Empowering Safer Spaces campaign

In 2024, Foundation for Future London has embarked on a new campaign to understand what ‘safer spaces’ mean to East London’s young people and under-resourced and marginalised communities.

The campaign includes:

• FOI request to London borough councils – January 2024
• Community consultation – March 2024
• Young people language workshop – May 2024
• Consumer survey – June 2024
• Panel event – September 2024

The campaign has informed a funding application to support scale-out ‘bottom-up’ community change. The bid envisions a five-year, sustainable network across the four Olympic legacy boroughs with built-in co-design, capacity building and network development at its core.

The campaign is supported by partner Westfield Stratford City, community partners including Social Ark and the wider community.

Further information about the campaign including research data can be found on our Empowering Safer Spaces campaign page.

Photos: Chris Baker