The Boundary Commission has proposed revised areas and names for parliamentary constituencies.  
The Camberwell name has been completely dropped, despite residents feeling strongly about our identity. 

Save the Camberwell Name – act now, before 5 December, and let the Boundary Commission know that the Camberwell name is important.  

••Read our chair Sophy Tayler’s piece: Cancelling Camberwell: Why Parliamentary Boundaries Matter
Respond to the Boundary Commission here before 5 December 
– and ask them to save Camberwell’s name

We may not be able to change the proposed boundaries, which have divided Camberwell in to three, but we may have a chance of saving Camberwell’s nameon one of the constituencies. 

You have until December 5 to send in your comments: 

• online at: https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/  
• Or write a letter to Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street SW1P 3BQ

You could say: 
“I am a resident of Camberwell and I am writing to you to keep Camberwell in the name of our local constituency – either Camberwell and Peckham, or Camberwell and Vauxhall. Camberwell is an ancient, historic place. It appears in the Domesday book and has its own identity, local groups and organisations.”

The proposals to drop the name Camberwell and divide our town centre between three different constituencies is against the wishes of local people set out in a previous 800 signature petition submitted to them earlier in the proposals. 

Jordana Leighton, SE5 Forum’s Camberwell Business Marketeer, who helped lead our high street recovery fund grant programme this year, told Southwark News: “This new proposal completely eradicates Camberwell from the agenda. Camberwell is not going to get a well-rounded strategy because we’ll have to answer to three MPs who might not have that much of an affinity with the area.”
Read the full Southwark News piece here: 
Constituency boundary reshuffle could ‘wipe Walworth and Camberwell off the map’

Note: 
The Boundary Commission for England is an independent body, which is redrawing parliamentary constituencies. It aims to divide Camberwell into two at the Green – creating the two new constituencies of Vauxhall and Peckham – and also moving Champion Hill to a new Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.

The name Camberwell will disappear from the name of any constituency at parliamentary elections. 
(Our local wards will remain the same for Council elections)

Read the Camberwell Quarterly news piece below:

Bus Routes 12 and 45 Saved! 
Thanks to everyone who supported the community-wide campaign against proposed cuts to bus routes affecting Camberwell and responded to TfL’s consultation. TfL have now made a U-turn after the backlash, and the bus route cuts to the 12 and 45 affecting Camberwell will no longer go ahead.

With help from local transport expert Jane Bevis, we put together a comprehensive response to the bus route cut proposals, and also co-ordinated with Southwark Council. This is a great win showing the strength of community response. Read more here from Southwark Council. 

What’s On: Festive Camberwell 

Community Kitchen: Saturday 10 December on the Green
Save the date for SE5 Forum’s Festive Community Kitchen on the green which aims to destigmatise food insecurity and support those struggling with the cost of living.

Our Community Kitchen is in partnership with Spring Community Hub, Healthy Living Platform and other local supporters – there will be a free lunch, food pantries, signposting to food poverty service, choirs and more. We look forward to seeing you there!
Full details will follow soon.

Camberwell Arts Winter Festival
Camberwell Arts Winter Festival Outdoor Arts Market kicks off the festive spirit tomorrow on Camberwell Green! There will be unique festive gifts, art works and designs as well as festive food and music. 

You can also visit artists, designers and makers in their studios at the festival’s Open Studios, running this weekend 26/27 November – and 3/4 December. 

The Camberwell Winter Festival’s Indoor Market is at St Giles’ Church on Saturday 17 December. 
camberwellarts.org.uk/winter-2022



Cost of Living Crisis Concert: 10 December
SE5 Forum is delighted to support this fundraising concert in aid of local charities who are helping those struggling with food poverty and the cost of living crisis – Copleston Centre and St Giles’ Trust and Pantry.
£5 donation suggested and/or bring non-perishable food items for the Albrighton Community Fridge and Food Shift Charity Grove Collective.
On Saturday 10 December 3.30-11.30pm at the George Canning, 123 Grove Lane, SE5 8BG. 
https://twitter.com/CostCrisis

  

Camberwell: Warm Spaces 
For anyone needing to keep bills down and keep warm this winter, Southwark Council has opened 30 warm spaces across the borough, including in/near Camberwell: Southwark Pensioners, Camberwell Library, Copleston Centre, and Southwark Carers. 
Full list of Southwark warm spaces here. 


What’s On: Theatre Shows and School Winter Fairs
Look out for all the local school winter fairs coming up in Camberwell. Kids can find Santa in his grotto at Lyndhurst School’s Winter Fair tomorrow.
 

Theatre Peckham’s Scroogelicious is an unmissable musical take on Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol – but this time Scrooge is an unscrupulous property developer looking to make bucks gentrifying the local area! 

 

Golden Goose Theatre – Off West End Award Winners 2022 – has comedy, children’s stories, Shakespeare Scratch and a Dream Machine throughout December.
Golden Goose Theatre, 146 Camberwell New Road, SE5 0RR.

Blue Elephant Theatre is perfect for young kids this year with its inventive A Topsy Turvy Christmas suitable for 4-8 years. 9-18 December. 59a Bethwin Road, SE5 0XT. 

Longfield Hall‘s fabulous festive family production by The Dot Collective is The Elves and the Shoemaker from 9-11 December. 50 Knatchbull Road, SE5 9QY.

