Community Cohesion

Target

Enhance community cohesion between local stakeholders

Kensington and Chelsea is one of the most diverse communities in the country, which presents significant opportunities and challenges. The Borough is usually associated with affluence, yet 23% of its Council Wards are among the 20% most income-deprived in England and Wales3. Our strategy for supporting and delivering social value is framed around creating inclusive and accessible spaces and supporting Chelsea’s long pedigree as a place of creative culture, which together encourage meaningful connections with the area and each other. In 2022 our community investment totalled over £430,000 – directly supporting over 2,800 individuals across 39 organisations.

As the Principal Supporters of the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation, we support grassroots initiatives across the Borough which deliver meaningful change where it is most needed. In 2021-2022, the Foundation supported 165 local causes, reaching 28,907 residents in need – detailed in the Foundation’s 2021-2022 Impact Report

Recent initiatives delivered with the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation include the creation of a new "Improving Skills and Employment Programme", funding seven impactful projects which will reach 1,275 people over the next three years – including a programme providing work experience, training and mentoring to support women with careers in construction, and a learning and development group providing 1-1 employability skills and work experience for neurodiverse adults.

In addition to our direct financial support, we have created an Endowment Fund administered by the Foundation, to which we encourage all residential and commercial occupiers joining the Estate to donate – creating a lasting positive legacy to support our local community.

We are committed to good standards of accessibility and inclusivity. In partnership with AccessAble, one of the UK’s leading providers in accessibility information, we offer up-to-date, detailed access guides to each of our destinations, making available crucial information to visitors so they can get the most out of their visit to Chelsea.

Our programme of over 60 complimentary events for the community this year were enjoyed by many thousands of people and included: a Platinum Jubilee Street Party on the King’s Road; weekly running club; "giant egg hunt" in support of wildlife charity The Elephant Family and "Nature’s Architects" trail in collaboration with the Museum of Architecture to showcase how nature can inspire eco-friendly innovation; Chelsea’s first "Dog Day" in support of The Dog’s Trust and public sculpture series "The Chelsea Look", comprising life-size silhouettes inspired by Chelsea style icons through the years, from Vivienne Westwood to the celebrated Chelsea Pensioner. September included our first sustainability showcase as part of London Fashion Week – held at the Saatchi Gallery. "Designers at work" saw four revolutionary fashion designers run free workshops to inspire the public to embrace the circular economy, accompanied by a food market featuring 15 sustainable pioneers. The annual Chelsea Awards was created in 2019, to celebrate and reward those who contribute so greatly to Chelsea’s unique character, with hundreds gathering each year to see the award made for categories including "Community Hero" and "Cultural Champion".

Cadogan once more hosted the "Big Sleep Out" in 2022 to support local charity Glassdoor, providing targeted and long-term transitional help for the homeless. This one night in October resulted in over 130 supporters gathering and raising over £70,000 for the charity.

The Cadogan family Charity also extensively supports the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea - which today remains active in providing a home and care for 300 army veterans, amongst many other causes.

CASE STUDY Community Housing

We commit over £1.3million each year to subsidise affordable, community and key worker housing.

Given the challenging economic climate, we have also frozen rents across this portfolio during 2022, ensuring that many people, including nurses, teachers and police officers, can afford to live at the heart of the community to which they make such a valuable contribution.