Life Southwark
Summer 2013
r e pe issu m f Bu er ts o to m lo ff m Su withe stu see e and r f o d
We are improving customer services Explore our beautiful parks Get fitter and healthier this Summer Check out our annual performance report Your magazine from Southwark Council
Inside, four page guide to what’s on for young people
www.southwark.gov.uk
Intro
Contents Focus 4
News New Southwark Mayor, armed forces given freedom of the borough, community conversations update, transforming Elephant and Castle and much more.
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Delivering excellent customer service How the council is bringing customer services in-house.
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Beautiful parks We explore five Southwark Parks.
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Elephant and Castle Making good progress in regeneration.
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Staying healthy this summer Tips to get in shape.
Life
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Youth pull out Our four page guide to summer in Southwark for young people.
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Delivering our promises Highlights of the annual report.
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Events Bermondsey Carnival, The Elephant and The Nun festival, Tudor Fayre and South Dock Marina summer market.
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Saddle up for summer Our guide to cycling.
Info 24
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
welcome... In this edition of Southwark Life we are reporting back on the progress we’re making on our ten Fairer Future Promises. We’re delivering on our promise to improve customer services and have made big changes by bringing customer services in-house with a new call centre now up and running in Peckham. In this edition find out what else we are doing to make sure that you get great service from the council.
Th FR ere a th EE th re l o i So s su ing ts o s ou uthw mme to f d th t for ark r in o r ma oug this – lo o ga ho s zin ut ymb k th e e ol
In Burgess Park you can see another promise delivered with the park now reopened after a £7.5m transformation. Burgess Park is just one of the parks we’re really proud to tell you about and which are open for you to explore and enjoy this summer. From parks to theatres and from festivals to museums, there is plenty to do this summer in Southwark. As well as a guide to what’s going on we’ve got new initiatives to help you cycle in Southwark and a great piece on what you can do to stay healthy this summer. Whatever you do, make the most of all that the borough has to offer, and have a great summer in Southwark.
Adult education It’s never too late to learn something new.
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How to volunteer Some great advice if you have some spare time to help others.
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Annual report Extended summary of our progress.
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Get in touch
Peter John Leader of Southwark Council
The Southwark Life team Contact us Do you have something to say about Southwark Life? Write to: Your letters, Southwark Life, Communications, Southwark Council, 160 Tooley Street, Second floor, hub 5, SE1 2QH or email southwark.life@southwark.gov.uk. We will print a selection of letters but will edit those that are long. We won’t print anonymous letters but can withhold your name and address if you request it.
Editor Nazarine Aiken/ Martin Spencer Contributors Catherine Simonds, Claire Wortley, Kim Bowers, Fariah Nanhoo, Liz Bolton and Subira Massell. Design Whatever Design Ltd Print Headley Brothers Printed on 100% recycled paper Distribution London Letterbox
Keep in touch Southwark Life is a quarterly magazine with the next issue due out in the autumn. You can contact the magazine at southwark. life@southwark.gov.uk. For more regular updates on council news and events, sign up for our enewsletter by visiting www.southwark.gov.uk/enews or receive info at facebook.com/southwarkcouncil and at twitter.com/lb_southwark
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News... For more news and events sign up for our monthly enewsletter at www.southwark.gov.uk/enews
Council wins housing fraud award
New adoption campaign launched
Southwark Council has won The Cliff Nicholson Award 2013 for innovation and excellence in public service audit. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) chose Southwark as the winner of this award for our innovative and relentless war on social housing fraud. As London’s largest social landlord, Southwark decided that a strategic approach to tackling fraud was required, setting an ambitious target of recovering 300 properties in 2012/13. By the end of the financial year, we exceeded this target, freeing up 322 properties that could then be given to people with a genuine need. We have now set an even more challenging target of recovering 500 properties by the end of March 2014.
We have launched a new campaign to find families to adopt the 40 children on Southwark’s waiting list. The Find 40 Families campaign aims to raise awareness of the numbers and groups of children looking to be adopted and to dispel some of the myths about who can adopt. It doesn’t take long to adopt with Southwark, as most people are assessed within four months. For more information about adopting, please call 020 7525 4491 or visit www.southwark. gov.uk/adoption
Celebrating apprentices Southwark Council celebrated the work of our young apprentices at a recent awards ceremony. The 38 apprentices worked in various council departments and with our contractors, learning skills ranging from customer service and business administration to engineering and plumbing. They were all presented with outstanding awards certificates by the Mayor of Southwark and Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle, cabinet member for children’s services and Cllr Peter John, leader of Southwark Council.
Free early education Did you know children in Southwark can receive 15 hours of free education per week? Children between the ages of three and four are entitled to receive places in pre-schools, nurseries or children’s centres until they reach school age. Early education benefits children’s social, physical and mental development whilst also helping to prepare for school. Evidence shows that regular, good quality early education has lasting benefits for all children. Contact the family information service for more information on 0800 013 063 or email family.info@southwark.gov.uk
Olympic legacy programme Herne Hill velodrome, featured on our cover, has been given a new lease of life thanks to £444,000 from the council as part of its Olympic legacy fund. The iconic venue was awarded the money to contribute towards a specialist ’junior velodrome’, a multi use game area and for the first time in its history, lighting on the main track which will enhance use of the site for children, cyclists with disabilities and older people. More information available at www.southwark.gov.uk/olympics
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Focus
Housing consultation closes Southwark residents have had their say on the future of council housing at over 80 events across the borough. From electronic voting at community forums to filling in surveys in libraries, nearly 1000 residents took part between March and May. The council would like to thank everyone who took part and comments are being fed into a report which will be discussed at the cabinet meeting on 16 July. More information is available at www.southwark.gov.uk/ communityconversations
Objections to the new ‘super sewer’ Southwark Council has voiced its strong opposition to proposals to use Chambers Wharf for the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The council has set out its objections in its first formal response to the Planning Inspectorate on the impact of the proposal from Thames Water. As a council, we believe that Chambers Wharf is the wrong site for such a major piece of construction, as the location is in the heart of a residential area and very close to three of the borough’s schools.
Council objects to fire cuts Planned cuts to fire services in Southwark have been criticised by the council. Under plans by London’s fire authority, Southwark would lose 32 per cent of its firefighters, Southwark fire station would close and there would be a reduction of staff and equipment at Peckham. We have launched a petition which over 600 people signed. To register your concerns visit www.southwark.gov.uk/ firecutspetition
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
New Mayor of Southwark Cllr Abdul Mohammed has been elected as the new Mayor of Southwark. Cllr Mohamed was Deputy Mayor last year, and replaces outgoing Mayor Cllr Althea Smith. Cllr Mohamed was born in Kenya’s rift valley to Somalilan parents. His grandfather emigrated to Kenya as a soldier with the King’s African Rifles camel corp. Cllr Mohamed said ”It is an honour for me to be elected Mayor and I am really looking forward to representing Southwark in this important role.“
New young musician scheme launches A new scheme to support young musicians to find a career in the music industry launches this summer. All about the band is a new, innovative council project to help young musicians professionally produce, record and perform their own music. The scheme is running training sessions on recording and performing with an opportunity to sign up to the voluntary sound engineer network (VSEN). All about the band is open to young people aged 13 to 18 years that play an instrument proficiently, live in Southwark, and are part of a band. To find out more visit www.southwark.gov.uk/allabouttheband
Ethical Home Care Charter Southwark Council has promised to investigate how it can further support the borough’s home care workers as part of its work with Unison on an Ethical Home Care Charter. The charter sets out a number of principles that it asks local authorities to commit to and support home care workers. We are leading the way to implement the charter and have already put into place almost all its elements including preparing to introduce the London Living Wage this summer for home care workers working for private providers.
Proud to support our Armed Forces As this edition of Southwark Life went to press, the final touches were being made to the borough’s Armed Forces Day celebrations which were set to take place with a march and parade on 30 June. The parade was set to be one of the largest in Southwark since the end of the Second World War with almost 1,000 service personnel and veterans taking part. The march was expected to be led by The Band of The Life Guards with three other military bands on parade including The Pipes and Drums of the London Regiment, The Woolwich Air Cadets Marching Band, and the Army Medical Services Band. The General Salute was to be taken by The Lord Lieutenant, Sir David Brewer. Sir David is HM The Queen’s representative for London. The event was to culminate in bestowing the Freedom of the Borough on local regiments with strong local connections. Move information available at www.southwark.gov.uk/armedforcesday
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Delivering excellent customer service The council is bringing its customer services in-house in order to deliver a better service to you
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e’re working to improve the experience for our customers. Whether you need to contact us about a housing repair, council tax or benefits, your enquiry will now be dealt with by our own staff, thanks to the council taking control of the delivery of customer services. This will help us fulfill our Fairer Future promise to “Improve our customer service with more online services, including delivery of a better housing repairs service, independently verified by tenants”.
