Sandra White on her 'daunting' role in the Harlesden Pride in Place project

 Sandra White (Photo: Brent Council)

Sandra White, chosen by Brent Council to head up the Pride in Place project, added some context to the Next Door link to the Wembley Matters article published recently. 

   

I am both honoured and humbled by taking on this role. The Community Panel will choose how the funds are spent - No one individual will have power, and the ideas will be presented and put forward by local residents - Obviously we can't and won't do everything, but we will have a good go at it.

 

Pride in Place Programme funding over a 10-year period is split into 63% capital and 37% revenue. Capital Funding (63%) is money used for physical assets and infrastructure.

 

Usage: Building or upgrading community facilities, parks, sports grounds, high streets, and public spaces. Revenue Funding (37%) is Money used for day-to-day operational costs and services.

 

Usage: Running local programs, community engagement events, staffing, and civic capacity building.

 

This a huge role, a daunting role, but this investment can be used to make a difference and by coming together and taking action together we can hopefully build a sustainable foundation for change for the future of Harlesden. Just to add... I'm not a politician but I am a grafter, and I am here to serve. Also just to make this clear - this is a voluntary role - there is a £5K stipend, so not a paid post.

 

Funded by City Challenge money to encourage SMEs in Harlesden (Photo: Brent Council)

The Harlesden City Challenge project, part of an urban regeneration programme initiated by Tory Minister Michel Heseltine in the early 1990s, may have lessons for the Pride in Place project. Gerry Davis was the Chief Executive of Harlesden City Challenge and was based in Challenge House in Harlesden High Street.

£150,000 was spent on artworks some of which still remain scattered around Harlesden, but the real question is what wider impact did the project have on employment, social cohesion on equality. 

The £37.5m 4 year  project is claimed to have created 2,000 jobs, mainly in Park Royal and improvements in housing in Stonebridge and Harlesden. It funded High Street improvements including new street furniture and public art and restored and expanded  adult education and community services at the Victorian Morland Gardens villa. See Philip Grant's article HERE.

Time permitting I hope to look deeper in the City Challenge experience 

 

  

 

Sandra White, Harlesden community leader, to oversee £20 million investment programme in her community

 

Sandra White

 

From Brent Council

Sandra White has been offered the role of Independent Chair of the Neighbourhood Board that will decide how £20 million will be spent to improve Harlesden – part of the government’s Pride in Place programme –over the next 10 years.

Pride in Place is a major government investment programme, designed to deliver visible improvements in places across the country that are facing high inequalities.

Subject to completing the formal appointment process, Sandra will lead the Harlesden Neighbourhood Board, which will develop a long-term plan for the area and ensure that decisions about how the money is spent are made by and for local people.

It builds on recent investment in Harlesden town centre, including the transformation of the iconic Picture Palace into a new community hub, the restoration of historic buildings on Harlesden High Street, and the celebration of cultural heritage with the Harlesden Walk of Music. Together, these improvements to public spaces provide a strong foundation for the next phase of community-led change in Harlesden.

Sandra brings extensive community leadership experience to the role. A Harlesden resident for more than 20 years, she has worked with young people and supported a wide range of community initiatives across the area. She has a longstanding commitment to Harlesden and its diverse communities and has played a key role in community-led decision-making, most recently serving as Chair of the Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: "Pride in Place represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Harlesden. The success of the programme will depend on strong local leadership and genuine community involvement, and Sandra brings both in abundance. Her experience, credibility and deep connection to the area make her an outstanding choice to lead the Neighbourhood Board as we begin this exciting new chapter for Harlesden."

Georgia Gould MP for Queen's Park and Maida Vale said: “Sandra has a proven track record of bringing people together and delivering for the diverse, creative and entrepreneurial community in Harlesden.

“I have seen firsthand her passion for Harlesden and commitment to community led change and I know she will make sure that Harlesden’s residents are leading this programme.

“I am really excited by the huge interest there has been in being part of Pride in Place, and I am looking forward to seeing their ideas come to life.”

Sandra White said: "Harlesden has been my home for more than 20 years, and it is a place and community I care about deeply, so I am genuinely honoured and excited to have been offered the role.

“This investment gives us a rare opportunity not simply to change how Harlesden looks, but to help strengthen and heal our community, build on the incredible talent, creativity and resilience that already exists here, and create new opportunities for our young people and future generations.

“I want this to be a chance for Harlesden to show what is beautiful about our neighbourhood, while also being honest about the challenges we face. I look forward to bringing everyone together to shape a shared vision and create lasting change that Harlesden can truly be proud of."

Harlesden is one of two Brent neighbourhoods selected to receive Pride in Place funding over the next decade, alongside St Raphael’s Estate. The Chair for St Raphael’s will be announced in due course.

If you have an idea for how the money should be spent in Harlesden or St Raphael’s, share it with the Neighbourhood Board by filling out an online form.