When I was first a council candidate, I pounded the streets thinking about what I would do if I was fortunate enough to get elected. My number one hope was that I would be able to get a community centre going that would be different from those I had seen before. Rather than mis-matched services being doled out to disinterested residents, would it be possible to create something owned and led by residents? The answer is definitively yes.

The project I have supported as a candidate, a ward councillor and now leader of my council has been a great privilege to be a part of. The Mill, Coppermill Lane in Waltham Forest proves what councils and residents can do when we take down the barriers and listen to one another.