Community-Led or Funder-Led? The Politics of Participation

Everyone loves to talk about “community-led” work, but when the money, metrics and decisions still sit with funders and institutions, how community-led is it really?

The Politics of Participation pulls back the curtain on the quiet power struggles shaping today’s participatory research and engagement. From who defines “impact” to who decides what counts as success, this event unpacks how control, accountability and trust play out when community voices meet institutional agendas.

This isn’t theory. It’s the lived tension at the heart of doing research for and with communities. Our speakers bring frontline insight into how funders, organisations and grassroots leaders can navigate and disrupt those tensions to build something fairer, bolder and more effective.

🎤 Palma Black – CEO & Founder, Soul Purpose 360

🎤 Lennina Ofori – CEO & Founder, Principal Housing

🎤 Third speaker TBC

Together, we’ll explore:

How funding structures shape and sometimes distort what “participation” means

The risks of calling work community-led when communities aren’t leading

Real-world examples of rebalancing power, from funding decisions to governance and design

Expect challenge, debate and inspiration in equal measure. This session will spark an honest reckoning with the systems that claim to support equity while quietly maintaining control and it will spotlight those building alternatives rooted in trust, redistribution and genuine partnership.

If you’ve ever felt the friction between good intentions and structural reality, this conversation is for you. Come ready to question, to connect and to imagine what real power-sharing looks like in practice.

Our Nuff Sed events are CPD accredited, recognising the value of continued learning and professional development within participatory and community-led research. Attendees can earn 3 CPD points for each session they attend, making participation not only an opportunity for connection and reflection but also a contribution to their ongoing professional growth.

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