This year I mentored with MyWorld and Earl Kendrick on a project supporting people who have experienced homelessness to photograph buildings that hold meaning for them. I worked closely with the photographers and it was a powerful celebration of photography, community and the stories woven into London’s architecture.

I was invited by It’s Nice That to present to Adobe about Shine Camera Club, a grassroots photography project for young children in Mitcham. Nervous about my first presentation and unsure how it would be received, I was touched when the team embraced the project and felt inspired by the children’s work. The kind messages I later received from Adobe staff reminded me that creativity truly knows no boundaries.

This year’s Shine exhibition, Community Trailblazers, showcasing portraits taken by children aged 8–10 from Mitcham. It celebrates local change-makers across Merton and is currently on display at Elys, Wimbledon with support from The Wimbledon Championships Learning Programme.

This summer, I worked with The Green Arts Centre in Mitcham on Stories of Our Street, a community arts project supported by Arts Council England. I led a photography workshop with local children, asking them: What does your street mean to you? Armed with phones, they captured markets, gardens, pets and hidden corners. Their photos, later exhibited at Canons House, showed Mitcham’s vibrancy and intimacy, proving the power of young voices in celebrating community.