Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is Camden Community Wealth Fund?
Camden Community Wealth Fund is a £30 million investment fund that will invest in businesses and other organisations making a difference in Camden. This is because Camden creates a lot of wealth and opportunity— but not everyone benefits from it. The Fund's aim is to create a more inclusive economy, so that more people and communities have opportunities. The difference about this fund is that you and the community will help decide where the money goes! In 2025-2026, the fund will invest £4 million with two different programmes:
- The Youth Fund will invest £2m in businesses empowering young people. A Youth Panel with 15 young people helps make decisions about this fund.
- The Diversity Fund will invest a further £2m in businesses increasing diversity in positions of power. The Diversity Panel (you) will help make decisions about this fund.
2. What is an investment?
An investment is money given to a business to help it grow. It’s a bit like planting a seed- your money helps the business get stronger, but in return the business is expected to pay the money back. That’s why it’s different from a grant. There are different types of investments:
- Sometimes it's like a loan, where the money is repaid back with extra.
- Other times, it’s like a share of the business’s profits and that’s what pays the money back
The key point is that money needs to be paid back so it can get reinvested in other businesses.
3. What is the Diversity Panel?
The Diversity Panel is a group of 1,000 people who live, work, or study in Camden who will help us decide how £2 million is invested in local businesses that are run by a diverse group of people. It’s the first time that Camden is gathering a panel of this size to influence local decisions, and we’re excited to have you onboard!
4. What will the Diversity Panel do?
The Diversity Panel will help shape the Community Wealth Fund, by helping to decide:
- The types of investments the Fund makes (this is called the investment strategy)
- The businesses the Fund invests in
The Diversity Panel will be made up of the two panels below:
- Online panel – 1000 people
The online panel will be made up of 1,000 people like you, who have been selected in August. It will help to decide what type of impact the fund creates in the community. The online panel will be involved at three key stages of the process, starting in October.
- In-person panel – 50 people
The in-person panel will be made up of 50 people and will be selected from the 1,000 people in October. It will help shape the investment strategy & who to invest in, based on what the online panel said. The investment strategy is a guide that sets out what kinds of businesses and organisations can receive investment. It helps everyone on the panel to make fair and consistent decisions. The in-person panel will meet at three key stages of the process, starting in November.
5. Do I need to know anything about investment to be on the panel?
You don't need any prior knowledge or experience to take part. You will be supported to make informed decision by our dedicated resources, information and investment experts.
6. How will you communicate with me?
Email & text: We’ll always email and text the important information. Please ensure your information us up to date.
Website: The Diversity Panel resource page will contain all the information & resources for panel members, including videos, FAQs, and investment information.
WhatsApp feed: There will be a WhatsApp feed created. If you have WhatsApp, you can join this group to hear the latest updates.
7. How can I contact you or get help?
Email: The Diversity Panel email address is CWFdiversitypanel@camden.gov.uk Please use this address rather than the Community Wealth Fund email address.
Phone: You can phone us at 07971745449 Our lines are open Mondays 2.00 - 4.30pm & Thursdays 10.00am - 12.30pm. You can also text this number.
8. When will the sessions take place?
Sessions will take place between September 2025 and June 2026. There will be seven stages leading to the final recommendation of businesses to invest in. In 2025, we'll focus on the investment strategy & in 2026 on the businesses. Please note that timelines may change as we learn & adapt.
Welcome sessions dates: the Welcome sessions are starting on Monday 29 September, until Wednesday 8 October. You can book your slot through this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/diversity-panel-welcome-sessions-4498923
Stage 1: Entrepreneurs session. Entrepreneurs discuss their experience. There will be two sessions to choose from:
- Monday 20 October 6-7pm
- Monday 27 October 11am - 12pm
You can find out more during the Welcome sessions for entrepreneurs.
Stage 2: Online panel session. The online panel will discuss the impact goals of the fund. There will be four sessions to choose from:
- Tuesday 21 October 6-7pm
- Thursday 23 October 11am-12pm
- Tuesday 28 October 6-7pm
- Thursday 30 October 6-7pm
You can find out more during the Welcome sessions.
Stage 3: In-person panel session. The in-person panel will discuss key recommendations for the investment strategy. Sessions will take place on Saturdays in November – December. The exact dates will be communicated to the in-person panellists.