For several years, the council has contracted with an external supplier to provide many of our customer services including the telephone customer services centre and the one stop shops. Now we’re bringing those services back inhouse, complete with a brand new call centre in Peckham. As well as the transfer of telephone and face to face services, we’re also providing more of our services online. We’re constantly improving the My Southwark portal on the website so it will be the first place where you can request a repair, pay a bill or give us feedback on a consultation.
Focus
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
“ Providing a great service is everyone’s responsibility and this must be the ethos of the council. We want to get it right first time, every time.” IN BRIEF • Customer services has been brought in-house. • 40 new apprentices have started. • A new council call centre has opened. • 24/7 access by phone. • More ways to get things done online.
Our commitment to you As a council we are committed to providing a great service across all our departments. Cllr Ian Wingfield, deputy leader of Southwark Council, said “Our aim is to provide the best possible customer services. “This means fostering and developing great teamwork right across the council. Whenever a problem arises, council staff need to work together to resolve it, and the customer shouldn’t be passed from department to department. “Providing a great service is everyone’s responsibility, and this must be the ethos for the whole of the council. We want to get it right first time, every time.”
Apprenticeships The transition to an in-house service has its challenges but it also presents a number of opportunities. These include the move to new premises and the chance to upgrade our outdated systems. But, just as importantly, it’s created the opportunity to provide 40 people with apprenticeships. The apprentices, many of whom live in the borough, undertake a five week training course with the council before taking their place in the customer services team. While working for customer services, they continue their training and will work towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). The scheme gives each apprentice the chance to learn new skills, gain valuable work experience and attain a worthwhile qualification. Throughout the process, they’ll work alongside experienced customer service staff as they learn the ropes. At the end of the apprenticeship, many will be offered a full time job in customer services or have the chance to take up other opportunities elsewhere in the council.
One of the recruits, Alisha Folgate, 23, from Peckham (pictured above) said “A year ago I was a stay at home mum, studying online. “I heard about the opportunity through Jobcentre Plus and I was really happy I was successful. The training so far has been excellent and there is good camaraderie among the apprentices. “I hope to gain a permanent position with the council and I am really grateful for this opportunity.” Mark Kirala, 29, from Borough (pictured below), said “I heard about it through a friend and I think that it will be a great career opportunity. “I am thoroughly enjoying my training, which has been varied and opened my eyes to some of the issues facing residents. I am looking forward to delivering excellent customer service for the council.”
My SOUTHWARK Sign up to My Southwark and get access to your own personalised self service account, available 24/7. It’s so easy to do it on line at www.southwark.gov. uk/mysouthwark
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From bees to trees and everything in between Southwark Council invests millions in improving and maintaining its award winning parks and open spaces for you
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ummer is here, so now’s the time to get out and enjoy the wonderful outdoors. With 130 parks and open spaces, many having green flag status, Southwark is one of the greenest boroughs in London. To help you take advantage of this, we’ve mapped out a route to take you to some of the best parks around the borough. You’ll be amazed at just how much there is to do right here in Southwark. From healthy walks and sporting activities to history and art galleries, there’s something for everyone.
Michael
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Chair of Burgess Park angling club ”We enjoy fishing in Burgess Park because it is a little oasis in the heart of London, where friendly anglers and good fishing have helped many people pass a lazy day in search of that elusive fish.“
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* Although it’s free to enter the parks, there may be charges for some activities
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Focus Burgess Park
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Albany Road, SE5
Key featureS barbeques, fishing in the lake
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The largest park in Southwark was recently refurbished at a cost of £7.5m. It is a beautiful green space connecting Camberwell, Walworth and Peckham. It’s the place to go with a group of friends for a sporting day out. You can have a game of football, tennis or cricket. You can also have a free workout at the new fitness suite in the community sports centre from Monday to Friday between 10am and 3pm. Coming soon is a brand new BMX track. If you fancy something less strenuous, spend a peaceful morning fishing by the lake. You can get a day ticket and at £4 a rod, it’s very reasonably priced. The purpose built barbeques are another excellent feature. You don’t have to book, but remember it is first come, first served (and don’t forget your bangers and burgers).
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Summer 2013
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www.southwark.gov.uk
Borough Bermondsey
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Peckham
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Rotherhithe
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East Dulwich
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5 Southwark Park Dulwich1
Gomm Road, SE16
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Key featureS art gallery, bowls, bandstand, Jabez West memorial
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Patrick
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Friends of Southwark Park “I love Southwark Park because it is a proper peoples’ park with something for everybody. For such an old and historic park it is not especially well known outside the area but the community in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe know its true value.”
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This green haven nestled in the heart of Bermondsey is perfect if you want to escape from the bustle of city life. With award-winning green flag status, it boasts some of the most beautiful gardens. You must visit the Ada Salter rose garden, a peaceful retreat of high horticulture overlooking the boating lake. For art lovers there’s Café Gallery Projects; an art gallery and café with an impressive schedule of exhibitions and events.
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1 1 Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park Kennington Road, SE1
Key feature art in the park
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This park is a history lover’s dream which surrounds the Imperial War Museum and is home to some impressive works of art. When you come along be sure to visit the sculptures in the Tibetan Peace Garden by Hamish Horsley and the Soviet Memorial by Sergei Shcherbakov. There’s also tennis, netball and football. Or you could just relax in one of the picnic areas on either side of the park and by the cafe.
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Dulwich Park 2 3
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College Road, SE21
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Key featureS amazing horticulture, boating and cycle hire
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This Green Flag Award winning park is best known for its spectacular horticulture. The beautiful gardens are not to be missed. Hiring a boat and rowing across the lake is a huge favourite with children, especially on a glorious summer’s day. You can hire family sized pedalos and traditional rowing boats at a reasonable price. For the land lovers in your group, you can hire cycles and tour the park. You can download a park trail from www. southwark.gov.uk/parks and use it for an invigorating walk in the park. Oh, and look out for the horses.
Maureen
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Peckham Rye Park and common
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Friends of Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park ”From first glance the park appears to be a green open space with some stately trees but if you look more closely it is full of treasures.“
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Strakers Road, SE15
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Key featureS Ornamental gardens, bowling green and skate park
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This is a hidden gem in the heart of Peckham where you can take a peaceful walk in the ornamental gardens or the wildflower meadows. The fenced picnic area in the Arboretum is a dog free zone so it’s great for young families. If you’ve got teenagers to entertain, get them out on the skate park while you try your hand at bowls. It’s a relaxed bowling club run by the cafe so you don’t have to wear whites. You can just turn up and play, but be sure to wear flat shoes.
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NEED TO KNOW
Dulwich Park boat hire 07902 258301 and cycle hire 020 8299 6636
Park information www.southwark.gov.uk/parks
Peckham Rye bowling, call the Cafe on the Rye 020 8693 9431
Events in parks www.southwark.gov.uk/whatson
Burgess Park Angling Club burgessparkanglingclub@gmail.com
Focus
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Making good progress at the Elephant The landscape of Elephant and Castle is changing rapidly as our plans to make lasting improvements to the area gather pace
Cabinet members; Cllr Fiona Colley, Cllr Ward and Leader of Southwark Council, Cllr Peter John at the Elephant and Castle Leisure Centre site.
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ork to construct the Elephant’s new leisure centre’s foundations has begun. The stateof-the-art leisure centre will include a six-lane, 25m swimming pool, learner pool, four court sports hall, gym, exercise studios, crèche and cafe, all expected to open in 2015. Cllr Fiona Colley, cabinet member for regeneration and corporate strategy, said “There is significant demand for improved leisure facilities in the area, specifically a swimming pool, which we are well on our way to realising. The changes can already be seen, and those looking forward to a transformed Elephant and Castle need only watch this space.” As well as this, tenants from the former Heygate Estate have been provided with new homes within the borough. Work will also begin soon at Trafalgar Place which will provide 235 new homes. In total 1650 new affordable homes will be built as part of the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle area.
More good news comes with the recent announcement by the Mayor of London that he has committed to looking at extending the Bakerloo line from Elephant and Castle to Peckham and beyond. Leader of Southwark Council, Cllr Peter John, said "This is very good news indeed for the people of Southwark and for South London as a whole. I asked the Mayor earlier in the year to extend the Bakerloo Line to Camberwell and Peckham and he said “It’s a deal”. Tube expansion will bring greater job opportunities and prosperity to our borough and for people in Camberwell and Peckham will be a century long promise finally being delivered.” “We would urge everyone involved in that project to move quickly so that we can maximise on the economic benefits that the tube will bring, as early as possible to as many people as possible.”
Need to know Visit www. southwark.gov.uk/elephant to find out more. There’s an interactive map and a short video on how the Elephant is being transformed.
Pre-demolition work is underway at Heygate, with demolition planned for autumn. Consultation will soon begin on the future of Walworth Town Hall while talks continue for the shopping centre. The next focus for transport will be transforming the northern roundabout.
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Staying healthy this summer It’s the perfect time to get healthy – just a few lifestyle changes can lead to a new you this summer.
