Improving the lives of local people in Southwark

Big Local Works (BLW) is a charity located in the heart of Bermondsey at the Blue Market Place, that was set up in 2017 to help to improve the lives and economic prosperity of people in the local neighbourhood. BLW is dedicated to providing a ladder of support ranging from benefits and welfare guidance, employability/life skills training, and supporting local entrepreneurship and enterprise.

Europe’s first Yurt Campsite, Canvaschic, which became recognised by prominent industry publications as starting the luxury camping craze and the pioneer of the ‘Glamping’ trend”. After 10 years Luds felt he needed a fresh challenge and returned to UK to manage a campsite in Dorset until another prospect arose that lured him back to London.

Day to day operations are managed by Lodewijk van den Belt, affectionately known to one and all as ‘Luds, who works closely with the board of trustees to develop the charities services, identify new initiatives and funding.

Luds was raised in the Netherlands and came to live in England aged 15, when his family relocated to Tonbridge in Kent. After leaving school he went to university to study Industrial economics, and a variety of jobs followed after completing his studies. In 2001, he went travelling around Europe and settled in the South of France, where he had the opportunity to take over a rundown campsite.

Luds told us. “I wanted to do something different, so had the idea of founding

“I have always had a desire to create better places and improve people’s lives and in 2016 the opportunity arose to become project director at Peckham Levels. I felt that it was something I needed to be part of, and I led a team that transformed this once underused multi-storey car park into 60 creative studios, a co-working space and a successful food and drinks destination”.

In 2019 Luds got itchy feet again and joined Big Local Works, which has become a key stakeholder in South Bermondsey under his direction, and shortly after his arrival BLW partnered with Blue Bermondsey BID to successfully apply for £2M funding from the Mayor of London for the Made in Bermondsey community led regeneration project.

The main focus of the project was for substantial improvements to the Blue Market place, where the infrastructure and amenities were not fit for purpose. The works also included a facelift for the BLW office in September 2021, to create a space better adapted to cater for BLW’s growing influence and ambitions.

Luds says “the GLA felt there was real value in having a market hub here with the ambition for BLW to eventually take over management of the market from Southwark Council and in 2022, we became the new market operators”.

BLW are dedicated to building on the momentum of the Made in Bermondsey project and demonstrating the social value of the market as more than just a place for trade, but also a community space for a multitude of events and activities, where different generations and cultures can share experiences.

Luds stressed that this is “a marathon not a sprint, with the most inspiring and ambitious aspect being the potential to empower and encourage local residents, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders to harness the economic and social opportunities the market can offer”.

To find out more about BLW, the Blue Market, and the opportunities it offers, either pop into the office or drop Luds an email. luds@biglocalworks.org.uk