We have many fantastic examples of our community leaders in Royal Greenwich supporting the health and wellbeing of our diverse communities in innovative and inclusive ways.
Read about some of their stories and how they are making a difference:
Laura Marziale, Creating Ground CIC
"I founded Creating Ground CIC to support migrant women in Greenwich by using creativity as a tool for wellbeing, connection and empowerment.
Through arts-based activities, I create safe and welcoming spaces where women from many different backgrounds can build confidence, improve their mental health and form meaningful relationships across cultures.
My work helps women move beyond labels such as vulnerable or beneficiary and instead recognise their skills, strengths and potential as active members and leaders of their communities.
Alongside this, I support women to become community leaders and agents of change.
Through training and collective organising, we have campaigned on issues such as temporary accommodation and No Recourse to Public Funds, working directly with councillors, council officers and health services. This has led to real outcomes, including a free SIM card scheme for people in temporary accommodation and creative projects that have influenced maternity and mental health services.
By centring lived experience and co-producing solutions, I help ensure that migrant women’s voices shape local services and create lasting positive change in the community."
Paul Green, Avant Gardening
"I have spent many years using creative arts to support communities across Greenwich and South East London, helping people connect, feel heard and take pride in their shared spaces.
Through projects such as community gardening, mobile allotments, and arts workshops on housing estates, I have brought creativity directly into neighbourhoods, using informal, welcoming environments to encourage participation.
These spaces allowed residents to talk openly about local issues, build trust with one another and influence real change, such as improving access to green spaces and increasing community use of local woodlands.
By working closely with councils, cultural institutions and residents, I have helped communities shape projects that reflect their own needs rather than imposing ideas from outside.
In more recent years, my work has focused on older and intergenerational LGBTQ+ communities, particularly those affected by isolation following the loss of social spaces.
Through performances, exhibitions, oral history projects and regular creative gatherings, I have helped rebuild networks of care where people look out for one another, share information and feel a genuine sense of belonging. Participants have gained confidence, improved wellbeing, and found supportive peer relationships, with some moving from extreme shyness to public performance.
What I am most proud of is helping create safe, inclusive communities that continue to support each other beyond the life of any single project."
Viv Davies, Carers Social Group
"I have spent many years supporting my local community, driven by lived experience as a lifelong carer and as a parent of a child with complex needs.
I helped build and lead Greenwich Parent Voice for around 10 years, growing it into a trusted, parent-led organisation that connected hundreds of families, amplified parent voices and worked closely with local health and council services.
My focus was always on bringing people together, reducing isolation and creating safe spaces where carers could share experiences, support one another and feel heard in systems that are often difficult to navigate.
More recently, I identified a significant gap in support for adult and whole-life carers and set up a carer-led group to meet those needs. Through this group, I have created inclusive spaces for peer support, practical information sharing and social connection, both in person and online. I have secured funding, built accessible networks and delivered projects that have had direct impact on carers’ mental and physical wellbeing, including fitness programmes and hands-on support to help carers use social care funding effectively.
Above all, my work is about trust, lived experience and people power – ensuring carers are less isolated, better informed and supported by a community that understands their reality."
Abu Siddiki
"I support underrepresented communities by acting as a trusted bridge between local people and services such as Public Health, the NHS and local organisations.
I create safe, culturally appropriate spaces where people feel heard, supported and confident to engage, particularly within Bengali men’s and women’s groups.
One thing I’m proud of, is the coach trip to Margate with the Bengali Women’s group, of which they won funding for. Some of the women had never been to the beach and were like school children – laughing, joking and enjoying themselves!
I help communities access health information, wellbeing activities and practical support, including exercise sessions, health awareness workshops and links to services like screening, vaccinations and social prescribing. I also support groups to secure funding and develop their own initiatives, building confidence, connection and independence.
My work strengthens trust, builds lasting relationships and helps people feel more informed, empowered and connected.
Above all, I’m proud to help create opportunities that improve wellbeing, reduce isolation and bring communities together in positive, meaningful ways. And I enjoy it because I’m helping the community!"