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ummer is a time when lots of us start thinking about how healthy and active we are. Since April, local councils have been responsible for public health; this means helping residents make good decisions about their health and wellbeing. So, in this issue of Southwark Life we’re celebrating the different lifestyle changes that we can all make to stay healthy and active.
Cllr Catherine McDonald, cabinet member for health, adult social care and equalities, said “Making small changes to your lifestyle, such as eating more healthily and doing some exercise, can help you stay well and live longer. There are so many different activities for all ages and abilities in Southwark. Our online resource Get Active is a great way to find one that’s perfect for you.”
Focus
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Why sh ould I e xercise ?
Here’s why we love a bit of a workout... it’s enjoyable It’s not all about huffing and puffing. You can get a good workout from fun activities like dancing or taking a brisk walk. Both are a great form of aerobic exercise. Looking for a walk with a difference? Join one of the fun walks taking place across the borough. Led by volunteers, they’re specially designed to give you fascinating facts about your local area including local history, architecture, movie locations and literature. It’s a great way to discover the area and meet new friends. It’s not that hard Don’t believe the old saying ’no pain, no gain’. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful. Southwark boasts six leisure centres, which have a range of equipment and classes that are ideal if you want to lose a few pounds, tone up your muscles or get your heart rate up. Throughout the summer you can join open air active classes. These are exercise classes held outdoors. New members get their first class free.
Everyone’s welcome Southwark leisure centres are really welcoming and we’ll make sure your visit is comfortable and enjoyable. If you’re interested in women only sessions, silver sessions for mature users or mixed ability sessions, just check the website for a full timetable of classes. Peckham Pulse boasts a disability pool hoist and a hydrotherapy pool which are excellent for people with disabilities who want to swim or for people with joint and muscle problems.
✔ Helps you healthy maintain a weight ✔ Boos ts your energy ✔ Helps you muscle build stronger s and h ealthy ✔ Helps bones reduce s t r e ss ✔ You’ ll sleep better ✔ You’ ll fee about y l better ourself
It’s affordable There are lots of sports activities that are completely free, like using the outdoor gyms and table tennis facilities in the parks and estates. The new fitness suite at Burgess Park community sports centre is free to use between 10am and 3pm. Exercising outdoors is really invigorating, plus being outdoors is great for your mental wellbeing – just being in green spaces or by water can make you feel better. Visit the website for ideas on where to go.
Mohammed
There’s lots of choice You can choose a sport you’re already familiar with like netball, basketball, tennis or football. Or if you fancy trying something new, you can check the Get Active Southwark website. It’s a database of the many sporting activities available in Southwark. You just enter an activity and a location and it will provide you with a list of those activities available in your area. You can find everything from archery to Zumba.
“The outdoor gym at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park is really popular, especially in the summer. It’s free and can be used anytime.“
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Together with regular exercise it’s essential to to have a balanced diet as this all helps you to have a healthier lifestyle. Boozy parties Eating well In the summer lots of really delicious fruits and vegetables are in season, watch out for great deals on strawberries or asparagus. Buying in season means it can be easier to plan affordable and delicious meals that count towards you and your family’s five a day. Plus, we tend to eat less when it’s hot, so you may well find yourself wanting a salad or a smaller meal than usual. To get some great recipe ideas, visit www.change4life. com/be_food_smart
Summer afternoons often go hand in hand with the kind of sneaky drinks that you don’t really notice; a glass of Pimms here, a beer there...and it all adds up. We’re not saying that you should cut out the booze completely, but alcohol is full of calories and heavy drinking can lead to health problems. So, keep an eye on how much you’re consuming. Try pacing yourself by having a soft drink between every alcoholic drink. Plus, when it’s hot, try not to become dehydrated and drink water throughout the day.
Need TO KNOW CoolWalks 020 7701 2696 www.getactive.com For information about the activities at Southwark leisure centres call 0844 893 3888 Camberwell Leisure Centre Artichoke Place, off Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TS Dulwich Leisure Centre 2b Crystal Palace Road, SE22 9HB Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Sports Facility St Georges Road, SE1 6ER Peckham Pulse 10 Melon Road, SE15 5QN Seven Islands Leisure Centre Lower Road, SE16 2TU Surrey Docks Watersports Centre Rope Street, off Plough Way, Greenland Dock, SE16 7SX
Whether you’re thinking of taking up a new healthy hobby, want to find an enjoyable weekend activity or you’re keen to get your children doing sport, check out our website. You can find out what’s going on near you at www.southwark.gov.uk/getactive
Summer loving Keeping healthy is also about looking after your sexual health. Going away on holiday? Too many of us come back with more than we bargained for. Charlie, 19, went away last year with her friends. The holiday spirit meant she ended up taking risks she wouldn’t have taken at home. ’We all went out and got drunk. I met a guy and ended up having sex with him. We didn’t use condoms, I didn’t even think about it. When I got home I remembered and felt I should go for an STI screen. I got a positive result for Chlamydia. I couldn’t believe it; I never thought it would happen to me. I got treatment and am ok, but I felt so embarrassed. I will use condoms next time.’ Whether you’re going away or staying in the UK, don’t let summer fun turn sour, always use protection. For honest, confidential advice on sexual health, visit your GP or any of the sexual health clinics in the borough, where you can also get free condoms. To get the address of your local clinic go to www.southwark.gov.uk/sexualhealth
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fun
Summer’s here again and there’s lots to do in Southwark. Whether you want to have fun, improve your job skills, make a film or take part in sport, if you’re between 11 and 19 years old, we’ve got it covered. Make sure you keep up to date with what’s on by visiting www.whtvr.org where you’ll find details of everything that is going on in Southwark this summer. ”This summer is set to be even better than last year, we have put together a fun packed summer schedule with lots of exciting activities from horse riding, dj’ing, cooking to go-karting. Make sure you attend the Young Producers’ event taking place at The Elephant and The Nun festival in August featuring the Mind Your Own Business tour. You will be able to speak to the winners of the first round and get some tips for applying for the last round of MYOB launching in November 2013. You never know, you could be the next Lord Sugar. So, come along, bring your friends, meet new people, create new experiences and have a great summer in Southwark.“ Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle Cabinet member for children’s services
www.whtvr.org
FIVE things to do in the borough this summer
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Visit Surrey Docks Farm in Surrey Quays Enjoy the view while you work out at Durands Wharf outdoor gym Have a game of table tennis with your friends in Dulwich Park Skate it out at White’s Grounds skate park in London Bridge Check out the BMX bike track at Burgess Park, coming soon
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d o t s g n i h t More Are you a budding entrepreneur?
The last round of Mind Your Own Business will open for applications in November 2013, so get brain storming and fine tune your business idea. Visit www.whtvr.org to find out more.
Summer activities in libraries
Sexual health summer project
Get involved in the summer reading challenge from Saturday 13 July until Sunday 8 September. If you’re not already a Southwark library member it’s free and easy to join. Go to your local library or visit www.southwark. gov.uk/libraries to find out more.
Get yourself down to the health hut at Damilola Taylor Centre and Bede on alternate Wednesdays from 5.30pm to 9pm. Armani and Rachel will be there to answer all your queries and questions and give advice on all things sexual health.
The Elephant and The Nun festival
The mix bus on tour
Head down to Camberwell Green on Saturday 17 August for a fun event. This event has been produced by young people for young people, as part of the Young Producers project.
Paige
Keep fit for free There are outdoor gyms all over the borough and they offer a great way to keep healthy and have fun at the same time. Check out www. southwark.gov.uk/outdoorgyms to find your nearest one.
Y-volunteer
What are your summer plans? ”This summer I’ll be having as much fun as I can, spending as much time as possible with my school friends as I’ll be off to college in September and won’t be seeing them as much. I hate being bored in the holidays so I’ll definitely see what the youth clubs have going on.“
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Volunteering is a great way to gain experience, confidence, skills and accreditation. Visit www.whtvr.org to find out more.
The Mix Bus, the youth service’s new music and media bus will be out and about around Southwark. There are DJ decks, film making equipment and lots more, so look out for the bus or find out where it will be at www.whtvr.org
Want to win free cinema tickets for a year? The SE15 Young Filmmakers Competition is open to filmmakers aged 11 to 25 years from all over Southwark. The theme is My SE15: people and places. To find out more and to apply, visit www. freefilmfestivals.org. The deadline for entries is Thursday 1 August, so don’t delay.
Winter 2011 2013 Focus Summer Life
www.southwark.gov.uk
r e m m u s s i h t do
Dates to remember
Adventure playgrounds
Pop-up boxercise gym
This summer, get down to one of our adventure playgrounds. There are 11 in Southwark and most will be holding an open day very soon. Find out where they are and more about the open days at www.whtvr.org
Have fun and get fit at our free boxercise sessions this summer. Open for four weeks during the holidays, at three Southwark outdoor locations, visit www.whtvr. org for more information.
