Introducing the Camden Imagination Activists
Here we share the biographies and photographs of the 32 council officers taking part in the 8–week Imagination Activism programme at Camden Council. The 32 officers have come from across the council, majority are frontline staff with some from corporate services.
We have people from the Equalities and Disproportionately team, Educational Psychology Service, Participation Team, Organisational Design Team, Children’s Services, the Sustainability, Air Quality and Energy Team, Inclusive Innovation Network, Camden Children’s centres, Camden’s Development division, Neighbourhood Housing, Digital & Data Services, Camden’s Regeneration and Development scheme, Learning and Development Team, Adult Social Care Transformation, Public Health, Camden’s Job Hub, Environment Services, Adult Social Care Commissioning, Regeneration and Planning team, Organisation Design Team and Sports.
Scroll down to find out more about our wonderful programme participants, soon to be Imagination Activists:
Imagination Activists of Camden
Abdilatif Shidane
My name is Abdilatif Shidane, I am a Neighbourhood Housing Officer working with our residents in Holborn and Covent Garden area. I want to use this space to creatively imagine a better environment for our residents to live, work and study in.
Neelam Kumar
Dr Neelam Kumar is part of the Educational Psychology Service
(EPS). The team provides specialist advice to support schools, colleges and early years’ providers to identify, assess and meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0–25. They address concerns about developmental, behavioural, emotional and mental health needs, including those with the most complex needs. The team draws on psychological theory and research to inform our practice.
Lioko Mabika
Lioko is a Senior Policy and Projects Officer in the Equalities and Disproportionately team. Lioko has been excited about this program from the get-go as it is a chance to start thinking about equality through a whole new creative lens. The work Camden has done so far is great, but it can feel hard to keep up the momentum when the change you’re advocating for is taking longer than it naturally should. Lioko feels like this program will reinvigorate our efforts and help us think about equality in new ways.
Tracy Aware
Tracy is a Digital Marketing Executive within Camden’s Development division. Tracy’s role involves the marketing and promotion of the new-build private sale homes that Camden offers. The sale of these new homes is a major contributor to the Borough’s Community Investment Programme (CIP) so impactful and cost-effective marketing is vital.
Philip Barrett
Philip is in Early Help within Children’s Services and works as an Early Help Coordinator. This is the ‘front door’ of Early Help and so they work with families for short periods, matching their needs to a range of internal and borough-wide services, as well as advocating on their behalf as we support them towards achieving their goals.
Ian Gilson
Ian is an Organisational Design Lead. Ian’s team work across Camden, to address the systemic issues that help us thrive in our jobs.
Elita Johns
Elita is a Digital IQ Development Officer in Digital & Data Services who leads on Camden’s Induction programme, intranet publishers network and maximising the use of your laptop.
Natalie Curd
Natalie is a Air Quality Projects Lead within the Sustainability, Air Quality and Energy Team. Natalie leads on community engagement and communications, as well as the development and delivery of projects looking to improve air quality for, and raise awareness about the health impacts of exposure to air pollution to, those who live, work, study and visit the borough.
Alison Morris
Alison is a Diversity and Inclusion Programme Officer working on a range of inclusion projects to ensure their successful delivery
Ali Alsaraf
Ali is a Principal Strategy and Project officer, leading the work on the Estate mission and leading on the Inclusive Innovation Network programme. Ali also leads on the Estate improvement project at Denyer House as part of the Estate Mission pilot
Liam Hall
Liam is a Locality Leader working within Camden Children’s centres helping to co-ordinate services for families with children under 5 years
Jane Murphy
Jane works across directorates to support Camden to deliver on the Prevent Duty. This involves identifying ways in which people may become vulnerable to radicalisation and ensuring we are doing all we can to mitigate this risk. Jane supports organisations to train, develop policy, report and co-ordinate individual support packages.
Martin Cuba Cote-Riopo
Martin is a Repairs Neighbourhood Coordination Officer supporting Neighbourhood Housing Officers to resolve repairs issues for residents at the earliest opportunity, with a big focus on complex cases. Martin does this by working closely with both internal and external stakeholders including supervisors, planners, contractors or sub-contractors. Martin also works on different borough wide projects, as well as assisting the insurance team.
