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About Compost

At Compost London, we believe that when you invest in the soil, everything else grows. We’re a team of community development professionals who came together in 2018 out of concern for the disappearing infrastructure support across east London’s voluntary and community sector.

2018
2025

What started quietly has become a trusted organisation—supporting small and emerging groups to build strong roots and thrive. We specialise in capacity building, governance, bid writing, safeguarding, strategic development, and leadership support.

From borough-wide partnerships like the ESOL Exchange and Anti-Poverty Alliance, to one-to-one support through our Nourish Fund, we work behind the scenes to help groups grow, connect, and transform. We’re called Compost for a reason: our work isn’t flashy, but it’s essential.

Plant the right support, and people thrive.

Recognising the important role this plays in maintaining a robust and thriving voluntary sector, we decided to map out a menu of services that we believe will be of most use to a range of organisations.

We have experienced substantial growth in the last 5 years, growing our connections with the voluntary, social enterprise, and faith sectors, to become the go-to organisation for capacity building. We have established new opportunities for connection and shared learning in the Borough, and beyond, through initiatives such as the ESOL Exchange, the Evaluation Exchange, and the Anti-Poverty Alliance.

Our Vision, Mission & Values

At Compost London, our work is guided by a clear purpose and strong principles that reflect our commitment to supporting grassroots organisations and the communities they serve.

We believe in the power of civil society and the role of local, trusted organisations in shaping fairer, healthier places. Our vision, mission, and values set the direction for everything we do—from day-to-day delivery to long-term partnerships.

Vision

We see a thriving civil society characterised by enabled voluntary and community sector organisations sharing strong connections, opportunities and information.

Mission

We achieve this by enhancing the capabilities of voluntary and community organisations through capacity building and assisting them to create connection and great collaborations, thus generating innovative solutions that meet community needs.

Values

  • Adaptable
  • Start where people are
  • Connected
  • Quality
  • Integrity
  • Independent

Our impact

Evaluation is important to us — just as we encourage the groups and clients we support to reflect on their work, we hold ourselves to the same standard.

Our first published impact report, Compost Newham, can be found here. It cultivated success within Newham’s voluntary, community and faith sector by connecting, informing, upskilling, and resourcing the incredible local groups that deliver much-needed services to so many of Newham’s residents — and doing so in a way that was both practical and uniquely people-focused.

We’re now in the process of developing our first Compost London Impact Report, which will reflect our growing reach across London and the deepening impact of our work. It will highlight the stories, learning and outcomes that matter — from grassroots growth to strategic collaboration.

We look forward to launching this in September 2025. Watch this space.

The Team

At Compost London, we’re a small but passionate team with deep roots in the communities we serve. We bring a mix of lived experience, professional expertise, and a shared commitment to helping grassroots organisations thrive.

We believe in collaboration, integrity, and getting things done — and we’re proud to work alongside groups and partners who are making real change happen every day.

Sandra White

Chief Executive

Caroline Rouse

Director

Anne Crisp

Director

Briony Fleming

Director

Keith Ansell

Director

Jenny Greenfield

Compost London Associate

Asheem Singh

Director

Peter Okali

Compost London Associate

Mathew Brook

Director

Marilyn Mensah

Phase 2 Implementation Manager Newham Community Research Network

Viv Munn

Community Engagement Manager

Patricia Donkor

Newham ESOL Exchange Coordinator

We offer a wide range of services to help VCS organisations grow.

Whether you need personalised mentoring, tailored research or help with your strategy development, we've got you covered. Our goal is simple: to help your organization grow, develop, and thrive.

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