Youth centres
Comedy workshops
There’s tons going on in Southwark’s youth centres this summer including abseiling, ice skating, horse-riding, gokarting, music production, swimming cooking, wall climbing and day trips. Find out what’s going on near you by contacting your local youth centre, find out more at www.whtvr.org
Learn the art of stand up comedy at this two day comedy workshop, run by a professional stand up comedian. Create your own comedy sketch and have a laugh. Visit www.whtvr.org to check which youth clubs are running this.
Where is my local youth centre? New Venture Club, SE1 Youth 4 the Blue Club, SE16 Odessa Youth Club, SE16 Aylesbury Youth Centre, SE17 Brandon Youth Centre, SE16 Denmark Hill Youth Club, SE5
Dog Kennel Hill Youth Club, SE22 Kingswood Young People’s Project, SE21 Damilola Taylor Centre, SE15
Bermondsey Carnival When? Saturday 6 July Where? Southwark Park, Gomm Road, SE16 Why go? Carnivals are always fun and this one will have a young people’s area featuring the MYOB tour Tribe When? until Sunday 21 July Where? Peckham Square, SE15 Why go? A brilliant exhibition created by young people. Participate, be inspired and dress up in your onesie Young peoples’ event at The Elephant and The Nun festival When? Saturday 17 August Where? Camberwell Green, Camberwell Road, SE5 Why go? Young people helped organise this event so it has to be fun Keep up to date with what’s happening in London this summer by tuning into Reprezent radio 107.3FM
Central Venture Park, SE15 Camberwell Youth Centre, SE5
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An update from Southwark Youth Council Southwark Youth Council (SYC) members have been busy working to improve relationships between the older and younger generations. As the voice for young people in Southwark, they recently held an event to help pensioners gain basic computer skills and how to use the functions on their mobile phones. The event was a success and there will be further workshops during the summer between the two groups. Rowlanda, SYC member said "As the SYC, we are the voice and image of young people so our decisions and actions have the potential to change the negative views that are broadly put across about young people in the community. We think these workshops are a step in the right direction”. It’s great news for local young people as SYC will also be hosting their first employment skills workshop at the Globe Academy to give young people access to work programmes and apprenticeship opportunities. Dates
are to be confirmed so keep an eye out at www.whtvr.org SYC will end the summer with an event to celebrate youth participation and along with the Youth Community Councils across Southwark they will come together to showcase their achievement over the last year.
Rowlanda, SYC member
SYC are a group of elected members who are active in decision making across the borough and regularly hold events and workshops to get young peoples’ views to take to the decision makers within the council. The next youth elections will launch in October 2013 and we will be looking for new members. We will update www.whtvr.org with more details soon.
To find out more information about the SYC and what they get up to visit www.whtvr.org
Competition time Are you between 11 and 19 years old? If so, why not enter one of our competitions? There are vouchers to win which you can spend in hundreds of different shops. Send all entries to The editor, Southwark Life, 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, SE1P 5LX or email it to southwark.life@southwark.gov.uk The closing date for all competitions is 30 August 2013. Winners will be announced on Monday 9 September, on our Facebook page www.facebook/whtvr.org
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, phone number AND AGE.
Photography
What does summer mean to you? Send us a photo that sums up your summer and if it’s our favourite, you could win a £30 love2shop voucher.
£20 Win cher vou
Poetry
G Y M S M M X X P A R K C F M D A E R Q K R Y Z L D M F J Q I V C E O F T M Z A X F Y N K M U K K I N Q U U Q Q Z M T I H K I S N N V Y X U H L L I B R A R Y G T S O M V O L U N T E E R A N C L N L L A B T O O F Y I J B F I T N E S S I U S L S O U T H W A R K R U H B M C A R N I V A L M
Wi voun £30 che r
Get your poetic juices flowing and send us a poem or rap about living in Southwark. The best entry will win a £20 voucher.
Word search
Which word is not in the wordsearch? Send us your answer and you could win a £10 voucher... Gym Youth Library
Park Southwark Summer
Fitness Fun Friends
Music Volunteer
Win vouc £10 her Football Carnival
Like us on Facebook for competitions, what’s on near you and much more www.facebook.com/whtvr You can view the terms and conditions online.
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www.whtvr.org
Winter 2011 2013 Focus Summer Life
www.southwark.gov.uk
Delivering our promises to you Highlights of our annual report
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• We’re implementing the London Living Wage for staff and contractors. • We spent £64m on warm, dry and safe works, including Cossall Estate, Crystal Court, Marchwood Close and Camberwell street properties. • Continuing major works at Consort Estate, John Kennedy House, Sceaux Gardens, Comber Estate, Four Squares (New Place) and Croxted Road. Over 4,000 residents have benefited from warm, dry and safe major works to date. • We’ve spent over £15m on housing safety works, completing work to 129 blocks. We replaced over 3,000 individual boilers and refurbished 42 lifts and district heating plants. • We rolled out healthy, free school meals, reaching 10,000 or 91% of primary pupils. • Satisfaction with the housing repair service increased from 79.1% to 81% in one year. 76.7% of repairs were completed at first visit compared with 69.4% the year before.
s part of our commitment to being open and transparent we publish an annual report to show what we’re doing. It’s available on the website, or you can read an extended summary in this edition of Southwark Life. Here are some highlights:
• Violent crime down 26% in three years. • We are tackling anti social behaviour with 131 acceptable behaviour contracts. We’ve executed 11 crack house and premises closure orders and obtained seven injunctions. • We’ve served 27 notices seeking possession in relation to tenancy breaches. Four households have been evicted. • We reduced meals on wheels charges by 25% since 2010 and will reduce by 50% by 2014. • Up to 500,000 visitors a year are expected when the new Elephant and Castle leisure centre opens.
• By 2014, Southwark will have at least nine new or refurbished sporting facilities. Olympic legacy projects worth £2m are on track. • No libraries closed. We have 49 active volunteers and plans for a new Camberwell library approved. • Construction of 261 homes at the Aylesbury is on target, with a new resource centre and 60 homes already built. The next phase will deliver 147 homes. The Heygate programme will deliver 604 homes. • Waste recycling rate has increased to 30.08%. • Street cleanliness exceeded targets.
Need to Know The annual report provides an update of how we’re delivering on your major priorities and Fairer Future promises. Get more information at www.southwark.gov.uk/fairerfuture
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Events calendar Family friendly
King’s College Hospital open day Date: Sunday 7 July Time: 11am to 3.30pm Venue: King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5 Admission: Free Web: www.kch.nhs.uk Info: King’s will be opening its doors to the local community for a special centenary open day. You can find out about the fantastic work taking place on their doorstep, as well as meeting our staff and having an enjoyable day out. There will be a range of activities from live music, a sponsored abseil, face painting, a teddy bear hospital and much more.
Summer holidays family club – Animal magic Date: Tuesday 20 August Time: 2.30pm to 4pm Venue: InSpire - Crypt at St. Peter’s, Liverpool Grove, SE17 Admission: Free Web: www@southwark.gov.uk/ cumingmuseum Info: Find out about Victorian Southwark’s famous zoological gardens and make your own exotic animal.
Festivals
Bermondsey Carnival Date: Saturday 6 July Time: 12noon to 8pm Venue: Southwark Park Bandstand, off Jamaica Road, SE16 Admission: Free Web: www.southwark.gov.uk/ bermondseycarnival Info: Come and spend a relaxing afternoon in the beautiful surroundings of Southwark Park and enjoy a day of great live entertainment as Bermondsey Carnival returns. This year’s programme of live music is top notch, with local bands playing support to John Coghlan’s Quo and our headline performance by 70s soul superstars The Real Thing. There will be a young people’s area including a climbing wall and football skills led by professionals from Millwall. Don’t forget to search for bargains and hidden gems at our second-hand and vintage market, Rumble in the Jumble. Keep an eye out for the traditional funfair and markets around the festival.
Date: Wednesday 3 August Time: 11am to 4pm Venue: Golden Hinde II, St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, SE1 Admission: £7 adults, £5 children, £20 family Tel: 020 7403 0123 Web: www.goldenhinde.com Info: Have fun participating in this 16th century fayre where there will be stalls, games, music, delicious food and Tudor themed performances available throughout the day.
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Date: Saturday 17 August Time: 12noon to 7pm Venue: Goose Green Park, East Dulwich, SE15 Admission: Free Web: www.theafricanmarketday.com Info: The Africa live festival 2013 is a free family friendly event that brings together the best selection of African themed arts and crafts, fashion, holistic therapies. Food, storytelling, live music and more.
The Elephant and The Nun festival
Bastille festival at borough market Tudor Fayre
The Africa Live Festival
Date: Sunday 14 July Time: 12noon to 6pm Admission: Free Venue: Borough market, 8 Southwark Street, SE1 Web: www.bastillefestival.co.uk Info: London’s largest free Bastille Day festival at Bankside will celebrate France’s national day with an extravaganza of all things French in and around one of London’s most historic food markets. Celebrating French food and culture, the festival will host a feast of culinary and creative delights, including a French demonstration kitchen, face painting and storytelling.
