Sign up for the Virtual Community Champions event using Eventbrite here.

COVID-19 may have disrupted plans for an in-person Community Champions series in 2020, but it is vitally important that our membership stays connected to our local communities.

The pandemic has exacerbated longstanding inequalities. Demand for food banks has tripled. A generation of young people have experienced an extraordinary setback in their educational and social development.

While demand for community services has risen, income has fallen sharply. Research into the impact of the coronavirus on the sector shows a funding shortfall of up to £10 billion by the end of 2020.

At the same time, there are signs the pandemic has inspired a greater community purpose. Voluntary aid groups have sprung up to support those who are self-isolating.

In the first series of Community Champions we were lucky enough to be in the same room together, to hear about inspiring partnerships between KQ and community partners, and to carry this inspiration into our conversations with one another.

The focus of a virtual event must be different. We will hear directly from five community partners, serving different audiences across the sector. These are:

• Young people: Copenhagen Youth Project
• Older people: Age UK Camden
• Homeless people: C4WS
• Refugees and other vulnerable newly arrived people: Pan Intercultural Arts
• Community services: Somers Town Community Association

We will hear about their experiences on the ground during the crisis, as well as their expectations for the immediate future, and the ways in which Knowledge Quarter partners can support their efforts. There will be opportunity for questions. We invite attendees from charities and community organisations to leave their contact details in the chat function, as well as any links to fundraising campaigns – these will be collated and shared with the wider KQ membership.

Our Virtual Events: 

Our virtual events are becoming increasingly popular and often completely sell out. To ensure you are able to join the event, please ‘arrive’ (via the link sent through Eventbrite ) around 5 minutes before the start. This will ensure you are able to be let into the Zoom room before we reach full capacity.

Once you have signed up via Eventbrite you will receive a Zoom link by email 48 hrs before, 2 hrs before and 10 minutes before the event, please check your JUNK folder for these emails as they are sent directly through Eventbrite’s system.

You do not need to download Zoom software in order to participate – there is a web browser version which works perfectly well.

If you have any questions please get in touch with the KQ events team: Bhav or Jemima.

Can’t attend but want to receive invitations to future private virtual views? Sign up to our updates here.