Lennina served as the Lead Researcher and Co-Design Partner in collaboration with Social Finance and the Youth Endowment Fund, working to understand and transform the Cheetham community. She engaged deeply with local stakeholders—youth groups, schools, community organisations, and local leaders—to build relationships and establish credible, locally-led governance structures. By centering the voices of children and young people, she co-developed a theory of change and strategic action plan to drive long-term impact.

Her work resulted in the ‘Hope for Cheetham’ poetic manifesto, extensive qualitative and quantitative research, and a community-driven framework for change. The initiative secured £1,000,000 in funding to implement actionable solutions over the next five years, with continued support from the Youth Endowment Fund and a dedicated learning partner for governance. Through a collaborative, research-led approach, Lennina helped lay the foundation for meaningful and sustained community transformation.