Date: Friday 9 to Sunday 18 August Time: Various Venue: Various Admission: Free Web: www.southwark.gov.uk/ eandn Info: The annual festival of stuff and nonsense celebrating the heart of Southwark from Elephant and Castle all the way down to Nunhead. The highlights of the festival will be four community events on Saturday 17 August with live music, comedy, dance, mini outdoor cinema, fairground sideshows, food, arts and crafts stalls, storytelling and activities for all the family.
Winter 2011 2013 Focus Summer Life
www.southwark.gov.uk
Summer 2013 Museums
South Dock Marina Summer market
Lesser known architecture
Date: Until Saturday 17 August Time: 10am to 4pm Venue: Rope Street, SE16 Admissions: Free Web: www.southwark.gov.uk/markets Info: Celebrate the summer at this new Saturday market, set beside the scenic riverfront at South Dock Marina. Products on offer include; cards, stationary, baby clothing, delicious food, beautiful flowers and more.
Theatre
The Colour Purple the musical Date: Until Saturday 14 September Time: 3.30pm and 8pm Admission: from £27.50 Venue: Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, SE1 Web: www.mernierchocolate factory.com Tel: 020 7378 1713 Info: Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Alice Walker and subsequent hit movie, this stirring family chronicle follows the inspirational Celie, as she journeys from childhood through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life. With a fresh, joyous score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, this European premiere is directed and designed by Tony award winner John Doyle.
Art at the Bridge #4 Othello the remix Date: Thursday 12 to Sunday 29 September Time: Various Admission: £10 to £16 Venue: Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 Web: www.unicorntheatre.com Info: Good storytellers borrow, great ones steal. Lyrically re-written over original beats, The Q Brothers return to the UK with their fresh take on the powerful tale of betrayal, jealousy and self-doubt. With their fired-up hip-hop proving that Shakespeare himself was the original master of rhythm and rhyme, this is one adaptation that’s not to be missed.
Nunhead’s Festival Date: July to December Time: Various Venue: Various Admission: Various Web: www.lovenunhead.co.uk/ regeneration/festivals Info: The Nunhead festival is a range of events and activities celebrating all that is Nunhead and much more. Events will take place in a number of venues and locations around Nunhead and provide a great range of things for you to get involved in and enjoy.
Date: Until Monday 22 July Time: 10am to 5.45pm Admission: £10.75 adults, £9.70 concessions, £6.50 students, under 12s Free Venue: Design Museum, Shad Thames, SE1 Web: www.designmuseum.org Info: An exhibition to celebrate extraordinary London architecture. Nominated by leading architecture critics, these ten buildings, structures and subways contribute to the mix and diversity of the city but are all too often overlooked and forgotten.
Some of the events include Biped’s Monitor Wednesday 31 July to Sunday 4 August A performance journey at dusk in Nunhead Cemetery Create Nunhead’s bunting July to September Workshops and stitch sessions with schools and groups in Nunhead. Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival Thursday 5 to Sunday 15 September Free film screenings at venues across Peckham and Nunhead www.freefilmfestivals.org
Date: Until Saturday 30 November Time: 10am to 6pm Admission: £6, concessions £4.20, children £2.60 Venue: Tower Bridge, SE1 Web: www.towerbridge.org.uk Info: The fourth exhibition to be held in collaboration with leading local arts charity Southwark Arts Forum. On display in Tower Bridge’s atmospheric Engine Rooms, the once mighty powerhouse of this iconic Victorian structure, ’Art at the Bridge #4 - London Illustrated’ will extend the London theme of the popular ’This is London’ exhibition, currently on view in the West Walkway, and explore the ’Landscapes and Elements’ that make the UK capital one of the most impressive cities of the world.
Zandra Rhodes, Unseen Date: Friday 12 July to Saturday 31 August Time: 11am to 6pm Admission: £8 (concessions £5.50); under-12s free Venue: Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1 Web: www.ftmlondon.org Info: With spectacular textiles, ravishing dresses and original sketches, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to explore the archive, studio and creative process of one of the world’s most distinctive designers.
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Saddle up for a summer of cycling Whether you’re just starting out or an experienced cyclist, we’ve got an action packed summer of activities and brand new initiatives to help you cycle in Southwark
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ummer is here and it’s the perfect time to get your bike out and discover the pleasures of cycling. We’re hosting an array of activities to encourage you to get out and give cycling a go. Not only is cycling fun, sociable and a healthy activity, it can also help you save money on fuel and parking costs while reducing your carbon footprint. What’s more, in peak times, cycling can often be faster than the car, bus, train or the tube.
A day out on your bike with family or friends is a great way to get some fresh air, relax and take in some sights. It’s also a great way to start using your bike more. “Southwark is a great place to cycle, so get pedalling and join one of our upcoming events or explore one of the many cycle routes Southwark has to offer. As a borough, we are committed to ensuring the safety of cyclists in Southwark and would encourage everyone to take part in our free training courses to build their confidence and gain a better understanding of other road users.” said Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling.
Life
Winter 2013 2011 Summer
www.southwark.gov.uk
Get cycling This summer, get on your bike and take part in our upcoming cycling events and series of led rides throughout the borough.
Park 2 Park ride School students in years five and upwards can take part in this seven mile ride on Wednesday 17 July following cycle routes, greenways and canal paths, while also providing a chance to see the new BMX track at Burgess Park which is coming soon.
Sky Ride local rides These free, fun, guided bike rides around the borough are taking place fortnightly between July and October. These rides are perfect for all ages and abilities. For more information, visit www.goskyride.com/southwark
Cycle routes Southwark has 55km of cycle routes – many of which are quiet and traffic free. Why not explore Southwark via the London Cycle Network routes that run through the borough? Or you could embark on a family friendly ride along the new Connect 2 route from Camberwell to Rotherhithe. With many more routes to suit all ages and abilities, you can discover a whole new side to Southwark.
Breeze rides Led by women for women, these short, traffic free rides are local, friendly and informal. Ideal for busy mums looking for a casual bike ride with a small group of women from their area. For more information, visit www.breezebikerides.com
Build your confidence • Free courses for all ages and abilities. • Equip yourself with the skills and confidence to ride safely. • Open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Southwark. • Courses take as little as two hours of your time. • Don’t wait. Book your training at www.southwark. gov.uk/cycling
ROCKINGHAM CYCLING CLUB Formed in 2011, a Rockingham based cycle club is helping local residents get active. Now an established group, they offer a support network through community involvement. New people continue to join the group and learn how to cycle with instructor Judith Bonner and they even have access to a pool of bikes to use. Constantly goal setting, the group are now looking at training a member to be an instructor. All agree they have met the challenge to cycle with gusto, as Shahana, a regular says: ”Cycle club has opened up opportunities to try something different“.
NEED TO KNOW For further information on upcoming events, cycling route maps and training sessions, visit www.southwark.gov.uk/cyclesouthwark
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ENJOY EXPERIENCE learning SOUTHWARK
It’s never too late to learn something new
Improve your English, learn how to make clothes and much more at one of our adult learning classes
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outhwark Council has shown its commitment to helping local people learn new skills and get back into work by introducing two measures to limit the cost of adult learning. The council has frozen fees at last year’s rate. It has also scrapped the repeat learner fee for concessionary learners, which includes those on low incomes and benefits. Whether you’re interested in improving your maths skills or dress making there is something for everyone to experience at Southwark’s adult learning classes. We have a wide variety of classes for people to choose from, including employability and confidence building classes like; CV writing, help with job application forms, English speaking and writing, basic maths and numeracy skills. As well as classes that develop practical skills like woodwork, lampshade making and pottery. We also offer City and Guild, OCR and other accredited classes in customer services, childcare, food safety in catering, teaching exercise to music and much more. Courses are delivered from venues across the borough including, Thomas Calton Centre the main learning centre, libraries, several children’s centres and partner providers. Thomas Calton Centre and our libraries are all accessible for wheelchair users and parking spaces are available if you have difficulties with mobility.
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Info
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Southwark Adult Learning Service Your choice for local adult and family learning and skills like • Employment skills
UPHOLSTERY
• Basic skills • Art, craft and ceramics • Woodworking, upholstery and interiors • Fashion and textiles • Health, fitness and dance • Family learning • Local history and creative writing
Daniel
One of the teachers at my son’s nursery suggested I sign up to one of the ’help your child with English’ adult learning classes. I hadn’t heard of them before and was very surprised to find out it was free. I was a bit anxious at first because I haven’t been in a school environment for a long time. I can speak English but sitting down to learn how to speak and write English was something completely different. I felt nervous going into the classroom for the first time, but once I sat down I realised everyone was in the same boat as me. There were 10 of us which was good because there weren’t too many people there. We were all a bit nervous and overwhelmed to begin with but once the class started our tutor put us at ease straight away. It was a short course of five weeks which at first sounded like a lot but after going along, I wished it was longer. I really enjoyed it because it has helped me gain confidence in speaking, reading and writing in English. Now I have a better understanding of what and how they are teaching my son Aaron at nursery. I read to him everyday and now know how to really make the stories come alive. I’m going to do a maths class next, as I want to become an engineer.
