Strategy

“Without community, there is no liberation… but community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretense that these differences do not exist.”

- Audre Lorde

Brixton is more than a neighbourhood — it is a symbol of resilience, culture, and community power. From the Windrush generation to today’s diverse migrant communities, Brixton has always stood at the frontline of change, creativity, and resistance. It has given the UK music, art, politics, and movements that shape national culture.

But Brixton is also under pressure. Rising rents, housing insecurity, gentrification, and cuts to youth and social services mean many long-standing residents are being pushed to the margins. Developers and outside investors see Brixton as a brand to be sold, not a community to be nurtured. Without local ownership, the risk is clear: our history and identity could be commercialised and stripped of their roots.

At the same time, residents face urgent, everyday struggles: food and fuel poverty, immigration insecurity, isolation of elders, and lack of safe spaces for young people. Existing organisations are doing vital work, but often in isolation, with limited resources and little influence on big decisions.

The Brixton Coalition exists because now is the time to unite. By bringing everyone under one umbrella, we can:

  • Protect Brixton’s culture and ensure it stays in community hands.

  • Respond to urgent needs with dignity, solidarity, and mutual aid.

  • Resist external forces that threaten to displace or divide us.

  • Build long-term independence and resilience by keeping money, power, and skills within Brixton.

In short: we are stronger together. The Coalition is how Brixton ensures its future is shaped by the people who live here, not decided elsewhere.

Campaigning for Representation

For too long, decisions about Brixton have been made without us. Developers, party politicians, and outside interests dictate housing, youth services, and the future of our neighbourhood — often without listening to the people who actually live here.

That’s why the Brixton Coalition is backing Ruby Bukhari to run as an independent councillor.

Why Independent Matters

  • No Party Agenda – Ruby isn’t tied to party politics. She answers to Brixton, not party whips or external donors.

  • Community First – Every decision is guided by the needs of residents, not by outside investors or council bureaucracy.

  • Transparency & Accountability – Ruby will host monthly community meetings where residents set priorities, discuss issues, and hold her directly accountable.

  • Direct Voice in Council – Issues like housing insecurity, youth unemployment, and cultural protection will be raised in the chamber by someone rooted in Brixton.

  • New Model of Power – Instead of decisions being handed down from above, Brixton speaks for itself.

Brixton is at a crossroads: housing pressures, gentrification, and rising costs threaten to push out long-standing communities. Cuts to youth and social services leave gaps that the community struggles to fill alone. Without independent representation, these struggles will continue to be ignored or sidelined.

Ruby Bukhari’s campaign is about more than winning a seat. It’s about building a new way of doing politics in Brixton — one where residents meet monthly, shape priorities, and ensure their councillor represents them, not outside interests.

  • The Challenge:
    Across London, many youth hubs and children’s clubs have been shuttered or operate at reduced capacity because of austerity, rising costs, and funding cuts.
    In Lambeth, although the Council is currently investing in youth and play services, budget constraints and reorganisations risk undermining consistent, high-quality access.
    Local amenities like play clubs (e.g. in parks) have faced threats of closure or reduced service in Brixton.

    What We Do:

    • Establish and run after-school clubs in literacy, arts, sports, and rights hungry during or after school.

    • Partner with schools, community centres, and parks to create safe, open-access play and learning spaces in every part of Brixton.

    • Advocate and campaign for local reinvestment in playgrounds, children’s centres, and clubs to reverse cuts.

    Impact:

    Education, especially where public provision is weak or inconsistent.

    • Provide free meals and nutrition support so no child in Brixton goes

    • Children in Brixton gain access to reliable, local programmes that support learning, health, and social connection.

    • We counter inequality by ensuring that even in areas hit hardest by cuts, children still have places to grow, play, and learn.

    • Through advocacy, we aim to influence local budgets so children’s services remain protected and expanded in the long term.

  • The Challenge:

    • Cuts to youth services have hit teenagers the hardest: between 2011 and 2021, London boroughs lost nearly £1 billion in youth service funding, leading to closures of clubs and centres.

    • In Lambeth, over £9 million was cut from youth services during the 2010s, reducing safe spaces and structured programmes for young people.

    • Without access to opportunities, teens are more vulnerable to isolation, school exclusion, and being drawn into cycles of violence or criminalisation.

    What We Do:

    • Youth Advisory Board – Teenagers don’t just attend our programmes; they shape them. The board gives young people a real voice in Coalition decision-making.

    • Creative & Sports Programmes – Music, art, and sports activities provide safe, engaging alternatives to isolation or street risk.

    • Mentoring & Leadership – We connect teenagers with elders, local professionals, and campaigners to build confidence, leadership skills, and pathways for their future.

    • Campaigning for Services – The Coalition pushes for reinvestment in youth centres and safe spaces, ensuring teenagers have reliable, long-term support.

