Connecting communities through The William Sutton Prize
Matt Harvey-Agyemang, Co-Founder of Power Out of Restriction (POoR) Collective, talks about why he's joining the judging panel for the sixth William Sutton Prize and what he hopes to see from applicants.
Matt Harvey-Agyemang, Co-Founder of Power Out of Restriction (POoR) Collective
By Matt Harvey-Agyemang, Co-Founder of Power Out of Restriction (POoR) Collective
Communities can’t be designed in isolation. No matter what anyone says, you can’t create a thriving, connected neighbourhood without working alongside those living there – after all, they know best what’s needed.
That’s why in 2019 I set up POoR Collective – a socially-minded design practice that focuses on the development of communities through the elevation of young people – alongside my friends Shawn Adams, Larry Botchway and Ben Spry. They’re all architects with a passion for socially conscious design, and I was keen to use my accountancy background to do some good, so it felt like the perfect fit.
At POoR, we believe in the power of giving communities a stake in the design process, co-designing solutions to give people from diverse backgrounds – both young and old – usually excluded from the decision-making process a chance to shape where they live.
For that reason, I jumped at the chance to join the judging panel for the Connected Communities category for The William Sutton Prize. Opportunities like this don’t come around too often and it’s a privilege to be part of something that resonates so closely with the work we do at POoR.
I’m looking forward to seeing innovative ideas around engaging social housing residents, especially young voices, in projects that could help transform their communities. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard and feel that they are being listened to, and that’s the power of effective engagement.
I’m hoping to see some new approaches that I might be able to learn from and that is such a huge part of the Prize – championing innovation and sharing best practice to make a difference.
Most of us at POoR grew up in social housing and so I’m proud to be able to bring that experience to the judging panel, helping to see the concepts put forward in another light.
With only a few weeks to go before applications close on 8 April, I’m sure there are lots of organisations and individuals out there weighing up whether or not to put themselves forward.
My advice? Go for it! For me, the heart of a connected community is engaged residents, so make sure they’re at the forefront of everything you do. And if you get that part right, in my experience the rest tends to fall into place.