Sara I’m doing a class in upholstery and needle work. I want to learn how to revamp furniture and clothes that are donated to the Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) charity shop I run, so that they are good enough to go in the shop. I am really proud of the work I’ve done so far in the class, it’s really practical and I have already made cushions, dresses and reupholstered a few chairs. I didn’t think that I would have been able to do so much in so little time but you get to try things out in the workshop from day one so you end up learning quickly.
Jenny I have done a few other adult learning classes in the past like anatomy and massage and really enjoyed them. I started doing them when I wasn’t able to work. It really helped to build my confidence while learning something new because you meet other people who are coming to class to learn, we all build and encourage each other so you get to meet and build a new community of people. I’m now doing the upholstery and needle work classes with Sara so that I can volunteer at the charity shop. All donations of money, clothes and furniture to the Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) charity are appreciated, if you would like to make a donate, please visit www.aldlife.org for more information.
Need to know For full course listings visit www.southwark.gov.uk/adultlearning or pop in to Thomas Calton Centre for a chat about the classes available, Alpha Street SE15 or call 020 7358 2100.
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How to...
give some of your time to help others Are you inspired to give up your spare time to help others? There are plenty of volunteering opportunities across the borough and you can join the many hundreds of volunteers that are making a difference.
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hether you have a passion for fashion, reading, listening, events or gardening – there are lots of opportunities to volunteer in Southwark. Why not give some of your time to help someone else, use your skills whilst gaining new ones and have fun at the same time? Many organisations are calling out for volunteers and there are great opportunities for people of all ages, it doesn’t matter what you’re good at or enjoy doing, there’s something for everyone. You can help out at your nearest library by assisting staff in conducting library tours, helping out in children’s and teenagers’ reading groups and helping people to access the internet on the library computers. Why not volunteer as a steward at one of the many council events that are held throughout the year or help
maintain the beauty of your local park by joining a volunteer group where you can prune and weed, grow food, plant trees and flowers. Councillor Veronica Ward, cabinet member for culture, leisure, sports, Olympic legacy and volunteering said, “Since the London 2012 Olympic Games, more people than ever are interested in giving up their free time to volunteer. In Southwark, there are hundreds of opportunities, many on people’s doorsteps. Volunteering not only benefits local organisations, but is also a simple way that people can give back to their communities. Volunteering is fun and is a great way to imporve your skills so I would encourage people to get involved.” Visit www.southwark.gov.uk/ volunteer for more information on how you can become a volunteer in your community, but for now check out our top tips on how to give something back.
Info
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Carolina Charity/health volunteer ”Coming from Colombia, volunteering has helped me to learn English and meet new people. It has given me the chance to gain work experience which I wouldn’t otherwise have and this has helped me to get a job.“
Hussein Sport volunteer ”I like organising football sessions for local young people to come together and have fun in a safe environment. It’s good to do something for the community which brings us together.“
Our advice...
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Don’t be put off if you can’t commit to anything long term As well as regular and longer term options, there are also one off or short term volunteering opportunities. Even if you can only spare a couple of hours a week, it can still make a difference.
Give it some thought and think outside the box Think carefully about what you would like to do and what you hope to get out of it. Know how much time you have to give, what you are good at and what you can help with. The skills you have can be applied in all sorts of ways and you may be good at doing something new.
Help out at local events Are you interested in helping out at events that you see on the council’s website? Just visit www.southwark.gov.uk/stewards and complete the short online form to get started. You’ll even receive training to help you in your new role.
Young people can get involved too Y-volunteer gives young people aged 16 to 25, the chance to get involved in local issues and projects that they care about. This includes environmental issues and sports coaching. Visit www.whtvr.org for more information or contact Michelle on 07949 215 716.
Love your park There are lots of opportunities to get involved in taking care of Southwark’s parks. With regular park digs, food growing and gardening activities there’s something for everyone. Everyone’s welcome and no experience is required. Visit www.southwark.gov.uk/parks for more information.
NEED TO KNOW The national volunteering database – can show you hundreds of volunteering opportunities that are available wherever you are in the UK. Visit www.do-it.org.uk Volunteer centre Southwark – support over 900 local charities and hold drop in sessions to help you get started in volunteering. Visit www.volunteeringcentres.org.uk
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The council plan outlines ten Fairer Future promises. These promises are the council’s vision and demonstrate our commitment to transparency, outlining specifically how we intend to create a Fairer Future for all Southwark residents. This is a summary of our promises and achievements. To see the annual performance report in full, please visit www.southwark.gov.uk/annualreport
Promise 1 Provide improved value for money and keep council tax increases below inflation.
Promise 2 Work with residents and the police to make the borough safer for all by cracking down on antisocial behaviour and implementing our new violent crime strategy.
Promise 3 Deliver the first three years of our five year plan to make every council home warm, dry and safe.
Promise 4 Improve our customer service with improved online services, including delivery of a better housing repairs service, independently verified by tenants.
Promise 5 Introduce free healthy school meals for all primary school pupils and champion improved educational attainment for our borough’s children.
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Promise 6 Support vulnerable people to live independent, safe and healthy lives by giving them more choice and control over their care.
Promise 7 Encourage healthy lifestyles by transforming Burgess Park, opening a new swimming pool at Elephant and Castle and awarding £2m to local sports projects to leave a lasting Olympic legacy.
Promise 8 Open Canada Water Library in autumn 2011. Open a library in Camberwell and conduct a thorough review of the library service.
Promise 9 Bring the full benefits and opportunities of regeneration to all Southwark’s residents and build new family homes on the Aylesbury Estate and at Elephant and Castle.
Promise 10 Double recycling rates from 20 per cent to 40 per cent by 2014 and keep our streets clean.
Info
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Promise 1 Value for money
Provide improved value for money and keep council tax increases below inflation. In February 2012, the council agreed a balanced budget of £308.2m for 2012/13 and agreed to freeze council tax. This is the fourth consecutive year that it has been frozen. The budget included £10.8m of financial commitments and growth in additional or new services. Over the year, budget reductions, savings and efficiencies of some £28.3m were achieved. Through all this, the council has continued to promote a Fairer Future for All in Southwark by targeting support for the low paid, children and the more vulnerable in the community • The council introduced clear plans to implement the London Living Wage, a move which benefits not only our directly employed staff, but also those employed through employment agencies and by our contractors. • The 2012/13 budget included provision to further extend
the Free Healthy School Meals programme to children in years two to four. • The 2012/13 budget established a community restoration fund of £1m and continued the voluntary sector transition fund. The budget for 2013/14, the third year of the three year budget set out in February 2011, was agreed by council assembly in February 2013 at £334m. This was also based on a zero per cent increase in council tax. Council tax in Southwark is now the seventh lowest in London. Over the last three years (i.e. from 2011/12 to 2013/14) the council’s spending power has been reduced by £55.3m. Given the extent of uncertainty regarding future funding as a consequence of the local government finance review, the budget statement and the changes
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Over the year, budget reductions, savings and efficiencies of some £28.3m were achieved.
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Staff in our Tooley Street offices
in the welfare benefit system, it is likely that there will be the need for further significant reviews to council services over the next 12 months and beyond. Value for money will continue to play a critical role in the planning and prioritising of services.
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Promise 2 A safer borough
Implementing the violent crime strategy We are continuing to make progress implementing our violent crime strategy. A survey of residents shows that more people feel safe than in 2010 (up from 64 per cent to 72 per cent), with violent crime down by 3 per cent in 2012/13 on the previous year. Over the past three years, violent crime in the borough has decreased by 26 per cent. Over 2012/13 we have had particular success with the following recorded crime types • Four per cent reduction in most serious violence (20 fewer offences) • 18 per cent reduction in knives used to injure (51 fewer offences) • 18 per cent reduction in youth violence (163 fewer victims aged 19 and under) • Nine per cent reduction in domestic abuse (199 fewer offences) Since May 2012 the Southwark anti violence unit (SAVU) has been providing support for individuals aged 16 to 25 years linked to gang related crime and serious violence. SAVU has engaged with over 100 clients (63 per cent) are achieving the goals in their support plans to reduce re-offending and make positive life choices. 45 per cent have not been arrested and there has been a 13 per cent reduction in presentations to A&E for serious assault and knife
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related injuries in 2012/13 compared to 2011/12. Eighteen individuals have been safely re-housed through the Southwark emergency rehousing victims of violent enterprise (SERVE) programme.
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Our new CCTV centre
Work with residents and the police to make the borough safer for all by cracking down on antisocial behaviour and implementing our new violent crime strategy
Violent crime was down by 3 per cent in 2012/13.
