Maria Acyian_COMMUNITY ADVOCATE

Maria is a local resident and community advocate in Ponders End, running the Ponders End Community Development Trust. She describes herself as someone who speaks up for the local community and supports initiatives that meet local needs, developing projects and groups to foster engagement. Maria is deeply invested in creating inclusive spaces where people from different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds can come together, reflecting her personal experience of multiculturalism within her own family. She emphasizes the importance of face-to-face interaction for social cohesion, arguing that remote communication can isolate people and weaken community bonds. Her work is hands-on, responding to local issues such as safety, social support, and the empowerment of underrepresented groups, including neurodivergent individuals. Maria has navigated local bureaucracy and funding challenges, advocating for better communication and collaboration between community groups and authorities, and has initiated programs like walking groups and women’s support networks to strengthen social connection. She values practical outcomes and long-term impact, focusing on enabling people to develop skills, confidence, and community voice, while fostering understanding across diverse communities. Her approach combines pragmatism, persistence, and a belief in the potential of structured but flexible community support to create safer, more inclusive, and cohesive local environments.

This is Southbury Art Trail

‘This Is Southbury Art Trail’ is a new creative placemaking initiative celebrating the Southbury and Ponders End neighbourhood shaped by community, resilience and industry. The new public art trail weaves together 3D portraits, poetry, and local voices to honour Southbury’s identity and bring everyday stories into the public realm.

DYSPLA, an award-winning art studio in Enfield, was commissioned by Enfield Council to deliver this innovative digital art and 3D sculptural project working with 30 community members, to shape this bold new public art trail and offers a wonderful opportunity for local people to come together and shape who they are, where they live and how their work is shaping the area.