Year 5 of the Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund awards £210k to 15 East London projects

The Foundation for Future London is pleased to congratulate 15 East London projects ranging from a film school to a music network, set to receive a grant from the £210k awarded in the fifth year of Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund, a £10 million five-year award-winning creative programme, launched in 2021 with founding partner retailer Westfield Stratford City.

The Year 5 community grant scheme of the Westfield East Bank Creative Future Fund aims to support local diverse-led organisations and individuals in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

These 15 projects will benefit nearly 27k East Londoners and create 407 new jobs, adding to the total impact of the Fund and its community grant scheme, which has awarded a total of £4,213,687 to 250 projects, supporting over 30,000 people since launching five years ago.

As well as receiving a grant, successful applicants will participate in peer-led training sessions, networking, and evaluation workshops. They will also tap into the Foundation’s new Community Ambassador programme for additional support, networking and leadership building as they build capacity and networks for future growth. As part of the application process, applicants were encouraged to budget for their individual and organisation development, thinking about the longer-term sustainability beyond the project.

As part of our commitment to facilitating co-design and community representation, Year 5 Community Grant Scheme proposals were selected by a Community Grant Panel of representatives from each of our East London boroughs.

Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund aims to provide new jobs, learning, training and educational programmes through arts, culture, innovation, public realm and creative placemaking.

Some examples of funded projects:

• The “DICE Ambassadors: Research and Podcast Project” by Dipped In Creativity Engagement CIC is a transformative initiative engaging 15 young individuals (ages 18-30) from Hackney and Waltham Forest.
• The “40-week Side Hustle Accelerator Programme” by Beyond the Bias seeks to empower 15 BAME, working-class young women to turn their entrepreneurial ideas into reality.
• “HERstory in the Making” is a mini-series by The Lady Powerhouse CIC, dedicated to showcasing the excellence, resilience, and potential of under-served female founders.

Year 5 Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund statistics:

• Borough spread – Hackney 25% / Tower Hamlets 25% / Waltham Forest 22% / Newham 28%
• New grantees – 31%
• Average organisation turnover– £57k
• Diverse-led organisations ­ –93%
• Jobs created – 407
• Expected number of beneficiaries – 27k

Beneficiaries include workshops and learning participants, apprentices, mentorships, businesses and audiences.  Jobs range from freelance, contract work, and apprentices to fixed-term posts.

We define diverse-led where 75% of an organisation’s Board/Management Committee and more than 50% of senior staff/project team are people from the community or communities they serve or have lived experience of the issues their organisation is tackling.

Complete List of the Year 5 Community Grant Scheme Grantees

• Bounce Legacy CIC
• Beyond a Song CIC
• Beyond the Bias
• Dipped In Creativity Engagement CIC
• Makeda Makes
• NOT/NOWHERE Ltd
• Purple Moon Drama CIC
• Social Organisation for Unity and Leisure
• Soul and Sound CIC
• Taking Shape Association
• The Digital Growth Hub
• The Lady Powerhouse CIC
• True Cadence CIC
• UN-AGE
• Xconversation CIC

Ashton Mullins, Grants and Programmes Manager, Foundation for Future London said:

“The Foundation for Future London is excited to support these 15 locally focused projects through the Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund throughout 2025, working alongside our new Community Ambassadors and our partner Westfield Stratford City to ensure that we are helping communities direct the change they want to see. We are pleased to support East London creative communities to become even more resilient and ready for future opportunities.”

Jacinta Rowsell, Director of Operations at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said:

“Westfield Stratford City has always been committed to investing in the future of East London’s creative industries. The Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund is not just about funding – it’s about empowering local talent, fostering innovation, and creating lasting opportunities for individuals and organisations who are driving meaningful change in their communities. Seeing the tangible impact of this programme, from job creation to skills development, is incredibly inspiring, and we’re proud to continue supporting the next generation of East London’s creative leaders.”

Foundation for Future London is a charity that builds and creates community equity and empowerment using the vehicles of arts, culture, heritage, sport and the environment to help communities realise their potential. The Foundation’s work centres on programme delivery and fund giving, through capacity building, community leadership and exchange, safer spaces, grassroot programming, strategic investment, advocacy and policy change. Our work is vital to tackle inequalities and provide opportunities. We do this with a unique partnership approach, connecting, genuine co-design and participatory practices.

To date, we work with over 400 grassroots organisations and have provided over 35,000 training, employment, young people and entrepreneurial opportunities. Our user-centred theory of change determines the direct social impact the Foundation’s work is making.

A final round of commissions as part of Year 5 of the Westfield East Bank Creative Futures Fund will be announced in 2025.