Community Annex

Kenmont Primary School celebrates major community grant from HS2

Efforts by LBHF and Friends of Kenmont School PTA and staff to raise awareness and funds for their dilapidated annexe building are rewarded with a £75,000 grant being awarded to Hammersmith and Fulham Council from HS2’s Community and Environment Fund.*

The space is set to be revived as an accessible hub for the community to enjoy.

Parents and staff at Kenmont Primary School are celebrating the award of a grant from HS2’s Community and Environment Fund (CEF). The funding will enable the school to renovate a dilapidated Annex building, transforming it into a new community hub for the people of College Park, Kensal Rise, and Harlesden.

Kenmont Primary School sits in a small – almost forgotten – part of London, officially designated as College Park, on the borders of Brent and Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF). The school is one-form entry, with only 197 pupils and a small parent body and staff, making the win a real achievement for everyone involved.

The annexe building was once a thriving community hub, playing host to a Sure Start Centre and many other activities. However, it was mothballed 14 years ago and became an unloved space. Earlier this year the PTA spotted its potential and rallied around. Volunteers gave up their weekends to remove more than a decade’s worth of accumulated detritus to the Park Royal dump, as the first part of a plan to breathe new life into the old building.

 For years the area has been underserved by communal spaces – the nearest one being two miles away. The school worked with numerous local community groups, including CONGA - College Park Neighbourhood Group, chaired by Julie McBride – to demonstrate this in their grant application.

 Once the building is up and running it will again play host to a variety of activities.

 David Collins, Executive Head:

Kenmont is really excited to have been awarded this grant from HS2. The grant enables the school to bring back into use the Annex – not just for school use, but also our local community. As a community school, we wish to support our neighbours by providing a community space that can be used by all for a variety of educational and leisure activities

  Andy Slaughter, local MP for Hammersmith: 

Prior to the annexe falling into disrepair, I recall the Centre being well-used, allowing the community in College Park to meet each other and their elected representatives, and to host community events. I look forward to seeing the Kenmont Primary School annexe become a central hub for the community once more.

Julie McBride, Chair of CONGA: 

“We are a dynamic, multi-generational, mixed demographic community with a lot of potential, and we hope to attract a wide range of people to the events, classes, community meetings, and more that will be taking place at this long-awaited Community space.”

This grant is just the beginning. The school, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, and the PTA are now committed to match fund the grant and have a year to make this happen.

 There are also separate plans to overhaul the school’s garden and library. So there is plenty more for this school to be working on.

 Nazia Chishty, Chair of the PTA: 

“Our PTA is on a mission to make life at our small but perfectly formed school a magical experience. Integral to this are our links with the local community. In a way, the Annex project is just the beginning – our campaign to supplement the CEF grant starts now! This CEF grant was the boost we needed to galvanise our fundraising efforts for the renovation. We won’t stop until we’ve made the magic happen!”

 The school is still looking for help to complete our projects and always striving to Make Kenmont Magical. If you’d like to help – with donations or in kind – please see our GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/fb6acc50

Further news release from CONGA

Great news!

 College Park residents and their Community Group, CONGA, are very excited to hear that our dream of a space we can use as a Community Centre alongside Kenmont School will finally become a reality.

 Our former, long -standing and much missed Community Centre was sold off and demolished 15 years ago, so it’s been a very long wait for a local hub like this. We look forward to holding a range of events and activities, for both learning and leisure, to inspire our residents and bring us together.

 We are a dynamic, multi-generational, mixed demographic community with a lot of potential, and we hope to attract a wide range of people to the events, classes, community meetings, and more that will be taking place at this long-awaited Community space.

Julie McBride - CONGA Chair