The Community Brain: a community engagement partnership

Since 2015, The Community Brain, a Community Interest Company, has partnered with Kingston University on diverse projects across Kingston upon Thames. Aiming to realise the full potential of local communities, this collaboration brings unique knowledge and innovative solutions to community-led initiatives.

An example of the Community Engagement Partnership is SHEDx – Growing Ideas in Tolworth. This project engaged residents in community regeneration efforts, with Kingston University researchers supporting The Community Brain in understanding local demographics and creating activities. Other successful projects include:

• Co-creating publications: Collaborations have produced resources like a book on the local Corinthians football club and a catalogue for the Museum of Today project, enhancing The Community Brain’s outreach and support from funders.
• Reviving local history: Through Diving into the Future, The Community Brain focused on bringing attention to historic community spaces like lidos.
• Faces of Tolworth Festival: This cultural food event was designed to enrich Tolworth’s long-term regeneration efforts and support local people.

Together, the university and The Community Brain have also reviewed green spaces, assessed community resilience, and developed models to boost social impact across the borough.

This partnership grants The Community Brain access to Kingston University’s academic resources across areas such as sustainable design, archaeology and urban regeneration. Engaging students on real-world projects, The Community Brain has supported student learning while gaining vital research insights into community needs, outreach and local histories.

Kingston University also benefits by enabling students to build employable skills through hands-on experience and creating research opportunities for academic staff. This partnership enhances the university’s commitment to civic engagement by supporting meaningful community projects.

Helping local communities to thrive

The partnership has aided growth in Tolworth, Surbiton and beyond, benefiting local residents, businesses, schools and organisations. Through varied projects and regeneration efforts, the Community Engagement Partnership with Kingston University has improved the region with new opportunities and resources.

Future plans for greater impact

The partnership is currently creating an overview of all past and present projects to capture the collaboration’s impact and guide future efforts in supporting local communities.