Combating domestic abuse Southwark advocacy and support service (SASS) was launched in 2012 providing support to female and male domestic abuse victims aged over 16 years. SASS provides support to victims on a 24/7 basis with advocates, specialist support programmes for children and mothers and domestic violence awareness training. In 2012/13, almost 1,500 victims of domestic abuse made contact, with SASS working intensively with around 600; all have reported no victimisation in the three months after completing their intervention. In 2012/13 the multi agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) managed more than 160 high risk cases.
Cracking down on antisocial behaviour In 2012/13 our night time economy team continued to tackle alcohol related disorder and anti social behaviour concentrated in the north of the borough. The community wardens have carried out over 1,700 interventions using their delegated police powers, including confiscations of alcohol from individuals causing antisocial behaviour. Wardens removed or confiscated 24 weapons from our streets and estates. Wardens’ calls to police have resulted in at least 23 arrests. The Southwark anti social behaviour unit (SASBU) continues to intervene and enforce against anti social behaviour. In 2012/13 action included: • Signing 131 acceptable behaviour contracts. • Executing 11 crack house and premises closure orders. • Obtaining seven injunctions dealing with illegal and antisocial behaviours. • Serving 27 notices of seeking possession in relation to tenancy breaches. Four households have been evicted.
Info
Repairs getting underway
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Promise 3 Warm, dry, safe homes
Deliver the first three years of our five year plan to make every council home warm, dry and safe.
We have made excellent progress in the delivery of our five year WDS programme, with £64m spent on our programme of improvements to our council housing stock in 2012/13. This has included completion of WDS major works at Cossall Estate, Crystal Court, Marchwood Close and a number of street properties in Camberwell. We are continuing WDS major works at other estates including Consort Estate, John Kennedy House, Sceaux Gardens, Comber Estate, Four Squares (New Place) and Croxted
Road. Over 4,000 residents across the borough have benefited or are benefiting from WDS major works since the programme began.
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We’ve spent £63m on improving our council stock in the last year.
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In December 2010, cabinet confirmed its commitment to making ever council home warm, dry and safe. Consultation arrangements were agreed to begin the process of engaging with residents on the strategy for housing investment in the borough over the next five years. The Warm Dry Safe (WDS) programme set out to give certainty about what and how Decent Homes works would take place. The programme was agreed in October 2011 following a wide consultation with residents.
As well as the major works programme, WDS also incorporates the continuing fire safety works. By the end of 2012/13 all 28 of the highest priority high rise blocks that were identified through our fire risk assessments had work completed to them to ensure improved resident safety. Over £15m has been spent on delivering safety works during 2012/13 and so far the programme
has completed work to 129 blocks. Our fire safety works continue to be prioritised and delivered in line with the latest advice to ensure resident safety. In addition to our fire safety works programme in 2012/13, we have replaced over 3,000 individual boilers, refurbished 42 lifts and many residents have also benefited from works to district heating plants. We have increased the 2013/14 budget for the WDS programme to around £80m and will ensure that the programme for 2013/14 is all on site within the financial year. We will also be bringing forward a number of schemes from future years’ programmes, following confirmation from the Greater London Authority that we will receive £15m in 2013/14 and £50m in 2014/15 in Decent Homes backlog funding. By the end of the programme we aim to ensure that all the council dwellings in the borough meet the standard so that every home is warm, dry and safe.
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Our new customer service point in Bermondsey
Promise 4 Improved customer service
Improve our customer service with improved online services, including delivery of a better housing repairs service, independently verified by tenants. Online services The council wide initiative to improve the delivery of online services is progressing well. The My Southwark personalised account service went live in March 2012 and now has almost 40,000 subscribers. Under this new personalised delivery of council services, residents can now pay council tax, view statements and get information on local services, 24 hours a day. Our ‘Do it online’ campaigns have also continued throughout the year.
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Residents can now pay council tax, view statements, get information on local services and more, 24 hours a day.
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Our new My Southwark customer service point opened at The Blue in Bermondsey, providing assisted self service and appointments for local residents. The service is an example of a new type of service delivery, with customers being encouraged to make appointments to meet staff. Our customer services have
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now moved in-house allowing us to deliver a better, more responsive service to our residents. We are working to increase the number of telephone numbers and email address details that we hold for our tenants and leaseholders. We now have over 11,000 email addresses of tenants and leaseholders which enables us to communicate via email and encourage people to contact us via email to report issues. We are moving towards turning the council’s website from a largely information providing tool to a more interactive one. Work is required to develop a customer self service tool that will enable customers to access information and carry out transactions in areas such as service charges, rents, and housing repairs, accessible through the My Southwark account. Northgate, one of our primary IT service providers, is working with the council to design this tool with an expected delivery by summer 2013. Housing repairs We carried out over 240,000 housing repairs in 2012/13. The most common repairs include leaks, blockages and loss of heating and hot water. According to our
recent surveys, more Southwark Council tenants are getting their repairs completed first time, more appointments are being kept and tenants are more satisfied with the repairs service. In 2012/13, 96 per cent of the 12,000 tenants surveyed had their appointment kept, compared with 93.2 per cent in 2011/12. Satisfaction in the repair service increased from 79.1 per cent in 2011/12 to 81 per cent in 2012/13. Over 76.7 per cent of repairs were completed during the first visit compared with 69.4 per cent in the previous year. We know it is frustrating for tenants if they have to wait in for appointments which are then cancelled, or if urgent repairs are delayed. This is why we have set our contractor challenging targets to reach by 2015/16, to carry out the majority of repairs at the agreed time and during the first appointment. We acknowledge that despite the improvement in performance, there is still more work to do, particularly to improve customer satisfaction, but we are pleased to see promising signs of improvement and we will be building on these in the year ahead.
Info
Promise 5 Improve educational attainment
Introduce free healthy school meals for all primary school pupils, and champion improved educational attainment for our borough’s children. More children are receiving a free healthy school meal. This year has seen our programme successfully rolled out to years two and four with around 10,000 or 91 per cent of primary school pupils from reception up to year four now eating a school lunch. Having a free healthy school meal is of particular benefit to low-income families who currently fall just outside the national criteria and low-to-medium income families with more than one child. In addition, eating a healthy school meal as part of a wholeschool approach to healthy eating and healthy weight contributes to reducing levels of obesity. Satisfaction surveys from a sample of schools show that more than three-quarters of pupils rate their meal as good or very good. Nearly two-thirds said their school dinners had encouraged them to try different foods at school. Research also shows that eating a school lunch improves concentration levels. Attainment levels for our pupils continue to rise, with Southwark at or above the national average across all key stages. Pupil achievement at the end of the primary phase in English and Maths combined stands at 83 per cent compared to 79 per cent nationally. More children are also able to attend good or better schools, with over 80 per cent of primary schools and 90 per cent of secondary schools judged by Ofsted to be good or outstanding.
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Promise 6 Support vulnerable people
Support vulnerable people to live independent, safe and healthy lives by giving them more choice and control over their care. In 2012/13 we continued to make strong progress on the delivery of our vision for adult social care. We are supporting more people to live at home, in line with what people say they want, through the provision of personalised services. This includes • Progress on rolling out personalisation remains strong, with 90 per cent of eligible users now benefitting from a personal budget. • We have reduced the charge for meals on wheels by a quarter since 2010 and are on track to halve it by 2014. • The equalities targets for people with learning disabilities living independently in settled accommodation has been achieved. • More people have received reablement to restore their independence and our capacity growth targets have been achieved in this area. • We have exceeded the improvement targets set for safeguarding completion rates, showing cases are being processed promptly. • The number of carers receiving assessments has increased during the year. • Continued progress has been made on the day services transformation programme, particularly for people with learning disabilities. • Supporting People (housing related support for vulnerable groups) savings have made a key contribution to the council savings targets, whilst avoiding impacting negatively on service users. • Our single number for contacting adult care services has been launched as a part of a new approach to access and information. These achievements have created a solid foundation for the delivery of our 2013/14 council plan targets. They have also helped achieve financial sustainability in the context of substantial government funding reductions. There remain areas where we recognise further improvements are needed. This includes making further progress on reducing avoidable care home admissions by helping people live at home for longer and developing our services for carers. 33
Promise 7 Encourage healthy lifestyles
Burgess Park The council’s vision is to provide high quality sports and recreation facilities at Burgess Park. They will be accessible and well used by the local community, ensuring better health and wellbeing for residents. Phase one of our revitalisation project was completed in July 2012. Visitors to Burgess Park can now take part in a wide range of healthy activities and sport, including tennis, football, rugby, cricket, adventure play, outdoor gyms and fishing. The park now has • A newly extended lake • A new play area for over fives • New planting and trees • Wildlife friendly areas • A 5km running route • A new car park The next stage of revitalising the park is already underway. The new national size BMX track in Burgess Park received planning permission in March 2012 and this project is due to be finished in the summer of 2013. We want local people to be involved in the park’s management so we are exploring models for delivering activities within the park.
