Making a difference

What’s life like as the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor of Lewisham? We asked Rosanna Campbell and Olivia Mardling what they had been up to in the past few months since being voted in.

Rosanna

“Life as the Young Mayor of Lewisham is as exhilarating as it is exciting, with new people to meet - whether they are the general public, or the Mayor of London himself! With the Young Advisors we recently launched the Bank of Things which was an idea of my predecessors, to support young people in the borough and help them to make a difference to their local community. The Bank of Things is a new drop in donation hub for young people aged 11 to 25 living in Lewisham. This is to help address the issue of poverty and lack of resources for young people in the borough, and we can now supply everyday necessities such as toiletries and school equipment to any young person facing hardship.

It is open every Monday and Wednesday 4–7pm during term time, at Unit 19, Lewisham Shopping Centre.

I’m also working on developing the Halo code in Lewisham schools. The Halo Code is a pledge, signed by schools, that promises members of the Black community that they have the “freedom and security to wear all afro-hairstyles without restriction or judgment”. This includes any child who wishes to wear their hair however they choose to in school.

The expectations for me are high, and I hope that the work that I do while I am in this position will carry on my name, and a legacy for us as young people.”

Olivia

“So far, my experience as Deputy Young Mayor of Lewisham has been incredibly positive. I have gained a wealth of new experiences from attending community violence conversations to meeting Sadiq Khan, during Day One of London Borough of Culture.

I have also been working to spread awareness on violence against women and girls. We are creating an assembly and workshops for Lewisham secondary schools, and are working with schools to develop this. The past three months have been exciting and busy. I can’t wait to see what the next nine months in this role hold.”

Find out more

For information about the Young Mayor and Young Advisors visit lewisham.gov.uk/youngmayor

We met Jon and Despo Stevens at the Horniman Museum, which was the first place they took their foster children on a visit back in 2018. Foster caring came as a surprise to them when they found themselves with three siblings in their care.

Despo

“I was the headteacher in a school in West London when the mother of three pupils suddenly passed away. I had known the children from an early age, when the oldest two first came to my school at the ages of six and seven.

Mark and Gavin at the Besson St Comminiy Garden

At the time of their mother’s death, I had known the family for around a decade. Their father struggled after becoming a single parent and I became increasingly involved in the children’s life. When the father became ill, Jon and I immediately stepped in and brought the children home with us.”

Jon

Jon was a retired headteacher when the children came into their care and Despo has since retired.

“The goal was to retire and travel, but life intervened and our path changed! Both of us had worked with children for our entire careers, so we were unfazed about working with children in our home. We soon discovered that fostering was different and required a lot of time and patience to build relationships with the children in our care”

“You get lots of support and in-depth training. Without that it would be difficult

More information

If you think you could make a difference in a child’s life like the Stevens have, contact Lewisham Council for an informal discussion on 0800 015 0129 or email at fosteringrecruitment@lewisham.gov.uk

Find out more at lewisham.gov.uk/fostering because the children in your home are traumatised. It’s so rewarding. The youngest would always come and hug and shout ‘I love you’ at the end of the day. Now, the oldest does as well! I would encourage anyone to consider becoming a foster carer.”