    Impact:

    • Teenagers in Brixton gain access to safe, positive outlets that support their growth and wellbeing.

    • They develop confidence and leadership, learning to organise, campaign, and influence decisions in their community.

    • By strengthening youth voices and opportunities, we reduce isolation and help build a generation ready to carry Brixton’s legacy forward.

  • The Challenge:
    While Lambeth’s overall unemployment rate is moderate, many young people and marginalized groups still face barriers to stable, well-paid work due to systemic inequality, skills gaps, discrimination, and lack of networks.

    What We Do:

    • Offer training programmes (CV writing, coding, financial literacy) that address skill gaps and build real capacity.

    • Facilitate mentoring and networking with local professionals and elders.

    • Partner with Brixton’s small businesses and traders to create job pathways and internships.

    • Target employment support services to residents facing additional barriers (e.g. racial, immigration, disability).

    Impact:
    We aim to reduce inequality in job access, open up opportunities for underrepresented youth, and create sustainable pathways into well-paying work — not just any job, but dignified and thriving ones.

  • The Challenge:
    Black women in the UK face systemic discrimination in healthcare — they are around three times more likely than white women to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth. They are also less likely to be listened to or believed when raising concerns in NHS settings. On top of this, young mothers of colour face isolation, financial strain from the cost of childcare and essentials, and barriers to education or work.

    What We Do:

    • Maternity & Health Advocacy – Peer advocates to accompany women to appointments, ensure their concerns are heard, and connect them with complaints/legal channels when needed.

    • Support Groups with Childcare – Safe, culturally competent spaces where mothers of colour can build networks and access training, with childcare provided on-site.

    • Mutual Aid for Essentials – Sanitary products, nappies, and formula supplied with dignity.

    • Rights & Training Workshops – Sessions on navigating healthcare, balancing family responsibilities, and pathways into further study or work.

    Impact:
    Mothers are safer, better supported, and able to thrive. Families benefit when women are heard, protected, and connected to opportunity.

  • The Challenge:
    Student life is exciting but increasingly precarious. Tuition fees remain high, transport and housing costs continue to rise, and the maintenance loan covers only about half of average living expenses. Many students lack family support nearby or mentors to guide them through financial, academic, and emotional pressures.

    What We Do:

    • Affordable Housing Campaigns – Pushing back against exploitative landlords and unsafe student housing.

    • Community Dinners & Social Spaces – Safe, low-cost places where students can eat, study, and connect.

    • Mentorship & Support Networks – Local professionals and Coalition organisers offering guidance so students never feel they have to “go it alone.”

    • Opportunities to Contribute – Volunteer and paid placements with the Coalition, connecting students to real community work.

    Impact:
    Students feel rooted in Brixton, supported through the cost-of-living crisis, and empowered to bring their energy, skills, and ideas into the community.

    If any Brixton student faces problems at university, Ruby will personally step in to support, advocate, and ensure their voice is heard.

  • The Challenge:
    Older residents face some of the harshest conditions: too many are forced to choose between heating and eating, with thousands of excess winter deaths linked to cold homes each year. Pension Credit is low and often under-claimed, while full state pensions require decades of work — a barrier for people with disability or interrupted work histories. On top of this, elders are frequently targeted by scams and online crime, adding financial and emotional stress to lives already stretched.

    What We Do:

    • Fuel & Food Support – Practical help with heating costs, warm hubs, and food deliveries.

    • Income Checks & Advocacy – Help elders claim Pension Credit, disability benefits, and other entitlements they are too often denied.

    • Scam Awareness & Digital Safety – Workshops and buddy systems to protect elders from fraud.

    • Intergenerational Mentoring – Creating spaces where elders share wisdom, history, and skills with younger residents, keeping them central in community life.

    Impact:
    Elders are safer, warmer, and respected — not sidelined but placed at the heart of Brixton’s culture and decision-making.

 How the Brixton Coalition Benefits You?

Events

Brixton Student Dinner

Once a year, we host a community dinner for everyone from Brixton studying in higher education, wherever they are enrolled. It’s a homecoming that connects students with each other and with the wider community, building networks of support and pride.

Festival of Us

A weekend-long celebration of Brixton’s creativity and culture, with local venues hosting music, food, and art. All profits go directly to Brixton’s mutual aid groups, supporting neighbours with essentials and care. More than a festival, it’s a show of solidarity — a moment where the community comes together to celebrate, give back, and keep Brixton strong.

Latin Festival Week

A week-long festival honouring Brixton’s vibrant Latin community, with food, music, dance, and workshops that bring neighbours together across generations. Markets, restaurants, and cultural spaces across Brixton will showcase Latin flavours, rhythms, and traditions, turning the area into a celebration of heritage and unity.