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Visitors to Burgess Park can now take part in a wide range of healthy activities and sport.
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Hulahooping at Burgess Park
Encourage healthy lifestyles by transforming Burgess Park, opening a new swimming pool at Elephant and Castle and awarding £2m to local sports projects to leave a lasting Olympic legacy.
New swimming pool at Elephant and Castle When it opens in early 2015, we are expecting 300,000 to 500,000 visitors a year to the new leisure centre at Elephant and Castle. The main amenities currently proposed will be a 25m, six lane main swimming pool, a separate teaching pool with moveable floor, a four court sports hall, a 140 station gym, a studio suite (including indoor cycle studio), a café and a crèche. The demolition of the old leisure centre has now been completed with construction of the new centre underway. We expect the leisure centre to be completed towards the end of 2014 and open at the start of the following year.
Olympics legacy A £2m package of Olympic legacy projects was approved by Cabinet in October 2011 and is on track for delivery by the target date of March 2014. These include Peckham Rye Park, where two disused grass pitches have been revitalised; Peckham Pulse, where a disabled access pool hoist has been installed; and Camberwell Leisure Centre, where Olympic legacy funded work has already been completed. All Olympic legacy funded projects are in the construction phase with the exception of Southwark Park track, for which officers have already secured additional monies and bids for further funding are being progressed. The council’s capital legacy investment has made it possible to lever in additional funding for a number of these projects. To date the projects have collectively attracted a further £991k worth of funding, with the possibility of winning further funding in the pipeline. By 2014, Southwark will be home to at least nine new or refurbished sporting facilities that will increase participation in or improve access to sport and physical activity.
Info
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Promise 8
Sharing some favourite reads on World Book Day
Invest in libraries
Sharing some favourite reads on World Book Day
Open Canada Water Library in autumn 2011. Open a library in Camberwell and conduct a thorough review of the library service.
• Had over 450,000 visitors, making it one of the most visited libraries in London • Issued nearly 400,000 items • Saw 86 per cent of loan transactions in the library performed using self service technology The Culture Space programme is now fully established and has hosted several successful events, with speakers including high profile authors Jacqueline Wilson, Ben Fogle, Michael Rosen and Mark Haddon. The library’s architecture won the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architect’s (RIBA) Regional London Award in June 2012 and it was also awarded a Civic Trust 2013 Special Award for design.
Camberwell Library The business case for the new Camberwell Library was approved in December 2011. Permission has now been secured for the library’s new building to be constructed at a site adjacent to the Magistrates Court at Camberwell Green. We believe that locating the library here will contribute to the overall improvement of the area. Building work is scheduled to be completed in 2014. Libraries review The Libraries review took place in summer 2011. We undertook widespread public consultation to get the community’s views on how the council could realise budget savings of £397,000 while still maintaining a high quality library service. The review’s findings were reported to cabinet in October 2011, together with proposals for a package of savings. Following the review there will be no Southwark library closures. Opening hours at four smaller community libraries have been revised, with new hours that are
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There will be no Southwark library closures following the libraries review and all day Saturday opening has been retained.
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Canada Water Library Canada Water Library opened on 28 November 2011. Over 14,000 new members have joined and it now accounts for 24 per cent of all items loaned each year from Southwark’s libraries. In its first year the library:
focused on times of peak use. This ensures that children can continue to use the service after school, that people on their way home from work can access the library and that schools still have the opportunity to visit during the day. All day Saturday opening has also been retained as this is the day most used by families to access the service. There are 49 active volunteers that are currently carrying out added value tasks in our libraries, contributing over 2,800 working hours in 2012/13.
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Promise 9 Homes, jobs and growth
Bring the full benefits and opportunities of regeneration to all Southwark’s residents and build new family homes on the Aylesbury Estate and at Elephant and Castle.
Aylesbury Estate The regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate is on track. The construction of 261 new homes on the first development site (Site 1a) continues on target for completion in summer of 2013, with a new resource centre and 60 homes already built on the estate. The first development phase of the Aylesbury Estate regeneration was awarded the Best New Place to Live award in the prestigious London Planning Awards. The awards recognise and reward best practice in planning in the capital. The Aylesbury Estate regeneration was commended as “a proud testament to the merits of inspirational and robust design-led place-making”. Plans are progressing well for the second development site (Site 7), with planning consent granted and a development partner selected. This phase will deliver 147 new homes, with construction due to start shortly. The scheme has over 50 per cent affordable units and includes 45 new family homes with three or more bedrooms. The appointment of a development partner for sites for the remainder of the estate is on programme for early 2014. This will deliver around a further 3,500 new homes. Elephant and Castle The Elephant and Castle regeneration programme is making good progress. New affordable housing projects to replace the Heygate continue to be brought forward. A scheme at Camberwell New Road was completed
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(Clarson House) which provides 103 new homes (88 social rented/ 15 shared ownership). Two further schemes will be completed in July 2013 at: • Harper Road, which will provide 72 new homes (50 social rented and 22 shared ownership) • Royal Road which will provide 96 affordable homes (76 social rented / 20 shared ownership) Following the granting of planning permission in October 2012, the final re-housing project at Stead Street will also start in 2013, which will provide 140 new affordable homes (84 social rented and 56 private for sale). In total the Heygate rehousing programme will deliver 604 new homes (68 private / 419 social rented / 117 shared ownership) across ten council owned sites. The redevelopment of the leisure centre is progressing well with demolition underway and planning permission granted for this key community facility at the heart of the Elephant and Castle. Planning permission has been granted for the residential tower at One the Elephant, for Rodney Road (now renamed Trafalgar Place) and for the outline masterplan for the Heygate Estate. Construction of One the Elephant and Trafalgar Place will commence later this year along with the demolition of the Heygate Estate. A scheme for the redevelopment of the shopping centre and strategic transport upgrades at the Elephant and Castle will also be progressed during 2013.
Info
Summer 2013
www.southwark.gov.uk
Promise 10 Cleaner, greener Southwark
Double recycling rates from 20 per cent to 40 per cent by 2014 and keep our streets clean.
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Recycled art at our Tree Tales event
Our recycling performance has improved more than any other inner London borough in the last two years.
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Recycling rates The recycling rate has increased to 30.08 per cent. Since the introduction of food waste recycling, food and garden waste has now grown to represent over 25 per cent of our total annual recycling. This demonstrates that the decision for an inner London borough to switch to alternate weekly collections of residual waste, made in 2010/11, has delivered considerable improvements in our recycling performance. As a result, our recycling performance has improved more than any other inner London borough in the last two years. Street cleaning Street cleanliness for the year is better than the target set and resident
satisfaction is at an all-time high. The service has plans in place to improve this performance still further, including a focus on dog fouling and smarter use of mechanical sweeping. In recognition of the importance of encouraging our high streets to thrive, we are dedicating additional funds to allow night cleansing to take place in areas such as Camberwell Green, Rye Lane, Walworth Road, Elephant and Castle, Tower Bridge Road, Lordship Lane and Borough High Street. It is anticipated that this will make a real difference both in terms of the shopping experience for residents visiting the area and the early morning commuters that pass through on their way to work or education.
We are commited to providing a Fairer Future for all in Southwark. To see the annual report in full, please visit www.southwark.gov.uk/annualreport
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Getting in touch Main switchboard www.southwark.gov.uk csc@southwark.gov.uk 020 7525 5000
Online
Adult social care www.southwark.gov.uk/ mysupportchoices 020 7525 3324 Adoption www.southwark.gov.uk/adoption 0800 952 0707 Building control www.southwark.gov.uk/buildingcontrol 0845 600 1285 Business rates www.southwark.gov.uk/businessrates 020 7525 5505 Child protection www.southwark.gov.uk/ childprotection 020 7525 1921
Education and learning www.southwark.gov.uk/education 0845 600 1284 Elections and voting www.southwark.gov.uk/elections 020 7525 7373 Environment (recycling, rubbish, parks) www.southwark.gov.uk/environment 020 7525 2000 Family information service www.southwark.gov.uk/familyinfo 0800 013 0639 Fostering recruitment www.southwark.gov.uk/fostering 0800 2335022 Fraud www.southwark.gov.uk/fraud 0800 052 1010 Housing repairs www.southwark.gov.uk/housing 0800 952 4444
Libraries, museums and leisure centres www.sothwark.gov.uk/culture 020 7525 2000 Registration services www.southwark.gov.uk/registrar 020 7525 7651 Planning www.southwark.gov.uk/planning 020 7525 5403
By post Southwark Council PO Box 64529 London SE1P 5LX
Face to face Peckham One Stop Shop Ground floor, Peckham Library 122 Peckham Hill Street, SE15 My Southwark customer service point 11 Market Place, Southwark Park Road, SE16
If you would like a copy of Southwark Life in large print or audio format please ring 020 7525 5000 or visit www.southwark.gov.uk/southwarklife 38