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Can you tell us about your background?

I’ve been a Hammersmith resident for a number of years. I grew up in a very diverse borough in North London, similar to Hammersmith. I started working as a chartered surveyor in my early 20s, then moved into strategy and analysis for 10 years for FTSE 100 companies. I wanted to gain a bit more global experience, so I applied for a role at an American company called Russell Investments. Long story short, I set up their European platform and team and, two promotions later, ended up in California, heading up their global real estate team. Having moved back to London, I now focus on helping to grow businesses. My current role is Managing Director of Investor Relations for The Valesco Group.

Why did you want to become a trustee for Hammersmith United Charities?

Hammersmith is home; it’s where my kids are being brought up. Living in America for a few years really made me appreciate London. It’s such a dynamic, exciting city, and I want to, albeit in a very small way, add value to it. I feel that my skills and experience in residential property, finance and investments can be of use to Hammersmith United Charities. I can also add value by picking up the phone and making introductions to help the charity build new relationships.

What do you do in your spare time?

I’ve got three kids and two rescue dogs. My wife Suzanne and I enjoy walking the dogs together. Our kids are aged 10 to 15, so they’re becoming more independent, but my son and I spent a couple of days playing golf together recently. It’s rare that happens, but it’s always nice to dust the golf clubs off. My second eldest child is at ballet school in Hammersmith full-time as she wants to be a professional dancer.

We’re a very active family. I used to play squash a lot, but my joints aren’t what they used to be! I do enjoy riding my Brompton folding bike though, which I mainly use for commuting from work in the West End back home to Hammersmith. It’s a really interesting borough; I enjoy living here.

Find out more

• Read more about our trustees

The summer holidays can be difficult for many families. According to Feed London, 400,000 children in London are facing holiday hunger. Families on a low income may also not be able to afford holiday clubs and other activities. When combined with a lack of green spaces and safe places to play, this means that some young people stay home for much of the holidays, leading to social isolation.

Charities are helping to close the ‘holiday gap’ in Hammersmith & Fulham by offering free or heavily subsidised activities and lunches. Several HUC grant-holders are involved, including DanceWest, Nourish Hub, HCGA and Fulham Reach Boat Club.

Julia Philipson, Fundraising Manager at Fulham Reach Boat Club, shares, “Whilst their better-off peers might be doing all sorts of fun things, those activities usually aren’t accessible to disadvantaged children. So, they suffer from summer learning loss. Some are also at risk of being pulled into crime, partly due to holiday hunger.”

The boat club runs free watersports weeks during the summer and Easter school holidays for children in Hammersmith & Fulham who receive the Pupil Premium.

Julia says, “Our charitable programmes are for people in our community who may not ordinarily be able to access blue spaces in London or indeed access any kind of physical activities outside of school. It’s not about finding the next Olympic champions like Helen Glover or Mohammed Sbihi, it’s about getting children out onto the water for their physical and mental health.”

As well as rowing and other sports, the young people receive breakfast, a snack and a hot lunch prepared by Sam’s Riverside restaurant. They’re also taught water safety and basic first aid, and athletes often give talks on mindset, nutrition and other topics.

Along with the holiday clubs, the charity runs six-week programmes for disadvantaged children and teenagers from 11 secondary schools within Hammersmith & Fulham and three schools from neighbouring boroughs. The programmes are heavily subsidised, as the boat club fundraises to cover most of the costs.

Julia says, “Many of the children have multiple barriers to accessing watersports. They might have been told they’re no good at sport for example, but if you can’t catch, kick or throw a ball, you can still enjoy rowing. And maybe that will give you the confidence to try other activities. So, as well as benefiting children physically, it’s helping to change those negative self-perceptions.

“One boy brought his family down and told them all about the club and what he’d learnt. He also came in recently to thank the junior coach for the opportunity and for helping him to see things differently.”

The boat club tries to be as accessible as possible. Many of the young people who take part in the clubs aren’t strong swimmers. Others have special educational needs or disabilities. Julia recalls one boy who had a visual impairment. “He came down for a morning to try it and ended up really enjoying the experience. He came numerous times over the summer holidays and is now a junior member. He’s a very good rower.”

Fulham Reach Boat Club provides a few bursaries each year for young people who’ve enjoyed the free clubs and who want to keep rowing. The bursaries cover all costs, including competition fees.

