Why commitment beats credentials: four lessons from an experiment in rethinking community funding
When marketing expert Zoe Ashford and charity leader Tim Simmans approached Adur & Worthing Councils with a new idea for unlocking the potential of grassroots community projects, their timing was spot on.
In 2021, communities across the country were facing a growing cost-of-living crisis, and the south coast of England was no exception.
“There was growing evidence to show that increases in energy, food and fuel prices were impacting residents. Our experience during the pandemic helped us create a roadmap for working collaboratively with other parts of the community, business and voluntary sector organisations, residents, and local communities to help alleviate income pressures,” explains Noel Hatch, the Assistant Director for People & Change.
“We invested in the Kitchen Table programme because we wanted to help grow the everyday acts of kindness that people are doing on our doorstep into powerful networks of support,” he adds.
The resulting experiment quickly became a quiet but powerful partnership that challenged the status quo of grassroots funding.
Over six months, it generated a set of four transformative lessons for anyone serious about building stronger, more connected communities.
- Back the person, not the polish
A core philosophy was to prioritise a person’s commitment and local knowledge over their professional background or a perfect plan.
The Kitchen Table team supported 18 community-led projects; 16 of which graduated with successful outcomes, and 17 secured funding.
While the numbers demonstrate that the strategy works, the story is in the people.
Participants ranged from 19-year-olds to retirees. Some were parents, carers, or unemployed. Others were delivering support from their own lived experiences: food insecurity, debt, neurodiversity or school gate experiences. What they had in common wasn’t always a polished pitch or professional background, but deep care for their communities.
“We designed this programme on the belief that commitment beats credentials,” said Ashford. “Our cohort didn’t slot neatly into traditional funding boxes, but they brought grassroots ideas and energy the sector desperately needs.”
- Pay people for their time
Backing the right person is only possible if you remove the barriers that keep them from the table in the first place. One of the programme’s key features was introducing ‘contribution payments’, directly compensating participants for the time they invested.
This approach came from a commitment to rethink the role of public sector commissioning and prioritise trust, relationships, participation, and adaptive support over rigid outputs.
By paying people for their time, the programme made it possible for individuals from all life circumstances to engage fully—a critical key to equitable engagement, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
“The programme reflected people’s real lives. It was responsive, participatory, and rooted in solidarity, not just service delivery,” says Hatch
- Replace rigid rules with trust and adaptability
The Kitchen Table programme tested an alternative commissioning model that prioritised trust and relationships over rigid outputs.
Rather than forcing participants through a fixed curriculum, the support provided was adaptive and tailored to meet real-time needs. The delivery team offered a flexible blend of one-to-one coaching, group support sessions, and mentoring that evolved based on each person’s pace and specific challenges. The application processes were simplified for accessibility and, unlike traditional programmes with strict schedules, nothing in the programme was mandatory.
This relational approach built a foundation of trust that allowed for more authentic development and problem-solving. It created an environment rooted in solidarity and mutual support, proving that a responsive, participatory model can be as, or more, effective than a top-down, service-delivery mindset.
- Real impact is confidence and connection, not just cash
While small seed grants of up to £5,000 were distributed, the programme’s deeper impact was in building confidence, relational capacity and legitimacy.
For many participants, this was the first time their community-focused work had ever been formally recognised or backed by an institution. They were given the space to build, test ideas, fail and adapt. A part of innovation that short-term, output-focused grants rarely allow.
This impact beyond the grant is essential for creating sustainable, long-term change.
By focusing on people and their relationships, the programme helped build networked, peer-led support structures that will continue to benefit the community long after the funding is spent.
The lessons from the programme offer more than just a case study; they provide the ingredients for a new recipe for community change.
By recognizing that the person is the core ingredient, and that providing resources like paid time (the heat), adaptive support (the technique), and a sense of belonging (the final dish) leads to growth, the council established a powerful model.
For public sector leaders grappling with how to unlock capacity and connection in their communities, the Kitchen Table programme offers both a challenge and a roadmap: fund differently, trust earlier and make it easier for good ideas to grow.
To learn more about the Kitchen Table SS25 model or to speak with the delivery team or commissioners, contact: noel.hatch@adur-worthing.gov.uk
Photo Credit: Image by Marc Pell on Unsplash
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