9. How will I participate online?
The online panel will take place on a participation platform called PSi. It helps people to participate in decisions. You can find out more here. You will be invited to create an account on the platform and join an audio-based online discussion. For these audio discussions you might want to be in a quiet space or have access to headphones so you can listen clearly and take part fully (see question 12). You will be able to access support to get on the platform if needed.
10. How do I sign up to the online platform PSi?
In October, we will send you an email invite to set up your account on the platform. It will ask you to create a username and a password. The password is 14 characters. Make sure to remember your password so you can use it for future sessions. Please make sure to check your email regularly for the invite. You can find out more in the How to Use PSi video.
11. How will the sessions happen on the online platform PSi?
In your first discussion, you will be supported to share your ideas and discuss the impact of the Fund with other people across Camden. This is how it will go:
- Each participant shares an idea.
- You then join a small audio-based discussion with other participants to discuss a few ideas.
- You vote individually for your favourite ideas.
This will repeat a few times until all ideas are discussed by the group. Discussions will be recorded to capture insights from the conversation.
12. What do I need to join the online platform PSi?
Here’s what you will need to join the platform:
- A device (a computer, a tablet or a smartphone)
- An internet connection
- A quiet room or headphones if possible, so you can hear the discussion well.
If you don’t have a device or internet at home, we have been in touch to arrange an alternative with you.
13. Can I participate on my phone, or do I need a computer?
You can participate on a phone, tablet, computer, or any other device that has access to the internet.
14. Why are sessions recorded on the online platform PSi?
Sessions will be recorded to understand what the panel has said and create summaries of the conversation. Summaries of the conversation, anonymous quotes and excerpts of the conversation may be shared with the in-person panel to help them make decisions that reflect what the online panel said.
15. How do I authorise the online platform PSi to access my microphone?
When you join the discussion, you will be asked to allow PSi to access your microphone. You will see a ‘pop-up’ window asking you to authorise the use of your microphone. You will need to authorise it to be able to join the discussion. If the pop-up window is not coming up, make sure that your browser has not blocked the website (for example, if you have an ad blocker installed on your browser). Or contact us. You can find out more in the How to use PSi video.
16. Does the online platform PSi use AI (Artificial Intelligence)?
Yes, PSi uses AI to help transcribe conversations and create summaries of the discussions. The use of AI helps understanding and making sense of what 1,000 different people have said. The use of AI is limited to transcription and analysis and is not used for anything else. It does not interfere with any ideas generated and is not used within conversations between participants. Any summary and insights created by AI are always checked for accuracy and it is always possible to go back to the original data, such as conversation recordings or participants’ original ideas. PSi also uses advanced statistics alongside AI to generate results of conversations.
17. How will I participate in-person?
The in-person panel will be selected in October. It will take place at an accessible venue in Camden. Our independent delivery partner Involve will help facilitate discussions, alongside Camden staff to help the panel make informed investment decisions.
18. How will I be compensated for my time?
Participants will be compensated for their time, in line with user involvement practice. We will share more details soon about the process and when you can expect to receive payments. Participants can opt out of payments at any time if they don’t want to receive it.
- Online Panel: You will receive a £50 payment after each stage where we have confirmed your participation. Payments will be made via bank transfers. If you are unable to receive a bank transfer, we will arrange another form of payment directly with you.
- In-person Panel: You will receive a payment equivalent to the London living wage per hour, after each stage where we have confirmed your participation. Payments will be made via an online platform. If this method doesn’t work for you, we will arrange another form of payment directly with you.
Receiving payments does not mean participants are employees of Camden Council.
19. What does the £50 payment cover exactly?
The £50 payment covers one stage of participation. This will generally include:
- A session on PSi
- Time to read information before the session
- Optional welcome & support sessions to help you participate
You can see the three stages of participation described in your Welcome Pack.
20. What happens if I receive benefits?
If you are in receipt of benefits, it’s your responsibility to inform your personal advisor and we strongly encourage you to seek personalised advice. You can opt out of receiving payments and still take part.
