Welcome to your South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours newsletter.
This newsletter contains:
South Bank and Waterloo Forum - Thursday 3 October, 7pm
Community Chest reopens!
Updates
SoWN AGM
South Bank Spine Route
Old Vic development
British Transport Police at Waterloo Station
Events
The Lambeth Fringe, 19 September to 20 October 2024
Streatham Little Big Peace Event, 20 to 22 September
Gabriel's Wharf Arts Festival, Saturday 28 September
Ageing Well Festival, Saturday 5 October
Coin Street's Black History Month community day, Saturday 26 October
Generous Faith - Giles Goddard's new book
Spotlight on... SoWN member Abigail Tripp
South Bank and Waterloo Forum, Thursday 3 October, 7pm
The next SoWN Forum will take place on Thursday 3 October at 7pm at The Garden Museum, St Mary's Church, 5, Lambeth Palace Road SE1 7LB (next to Lambeth Palace) by kind invitation of Christopher Woodward, director.
As ever we will have a full meeting. The focus will be on the future of Lower Marsh - Eddie Elms and Luuk van Kessell will lead a conversation about that. Christopher will speak about the importance of Green Spaces, and we'll also look at our community spaces and how we can use them better. As well as hearing from Florence Eshalomi, our MP, and updates on other local things...
Everyone who lives and works in the South Bank and Waterloo area is welcome to attend and your contribution is important. If you've not yet been to the Garden Museum, this is your chance!
After the meeting there will be a chance to chat to other attendees over a drink and nibbles.
The last forum of the year will be on Thursday 12 December.
Community Chest reopens for applications
We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2024 London Eye Community Chest Programme for Waterloo and the South Bank. This fund supports projects that help to build community and strengthen community resilience in the local area. See this map of the area covered. Projects must be primarily for benefit of people living in this area, though people from nearby areas may also take part. Projects working with those in need will be especially welcome, but so will projects that more generally encourage strong, connected, vibrant and active communities.
For typical examples of projects previously funded by the London Eye Community Chest click here.
Updates
SoWN Annual General Meeting
The SoWN AGM took place on Thursday 12 September. The Trustees reported back on all their work over the past year, focusing especially on the new grant Health and Wellbeing grant stream, on our South Bank and Waterloo net zero project, the Emma Cons revitalisation, and the Neighbourhood Community Investment Levy projects we're funding. The members also elected the Trustees for another year. They are: Giles Goddard (Chair), David Clarson (Secretary), Max Weiner (Treasurer), Carmelita Lee, Michael Johnson and Suat Binkaya, who were already serving. Bushra Iqbal, principal of Morley College, and LIz Sillett, chair of WeAreWaterloo, were elected for the first time. Welcome Bushra and Liz!
The Annual Report and Accounts were received. You can read them here.
Spine Route
Lambeth Council is set to kick start the latest phase of transforming the public spaces behind the South Bank to make the area safer and more accessible for the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors to the world-famous attractions.
You can find our more about the project here
and an engagement platform here.
Old Vic Development
The Old Vic development is approximately 38% through the construction phase. The basement steel structure, stair core and basement waterproofing have been completed. The next steps are to erect the timber frame and applying a temporary roof. They will shortly start work on the Webber Street brickwork elevation. You can find more information here.
British Transport Police (BTP), Waterloo Station
The BTP team at Waterloo Station have been busy over the summer with the Tylor Swift concert and the Notting Hill Carnival. Locally, the team have welcomed a number of new officers. The highest crimes at the station recently have been theft of passenger property and retail theft. Going forward the team will be focussed on high-visibility controls with deployments in key locations and crime prevention. You can hear directly from the BTP Waterloo team here.
Events
The Lambeth Fringe - 19 September - 20 October 2024.
The Lambeth Fringe (formerly The Clapham Fringe) is a yearly festival running since 2015 from the team behind The Bread & Roses Theatre. For 2024 The Lambeth Fringe reveals a multi-venue expansion including exciting venues across the borough.
With something for everyone at this growing festival the Lambeth Fringe is a great opportunity to discover the very best of performance from established and emerging artists.
Streatham Little Big Peace Event, 20 to 22 September
This year's Little Big Peace Event will be held between Friday 20 and Sunday 22nd September. There;s a wellbeing day on Friday 20th September including Zumba with @gloriazumbazin from 1:30pm and Flameco Con Gusto with Dani @flamenco_con_gusto at 2:15pm. Both free tasters to get you moving.
The wellbeing day starts from 12:30pm on Friday 20th September 2024
Location: Gracefield Gardens Centre, Streatham.
Free
Gabriel's Wharf Arts Festival, Saturday 28 September, 12-6pm
A celebration of talent, with bands, comedians and more. The festival will include la diverse line-up of professional musical acts and performances from a roaming Shakespearean troupe.
Free
Ageing Well Festival, 5 October 11am to 3pm
Following the success of last year’s event, Lambeth Council and partners are holding our second Ageing Well Festival for the over-50s on 5 October 2024 from 11am - 3pm to celebrate the Council’s commitment to becoming an age-friendly borough. The event is free and it will be a fun and social day with information and advice stalls, activities, food and entertainment tailored to residents aged 50 and older.
Location: Kia Oval (Jardine Suite, Alec Stewart Gate)
Free
Coin Street Black History Month community day, Saturday 26 October, PM
Save the date of Saturday 26 October for the Coin Street Black History Month community day where there will be music, dancing and food to celebrate black history and culture.
Free
More information to follow.
Generous Faith
Our Chair, Giles Goddard, has written a book. In Generous Faith he weaves together his own personal story with the ebb and flow of life at St John’s Waterloo, his church, and the fascinating members of his congregation – a diverse community of pilgrims pursuing truth with conviction and delight.
Giles has continued to push the boundaries of inclusion, offering a prayer space for the Muslim
community, welcoming refugees, the street homeless, and Extinction Rebellion
activism. Whether you feel flawed or a fraud (or both), and whatever your background, Giles’s
journey from false self to authentic vulnerability will inspire you.
Available from all good bookshops! Or for more info and to order click here
Spotlight on... Abigail Tripp
What’s your role in South Bank and Waterloo?
I am outreach and development coordinator at The Bridge at Waterloo charity, set up by and based at St John's Waterloo. With local people and community partners I have developed the community programme 'Room For You' at St John's offering free clubs including Art, Chess, English Conversation, Creative Writing, Space for Storytelling, Speak the Speech, Walking, Yoga and a Culture Club where we get FREE tickets to shows, events and exhibitions.
What’s something valuable you’ve learned during your life?
Listen, ask for help, don't try and do it all by yourself.
If you could choose a superpower, what would you pick?
I love swimming so my superpower would be to be able to breathe under water.
What does a perfect day look like for you?
A late morning swim and sauna, followed by a coffee and smoked salmon and avocado on toast for lunch. In the afternoon, a bike ride, taking in a park and a gallery then meet my husband for a nice pint of real ale and a burger.
Do you have a message for SoWN members?
Having lived in Waterloo for over 25yrs, I feel like I live in a village, let's keep that feel!
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