“I have grown up in Hackney all my life and seen all of the changes – for the first time I was able to actively take part in it”

HOW IT WORKS

Our Impact

We bring together design, construction, youth work and advocacy in a way that puts power in the hands of young people who are excluded from decision-making. Creating personal, tangible and systemic impact:

  • 2,600 young people have gained practical skills and abilities to effect change
  • Built 55 permanent, inclusive spaces, created by and for local people.
  • 41,500 young people are benefiting from new community spaces to play, socialise and exercise.
  • Young leaders have challenged prejudices, influenced decision makers and won investment for overlooked needs.

Explore our Impact Report and Theory of Change.

Build Up’s story

Build Up was founded in 2014 by construction company Adventure Playground Engineers and current Director Huan Rimington.

As youth workers, designers and builders – we saw first-hand how young people get systematically shut out of the spaces and opportunities regeneration creates. Our original aim was to create a practical training programme in project leadership, design and construction.

Through working alongside young people, our vision and ambitions have developed into something bigger. We are now proudly led by a Youth Leadership Team (YLT), committed to creating and protecting free, accessible youth spaces and building the power of young people to take decisions about the environment they live in.

BUILD UP STAFF TEAM

Huan Rimington | Director

Huan is founding Director at Build Up and has led our development since 2014. Trained in architecture and spatial planning, Huan brings over 15 years of experience in leading public realm design and build schemes, community engagement, and construction. Before founding Build Up, Huan worked with Citizens UK and led participatory public realm initiatives in Romania. He was previously Project Manager at Adventure Playground Engineers, where he oversaw the construction of the award-winning Tumbling Bay Playground in the Olympic Park.

Ami Udeshi | Programme Manager

Ami has extensive experience leading placeshaping and infrastructure projects across the charity and public sectors. With a longstanding interest in how people engage with place, space, and the environment, Ami brings a strong commitment to collaborative design and community-led approaches. Prior to joining Build Up, she worked at Natural England, overseeing inclusive nature recovery programmes in London and the South East, and Sustrans, leading public realm and street design programmes.

Helen Caulfield | Construction Project Manager

Helen brings over 10 years of experience in construction and fabrication, having worked across film, TV, theatre, events, art fabrication, and a range of on-site construction projects. Over the past four years, she has built play spaces, community gardens, and parkour projects with Build Up. Before that, Helen spent five years as a playworker at adventure playgrounds in North East London, grounding her practice in child-led, creative environments.

Dunya Kalantery | Youth Voice Strategic Lead

Dunya is a youth worker, artist, writer, and facilitator. They bring over 10 years of experience facilitating youth-led work to Build Up, having collaborated with a wealth of community organisations and institutions across London. At Build Up, Dunya focuses on building power with young people who challenge, and are challenged by, systemic inequality in the built environment. As an artist, they collaborate with children and young people to create pieces that transform our relationship to our environment and offer imagined alternatives that we can all occupy.

Bhav Kotecha | Finance Lead

Bhav leads on Build Up’s finances, bringing a wealth of experience in charity finance, strategy, and leadership. Prior to joining Build Up, he worked as Finance Director for a range of UK charities and continues to advise organisations on their development. Alongside his work in the third sector, Bhav is also a practicing therapist, offering a unique perspective on organisational wellbeing and support.

BUILD UP TRUSTEE BOARD

Neba Sere | Chair

Neba Sere is a Spatial Practitioner and Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, focusing on Decolonisation and Decarbonisation. She co-leads the decosm collective, and is a Co-Director of Black Females in Architecture (BFA). Neba regularly speaks on diversity and inclusion, emphasising her commitment to a more equitable architecture profession and urban environment. Before joining the board, Neba previously lead projects for Build Up, including our Aldriche Way public space.

Melissa Haniff | Trustee

Melissa is Director of RESOLVE, an interdisciplinary design collective that blends architecture, engineering, technology, and art to tackle social challenges. RESOLVE has delivered a wide range of projects, workshops, publications, and talks – each focused on imagining and building more just and equitable futures in our built environment.

Linnie Mclarty | Trustee

Linnie is a silversmith and award-winning jewellery designer, known for her commitment to ethically responsible practices. She works exclusively with 100% recycled silver and gold, and uses responsibly sourced gemstones with a transparent, traceable supply chain. In addition to her jewellery practice, Linnie has experience in set and prop design for theatre and film, bringing a broad creative perspective to her work.

Helen Animashaun | Board Adviser

Helen is a programme manager with a background in the non profit and social enterprise sectors, managing complex programmes in the UK and internationally. She is driven by bringing people together, building strong partnerships and finding practical ways to create positive social through inclusion and learning to make a difference.