Maybel Houston
Maybel is an advanced Learning and Development Apprentice working in Human Resource’s Learning and Development Team.
Rozita Leetham
Rozita is a Consultation and Engagement Officer for the Community Investment Programme, Camden’s Regeneration and Development scheme. The team builds new, or improves existing affordable homes, schools, workspaces and public open spaces. Rozita’s role helps to make sure that communities can have their say and shape the future of their neighbourhoods in this context, in meaningful, engaging, and innovative ways.
Emma Le Blanc
Emma has been working with Good Work Camden as a Job Hub Adviser for five weeks now. Good Work Camden helps residents gain employment, training and education and promotes their employability skills. It is part of the Inclusive Economy department. Emma enjoys the role it offers a chance to help residents to improve their confidence, economic well-being and life chances.
Charlotte Spindler
Charlotte is a Project Manager in the Adult Social Care Transformation Team as part of Supporting People Strategy. Charlotte is working on a number of projects to bring about positive and effective change in ASC, including how we can support people with learning disabilities to live a good life, and looking at how we can achieve a fair price and ensure quality for accommodation based packages in ASC. Charlotte is looking forward to meeting her fellow future Camden Activist, and exploring how everyone can take an imagination approach to re-think the way we deliver our services.
Philip Davies
Philip works in Organisation Development (part of HR). The team’s work involves building capacity, capability and commitment of individuals, groups and the whole organisation in order to find and achieve their purpose. Phil is also interested in creating environments that offer fairness, dignity, respect and opportunity for everyone — so that we can all live a decent life at least, if not a happy one.
Sue Sheehan
Hi, I’m Sue in the Participation Team. I am currently building community and business collaboration in Kilburn and imagining a better high street. I set up the Camden coproduction network and worked with voluntary groups and mutual aid groups during the pandemic to support them to support others. I also set up Think & Do which is now an independent community organisation doing much more than we originally imagined.
Ginni Smedley
I joined in 2018 to manage Camden’s Community Researcher team. Community Researchers are local residents employed by the council to engage with citizens on a range of issues, helping the Council put residents’ voices at the heart of policy and service development. I am part of Camden’s Participation Team.
Wahidur Rahman (CSP)
Wahidur is a Team Manager at Contact Camden and has been with Camden for 17 years. Wahidur manages a team of 17 Customer Service Officers in the Parking & Business Team supporting the team to deliver a great service to our citizens in Camden. One of the most enjoyable parts of the role is it is a key part of officers development and this is realised through coaching sessions and providing regular feedback on their performance. There have been recent changes in the team and Wahidur is excited about the year ahead at Contact Camden.
Sue Hogarth
Sue works in Public Health. Sue’s team works on mental health and wider determinants of health and they work with colleagues across the council to support residents and staff to stay happy and healthy.
Sofia Oliveira
Sofia works for the Job Hub doing admin and events. Sofia’s role involves signing up new applications, co-ordinating data sheets, newsletters and prompting what Job Hub has to offer.
Frances Evans
Frances is a Senior Environmental Services Officer for Environment Services, which sits within the Supporting Communities Directorate. Frances is currently developing Camden’s Reduction & Recycling Plan, leading on a range of projects relating to waste management, recycling, cleansing, street trading and managing aspects of our Environment Services contract with Veolia. Frances works closely with colleagues within the service, across directorates and external partners to identify barriers, develop solutions and fine-tune ways of working to bring improvements. The role is interesting, varied and often has a good sprinkling of challenge — there’s never a dull moment!
Tim Rising
Tim is Strategic Commissioner in Adult Social Care Commissioning.
Lisa Tang
Lisa is a Planning officer (Regeneration and Planning team) who contributes to preparing a sound, effective and robust planning policy framework to ensure development meets the borough’s need for homes and jobs, provides benefits to the community, responds to climate change, and contributes to reducing inequalities. Lisa’s role involves contributing to the production of sound evidence, effective community engagement, and monitoring planning outcomes.
Kirsty Dutton
I’m Kirsty and I work as an Organisational Designer in the Organisation Design Team. Looking forward to seeing you all in the sessions (virtually & in person)!! Have a wonderful day!
Stephan von Schilling
I’m Stephan and I am the Active Living Manager in Sports. My area of interest is physical activity for health, particularly for those living with a disability or long term condition.