21. How will I be supported to take part?
We want this opportunity to be accessible to everyone, and we will do our best to support everyone to participate comfortably within our resource and capacity constraints. If you have shared your support & accessibility needs with us, we will be in touch to arrange this with you.Here are some examples of the support that will be available for the online panel:
- Digital access support: this will include supporting those who need access to internet and / or devices, as well as support to use the online participation platform.
- Language support: this will include translation and interpreters for those who need it.
- Accessible content: this will include content designed for those who are visually impaired, hearing impaired and / or have a learning disability, such as Easy Reads, BSL & live captioning.
Additional support will be available for the in-person panel such as accessible venues, transport and childcare costs. Please note that we are unable to cover childcare costs for online sessions.
22. What will you do to ensure diverse communities are supported to take part?
The Diversity Panel will focus on enabling diverse entrepreneurs to access finance. It’s important that everyone joining the panel feels safe and comfortable to participate.
- Recruiting a diverse panel: Our recruitment made sure that the communities who have often faced barriers to accessing finance under traditional models are well represented in the panel.
- Comfortable spaces to participate: The online platform will enable participants to flag any issue when they are in breakout discussions. In person, discussions will be facilitated by trained & experienced facilitators.
- Discussion guidelines: We will be sharing discussion guidelines to make sure that everyone can participate equally and be treated respectfully.
- Confidentiality: We will never publicly share things that could identify you. All quotes and insights will be made anonymous.
- Lived experience: Sharing about your lived experience is always voluntary and we don’t expect anyone to speak on behalf of an entire community.
To help us create a comfortable environment for everyone, we ask everyone to treat each other respectfully and adhere to discussion guidelines.
23. What are the discussion guidelines?
The discussion guidelines are here to make sure everyone can take part and respect each other.
- Make space for everyone to speak. In your breakout groups, make sure that everyone gets a chance to speak and share time equally.
- Be respectful of others’ opinions. They may be different to yours and that’s okay.
- It’s okay to disagree. Just don’t be disagreeable when you do!
- There are no bad idea. Discuss all the ideas as a group.
- Listen to each other. Someone else's perspective may help you with your decisions. It's okay to change your mind.
- Respect people's experiences. Sharing about your own experience can be vulnerable. Be mindful.
- Remember, we all process and communicate information at different speeds.
- Don't share sensitive information in online discussions. Online discussions will be recorded to capture the insights of your conversations and share anonymous quotes. Make sure you don't share sensitive information such as address, phone number, etc.
24. What is a conflict of interest?
A conflict of interest is when someone is invited to contribute to decisions that could benefit them, their family, their friends or associates. There is also a conflict of interest when someone's personal or private activities, their relationships or their financial interests could be perceived to influence or interfere in the decisions they are asked to contribute to.For example: Farah is a Camden resident and a participant of the Diversity Panel. Her father wants to apply for an investment. She will need to declare a conflict of interest to make sure she is not influencing decisions for her family member or her own's personal gain.
25. How do I declare a conflict of interest?
We will send everyone a form to complete if you think you may have a conflict of interest. All business owners will need to complete it. If in doubt, always declare your conflict of interest, or get in touch with us.
26. What happens when I declare a conflict of interest?
We will review your conflict of interest and take appropriate action depending on the nature of the conflict. It doesn't mean you can't participate at all. Depending on the nature of the conflict, you may still be able to participate, or you may be asked to temporarily step out of a specific conversation. You can find the full Conflict of interest policy on our website.
27. Why are you asking me for feedback?
The Diversity Panel is what we call a ‘pilot’. This means that we have never done this before, and we want to learn from it. We have designed the involvement of participants based on our knowledge and experiences. We’ll be asking you to respond to surveys and other forms of evaluation to help us understand what has worked and what could be improved.
28. How will I know if something changes?
As we will learn as we go, we will need to be flexible. This could include changes in dates, for example. We’ll always keep you informed of changes that may affect your involvement.
29. What happens after I participated?
The results of the discussion will be accessible to everyone who participated online. They will be used in the in-person panel sessions to create the investment strategy. This will inform the type of businesses that can apply for investment. Businesses will then be able to apply for investment, and the next stages of participation will help decide who will receive the investment. If you are part of the online panel, you will be able to share your views about which businesses you think are most impactful.
We will keep you updated all along the process, so you know how your views help shape the Diversity Fund.
