 News
Residents welcomed to new council homes on the Aylesbury Estate
We recently completed 229 new council homes on the Aylesbury Estate in Walworth and held an event to welcome residents to their new homes.
Report: how Southwark's land can be used for social good
We commissioned London's first Land Commission to look at how landowners can work together to unlock more land for homes, green spaces, better transport and workspaces.
300th Living Wage employer in Southwark
Spring Community Hub is the 300th employer in Southwark to commit to paying all their employees a minimum of £11.95 an hour, in line with the London Living Wage. Over 4,800 people who work locally are now paid the London Living Wage.
What's on
Vintage clothes sale: bag a bargain on 15 October
Visit Peckham Levels on Sunday 15 October from 10am for some pick-and-mix vintage clothing. Shop for men's and women's gear from the 1960s onwards, all for £20 a kilo. £2 entry fee (or £1.50 if booked in advance).
Earn rewards: walk, cycle and run
Our Better Points Southwark app encourages you to walk, cycle, run or use public transport. It tracks your travel via GPS from your smartphone and rewards you with points which can be converted into vouchers, discounts in shops or charity donations.
Free: Windrush exhibition in Walworth
Visit the Windrush 75 Exhibition at Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library this October (exhibition is open from 12 noon every day) to commemorate the Windrush pioneers through personal objects that portray a lived experience.
Free event: learn how to trace your family history and Caribbean roots
For some Caribbean families it can be difficult to trace your family history. Learn techniques at our family genealogy event, part of Black History Month, at Nunhead Library, Wednesday 4 October 6.30pm to 8pm.
Free exhibition and talks about AI, SE1
A playful look at the ways artificial intelligence (AI) is already shaping many areas of our lives, including our healthcare and justice systems and how we look after our pets. It's open Wednesday to Saturday, 11 am to 6pm. No ticket needed.
Activities and information for children and families
Book free learn-to-cycle sessions for your family
Head to Burgess Park in SE5 in October to learn to ride safely with qualified instructors and get confident on quieter roads. It's free of charge and you can borrow bikes. It's all part of our Streets for People programme.
Free: take a tour of our waste and recycling centre
Want to know what happens to your rubbish? Why not take a tour of our waste and recycling centre off the Old Kent Road? Book today for Wednesday 4 October (5pm to 7pm).
Rapunzel heads to Peckham this December!
Enjoy a modern take on Rapunzel, with a few added twists, at Theatre Peckham this December. Tickets from £7.50.
New: free healthy secondary school meals
We’re introducing free healthy school meals for many secondary school pupils this academic year, 2023/24. This is to help families through the cost of living crisis.
Is your child starting secondary school next year?
If your child was born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013, they are due to start secondary school in September 2024. You must apply for a secondary school place by 31 October 2023. Details of open days are on schools' websites.
Flu vaccinations in schools: protect your child
Children in primary and secondary schools (up to year 11) are offered a winter flu vaccine. Flu can be serious for some children and even lead to a stay in hospital. The vaccine is safe, and effective at preventing children from catching and spreading flu. It's normally given as a nasal spray.
Your health updates
Join the thousands of people who are stopping smoking this month
Giving up smoking is one of the best things you'll ever do for your health. Stoptober offers a range of free quitting support including:
- the NHS Quit Smoking app
- personal quit plan tool
- daily emails and texts
Free stop smoking seminar with Allen Carr’s Easyway
50 million people worldwide have stopped smoking through this six-hour seminar. If you want to stop smoking or vaping and are 18+, live or work in Southwark, or registered to a Southwark GP, book today (places are limited).
Get breast cancer aware
1 in 7 UK women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Checking your breasts and attending screening can help detect cancer at an early stage, before there are any symptoms. By spotting cancer at an earlier stage, you may get treated when it's more likely to be successful.
Why speaking to your GP about prostate cancer is key for black men over 45
One in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer. But, it’s even more common in Black men – with one in four being diagnosed with the condition in their lifetime. The NHS recommends that Black men over the age of 45 speak to their GP about their risk of prostate cancer, even if you are not experiencing symptoms.
Stay well: get a COVID-19 and flu vaccination
If eligible, you’re encouraged to take up the COVID-19 autumn booster, to get maximum protection from a new COVID-19 variant. You should take the flu vaccine every year as the strains of flu change each year.
You may be eligible if you:
- are 65 and over
- have certain health conditions or a learning disability
- are pregnant
- live with someone who has a weakened immune system
- are health and social care staff or a carer
>> Find out if you're eligible for a free COVID-19 and flu vaccine and how to book
Climate updates
Hear about our plan to prepare Southwark for the changing climate
The climate emergency is making extreme weather more likely. Last year's 40-degree heat led to schools closing and cancelled hospital operations. We've prepared a draft strategy to respond and prepare Southwark for the future and we’re holding an online Q&A session on Thursday 5 October at 6pm to answer questions.
Volunteer to inspire students about climate science
Climate Ed is a charity that sends volunteers into primary schools to teach about carbon literacy and climate action. They are currently working with schools in Southwark and are looking for volunteers. They offer training to all volunteers.
Get funding for your community
We have £600,000 to fund community projects
The Southwark Neighbourhoods Fund 2024/25 has over £600,000 to fund projects that make a difference locally across the borough. Have you got an idea?
Get funding to make your community cleaner, greener and safer
Do you want to create a community garden, get new cycle parking on your estate or revamp your local playground? Our Cleaner, Greener, Safer fund helps make ideas like these a reality. Organisations and individuals can apply.
Get a grant to help your local community cycle
Apply for small grants of up to £2,500, over a six month period, to organise cycling sessions in your community. We welcome applications from groups who have less access to cycling such as women, ethnic minority groups and disability groups.
More updates
We’re recruiting: Black Culture Conversation
We want to work together with arts organisations, individuals and community groups to create a sustainable vision for Black Culture in Southwark. We are currently recruiting individuals and organisations to lead the conversation.
Apprenticeship vacancies
We currently have some apprenticeship vacancies in our culture, adult social care and technology teams.
Event for leaseholders and freeholders of Southwark Council-managed properties
At the conference you can find out about your rights and responsibilities, talk to council officers and hear from independent organisations such as the Leasehold Advisory Service, and Citizens Advice Southwark. It's on Saturday 14 October, 9am to 4.30pm, at the William Booth College, SE5 8BQ.
Get over £1,000 in total to buy healthy food and milk for your child
You could be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if you're aged:
- 18 or over and are pregnant, or have children under four-years-old and you get certain benefits
- Under 18, pregnant and don't get benefits.
Getting Healthy Start won't affect your benefits.
Tenant satisfaction survey: you may be contacted
Acuity, a market research firm, is carrying out a Southwark Council Housing Services tenant satisfaction survey for us until 14 October. This is so we get a better understanding of your experiences and feedback to improve our housing services. If you are called, please spare the time, it should take only eight minutes.
Add your details or find a creative in our new Southwark Creatives directory
For creative freelancers living or basing their practice in Southwark and commissioners and producers who want to find them.
Children urgently need foster carers in Southwark
We're looking for foster carers for children of all ages. Our foster carers get a generous allowance and excellent training and support. We’re looking for foster carers from all our communities, but you need to have a spare room.
|