The boat club’s other target beneficiaries are prisoners. Julia explains, “One of our team members, Imogen Walsh, had a chance meeting with an ex-prisoner at another boat club, who shared their story of how they’d transformed their life through rowing. That inspired Imogen to set up our Boats Not Bars programme, which helps to rehabilitate prisoners through sport to reduce the risk of them reoffending. So many young people end up in prison after taking a wrong turn in life because they didn’t have the support that others take for granted. We want to give them a second chance.”

While the boat club pays for staff and rowing coaches, it also benefits from lots of volunteers, some of whom started rowing through the holiday clubs. Julia shares, “It’s lovely to see their journey of growth from their first time trying rowing, to developing their skills, to becoming ambassadors for the club and welcoming new people in. These kids are really inspirational, they just need the opportunity to show what they can do.”

Summer in the City

While the Fulham Reach Boat Club programme is fully booked for the summer, a wide range of other free children’s activities are available through Summer in the City. Activities include roller skating, boxing, yoga, drama, DJing and manga. A healthy meal is provided for each child.

Holiday hunger

If your family is affected by holiday hunger, you may be eligible for support from the Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank. The Nourish Hub is also running community lunches throughout the summer.

Why did you want to become a trustee for Hammersmith United Charities?

I spent six years working in the borough and five years living here. It’s a very vibrant, fun place to live and work. Hammersmith is a real melting pot, with a huge spread of faiths and cultures.

However, there’s also a lot of deprivation here, and typical inner-city problems around homelessness and poor-quality accommodation, which is often right next to multi-million-pound properties. It’s hugely unfair. HUC helps to provide some balance and support for people who need it. I love what the charity does and admire the fact that they’ve been supporting the people of Hammersmith for 400 years.

What do you bring to the HUC board?

I’ve been working in construction for 25 years, mainly as a quantity surveyor. For the last 15 years, I’ve worked on social housing for Hammersmith & Fulham Council and other local councils. I’m currently General Manager at Fortem Solutions; I deliver repairs and maintenance frameworks for local authorities and registered providers.

I understand the issues the housing sector is facing, such as complying with the Building Safety Act. Compliance procedures are frequently being changed at the moment, which puts pressure on landlords and other housing providers. I feel my experience will be useful to HUC, providing the team with additional capacity and insights.

So you’re particularly interested in the almshouse side of HUC?

Yes. My first home as an adult was a former almshouse in Dunstable, near Luton. I lived there for almost five years. I hadn’t really appreciated what almshouses were before then or why they were so needed.

So, years later, when I heard about HUC, I looked into the charity and realised that it’s doing fabulous work, helping the people who most need support. Ultimately, I want people to have safe homes to live in.

What do you do in your spare time?

I’m studying for a Master’s, which takes up a lot of my time outside work. I also enjoy a round of golf and generally being outdoors when I get the chance. I did the Three Peaks challenge last year. However, I have two children, aged four and five, so most of my free time is spent with them. Family comes first.

Find out more

• Read more about our trustees

Every year, Hammersmith United Charities provides £400,000 to local groups that are creating positive change in our area of benefit. Our most recent grant round in May 2024 saw grants awarded to 12 groups, ranging from £300 to £14,990 and totalling £99,285.

The organisations receiving funding include This New Ground CIC, who are using their grant to support people with learning disabilities to move towards employment. Participants will benefit from weekly art sessions, a peer-led singing group and individual mentoring.  

Other grant-holders include the Mother and Child Welfare Organisation, who are using their grant to expand health equity projects, and Hikayetna, who are planning to create a series of short Arabic videos to improve access to mental health services. 

How to apply for a HUC Community Grant 

We hold three grant rounds each year and are particularly keen to hear from smaller, local organisations with a strong connection to their community and a working knowledge of the local area. Your project can be a one-off or ongoing. What interests us most is the difference you’ll make to the local people most in need. 

Please complete our Eligibility Quiz before applying, and then contact us at  grants@hamunitedcharities.com to tell us about your project. We like to talk to applicants before you apply so that we can get a better understanding of what you’re doing and answer any questions you may have. 

Find out more 

• Learn more about our Community Grants 

• Read our grant FAQs 

• Hear from other organisations we’ve supported 

• Read more about how to apply