Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team

The Money MOT scheme at Lancaster West, delivered from 2023 to 2025, provided residents with tailored, one-to-one financial support, alongside wider advice on employment, benefits, and wellbeing.

In total, the scheme supported 108 residents and helped generate over £99,000 in additional household income, alongside reducing debt and improving financial resilience across the community.

Key outcomes from the project include:
- Over 90% of residents reported improved mental health and wellbeing🙌🏻
- 80% of residents reported a noticeable improvement in their financial stability after taking part in the scheme😀
- High levels of trust were established, with over 90% rating the support positively📈
- Residents reported greater confidence in managing their finances and accessing support when needed🥳
- The hyperlocal, face-to-face model enabled faster intervention and stronger engagement with residents🤝

These results show that delivering support locally and in collaboration, with a strong focus on building relationships and trust, can make a meaningful difference to both financial resilience and overall wellbeing for residents.

A special thank you to for their dedicated delivery of the scheme and their continued support to residents across Lancaster West Estate.

This week is Volunteers Week, and we wanted to spotlight our brilliant volunteers on Lancaster West.

LancWest Connects is our volunteering programme, set up to enable connections to the local community and surrounding environment. To date through this programme, volunteers have spent over 4,000 hours on the estate, either by:

- Supporting our Community Gardener in green spaces to make sure that our outdoor spaces are tidy and maintained.
- Serving warm food at community meals, every Monday between 10:00-12:00 and Thursday’s between 12:00-14:00.
- Delivering digital support to residents in our Employment and Training Hub.
- Hosting circular economy activities such as sewing at our monthly Fix-it Fests or through organised sessions in our new Make & Mend Hub.

Fatima, one of our Community Chefs said:

“Volunteering is very rewarding and gives me an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. I have learnt so much from the opportunity and encourage everybody to volunteer on the estate.

I am happy to be around my neighbours twice a week and it is very beneficial for my mental health.”

Find out more about getting involved as an individual, partnering with us, or bringing a volunteer group to the estate, by contacting [email protected] or coming into Baseline Studios!

Kensington and Chelsea Council confirms £74 million commitment to Lancaster West Walkways refurbishment

Kensington and Chelsea Council has agreed to award a £74 million contract for the comprehensive refurbishment of Barandon Walk, Hurstway Walk and Testerton Walk on Lancaster West Estate.
The decision marks a major milestone in the Council’s long-term commitment to deliver safer, warmer and more energy-efficient homes for residents following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The works will include new triple-glazed windows, external wall insulation, fire safety improvements, upgraded heating and ventilation systems, and wider building improvements co-designed with residents.

Kensington and Chelsea Council Leader, Cllr Elizabeth Campbell said:

“We are keeping our promise to residents and moving forward with delivering the Walkways refurbishment in full.

“This is one of the most significant resident-led retrofit and safety programmes in the country and reflects years of co-design, planning and partnership working with residents.

“We continue to have constructive discussions with Government regarding the wider Lancaster West programme and future funding arrangements. While the Government has provided support, funding for the full estate-wide vision has not yet been confirmed at the level required to deliver everything originally envisaged in one phase.

“We are therefore continuing detailed work across the rest of the estate, working closely with the Lancaster West Residents’ Association, to identify what can realistically be delivered, while remaining true to the spirit of the commitments made to residents following the Grenfell tragedy. That includes focusing on safety, energy-efficiency and long-term investment in the neighbourhood.”

Continued below👇

It was a pleasure to welcome Cllr Cem Kemahli to Lancaster West Estate following his appointment as Lead Member for Housing this week.

During the visit, Cem toured the estate to see first-hand the progress being made across the Lancaster West refurbishment and decarbonisation programme. This included visiting Treadgold House, meeting residents and staff from our award-winning repairs team, and reviewing the significant progress made in delivering the Notting Dale Heat Network - a key part of the estate’s long-term transition towards a low-carbon future.

The visit provided an opportunity to discuss both the scale of the work underway and the importance of continuing to deliver improvements in partnership with residents.

As part of the walkabout Cem and Neighbourhood Director, James Caspell inspected the very last metre of neighbourhood pipework for the Notting Dale Heat Network that will go live in 2027.

Cem said:

“It’s a pleasure and an honour to be chosen as the lead member for housing, and I’d like to thank Sof for all her hard work over the last few years. Working alongside residents, and our dedicated team, she helped bring down our numbers of residents in temporary accommodation, reduce spend on hotels, and deliver much needed new homes in the borough.

“I am a firm believer that good quality housing is one of the most important things the Council provides. A good home gives security, provide the basis for family life, and give people a stake in their local community.

“A good home also means a decent home, and as such our commitment to meet the Decent Homes standard by 2030 will remain undimmed. I am absolutely committed to our Grenfell Inquiry obligations and our collective promise to bring about lasting, meaningful change to housing in this borough.

“I am clear about the responsibility I am taking on. This council must lead the way on housing, firmly grounded in the vital lessons of the Grenfell tragedy. I want Kensington and Chelsea’s housing service to be a national example of what an empathetic and responsible council can achieve.

We’ve got a week full of free activities including wellness sessions, community lunches, creative moments & family-friendly fun from Monday 25 May – Saturday 30 May!

✨ Community breakfast
✨ Body relaxation session
✨ Community lunch
✨ Tea Garden poetry & meditation
✨ Fix-it Fest workshop

Come connect, relax, learn something new and spend time with your community 🌼

See you there!🌞

📚 Students can also drop into our community study space to revise, use a computer or get support during the break.

📩 For more info contact [email protected]

On this week three years ago, our Employment and Training Hub at Baseline Studios opened in partnership with Lancaster West Residents’ Association.

The Future Neighbourhood Vision identified a dedicated space for employment and training as a priority for local residents - and the Hub was created in response to that.

Since opening in May 2023:
💻368 residents have accessed training and employment support
💡62 residents have completed accredited training, gaining CSCS cards and qualifications in green skills
📆46 residents have taken part in our monthly employability programmes.

Three years on, the Employment and Training Hub continues to be a strong springboard into meaningful employment. In April alone, 8 residents were supported into roles in the construction sector.

Delivery will continue over the summer and beyond, including the ongoing development of programmes such as LancWest Works, the Green Skills Academy and LancWest Connects within our wider Education & Training offer, creating clear pathways into employment and enabling some volunteers to move into paid work. The hub also continues to provide space and facilitation for a growing number of partners delivering digital courses, work experience opportunities, and most recently a Saturday youth AI course, strengthening its role as a shared community resource.

Hon. Alderman Mushtaq Lasharie CBE, Chairperson of Lancaster West Residents’ Association commented “It is great to have the Employment and Training Hub and it is brilliant for young people on Lancaster West Estate to access essential skills for the future”.

Over 24 partners have collaborated with us to date, with 7 forming the steering group that informed the space and its delivery. Thank you to all our partners for their continued delivery, and to residents for their ongoing engagement and commitment.

📚Are you a resident needing a quiet place to work or study during refurbishment?

As part of our Respite offer, we have a range of private spaces available for you or members of your household to use, as well as access to computers ✍️💻

🕘 Open every weekday, 9am–6pm

📍 Baseline Studios, Whitchurch Road, W11 4AT

✅ Just remember to sign in at reception when you arrive!

Whether you are working, revising, studying, or just need a peaceful space, we’ve got you covered 🙌

Got questions or want to find out about other spaces? Drop us a DM 📩