Camberwell Talks: Kit Green – Mon 5 December, 7pm
The last of our Autumn Camberwell Talks welcomes Kit Green, writer, performer, music hall legend and Camberwell’s Organoke rapping pensioner, aka Ida Barr, who will share tales of their fascinating life and work. Tickets £10 or £7 concessions, including a free drink and discount meal at Caravaggio. Please email if you’d like further concessions: admin@se5forum.org.uk. The Crypt at St Giles Church.
BOOK TICKETS HERE

 

Give to a local charity next week and double your donation
The Big Give: 29 November-6 December 

If you’re able to support a local charity this Christmas, then look out for The Big Give running from 29 November to 6 December. If you donate between those dates, your donation is doubled as part of The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022.

  

Reminder: Southwark Council wants your views on Camberwell Area Study
Southwark Council is undertaking an Area Character Study of Camberwell and they want your views. The study looks at the physical, social and economic information about Camberwell. It considers the experience of those who live, work in and visit the area. It will inform priorities for the area and guide future changes. The online consultation will close on 18 January 2023: Have your say online

Come and see us on our Saturday market stall! 
Saturday on the Green 10am-3pm

Come and browse all our Camberwell merchandise and find out a festive gift celebrating our local area! We have adult and kids’ t-shirts, water bottles, prints, Colour in Camberwell books, and beautiful mugs, and more.

We also have a fab new Tote bag design @£10 as well as as a lovely new print design by artist Dean Wood of the historic Clarendon Terrace parade on Camberwell New Road on sale – as a framed print or simply as an attractive tea towel! 

 
  

We are are delighted to invite you to come along to our next SE5 Forum AGM public meeting and discussion. There will be key speakers covering developments and issues in the town centre and beyond for residents and businesses. Plus: we will be holding our board elections and are looking for new board members who want to contribute in any way to our area.

SE5 FORUM AGM 2022 
HOW CAN CAMBERWELL SURVIVE AND THRIVE?
Wednesday 5 October, 6.30-8.15pm
In-person at United Reformed Church, Love Walk SE5 7AE 
or on Zoom

This year’s AGM focuses on:
How can Camberwell survive and thrive?
There will be key speakers covering developments and issues in the town centre and beyond for residents and businesses. 

Panel includes:

• Kieron Williams, Camberwell Green councillor + Southwark Council Leader
• Stephen Lovejoy, Urban Planner – on the Character of Camberwell study
• Jordan Leighton on the High Street Recovery Fund and supporting local Camberwell businesses
• SE5 Forum board member Tony Jones on tackling graffiti and street clutter and cleaning up the town centrer
• Peter Babadu, ex-Southwark Councillor and standing as an MP for Camberwell & Peckham on his Camberwell survey
• Councillor Donatus Anyanwu, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, Lambeth Council

We will also look at what SE5 Forum is achieving with local partners including:

•  Six to Fix campaign to clear rubbish, graffiti and street clutter.

•  Feel Good Festival on Camberwell Green.

•  Community Kitchens  working with food banks and pantries.

•  Love Local – promoting local businesses, the high street and the market.

•  Trees & Green Spaces – tree planting, green walks & Ruskin Park tree film.

•  Transport – campaigning for buses, trams, cycles and Camberwell station.

•  Identity –  shop front murals, more banners and the new Wyndham Road mural.

We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your views on how we can help Camberwell thrive in the coming years. 

To attend in-person, please register on Eventbrite here

To attend on Zoom, please register on Eventbrite here 
You can watch the speakers and discussion and post questions in the Chat.

Would you like to become an SE5 Forum board member? 
As always, we will be holding our board elections at the AGM and we welcome new members to join our Board! An invitation to new members and information on what’s involved is HERE. 

Last year, new board member Shazna Choudhry wanted to focus on the health and wellbeing of all the community and set up our fantastic summer Wellbeing Festival on the green.

We would love to recruit some more members from BAME backgrounds as well as younger members, too, to increase the age and ethnic diversity of our board.

If you’d like to have an input in your local area or just want to find out more about SE5 Forum, please contact us on admin@se5forum.org.uk to express an interest or discuss further. The deadline for nominations is 21 September 2022. 

GET THE BOARD INVITATION HERE
DOWNLOAD THE FLYER BELOW as pdf 

Our next season of fascinating talks by talented locals kicks off on 3 October. Come and join the conversation first Mondays from October to December, with a free drink and a local meal deal at Caravaggio thrown in!
First Mondays from October-December.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

3rd October 7pm: Dr Francisco Diego, astrophysicist and environmentalist at UCL, guides us through the amazing images from the new James Webb Space telescope and how these reflect on our Paradise Planet Earth. @ The Crypt, St. Giles’ Church, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB.

7th November 7pm: Jessica Moxham, writer and mother, talks about the joys and challenges of bringing up a disabled son and her book ‘The Cracks that let the light in’. @ At the Grove Room, Grove House Tavern, 26 Camberwell Grove, SE5 8RE. Step-free access.

5th December 7pm: Kit Green: writer, performer, music hall legend and Camberwell’s own Organoke rapping pensioner AKA Ida Barr, shares tales of their life and work. @ The Crypt, St. Giles’ Church, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB*.

Tickets £10 (£7 conc.) including a free drink.
Carravagio is offering a half-price pre- or post-talk set menu meal for ticket holders.
You can also buy tickets from the SE5 Forum stall, Camberwell Green Market, Saturdays 10am-2pm.

*Please note that The Crypt does not have step-free access. 

BOOK TICKETS HERE

TfL Bus Route Reductions: consultation ends on 7 August. Find out more about SE5 Forum’s campaign and read our consultation response.

The TfL Central London Bus Consultation closes on 7 August; this will remove routes 12 and 45 that go through Camberwell. 

SE5 Forum objects in the strongest terms to TfL’s proposals to reduce and re-route bus services from Camberwell. They fail to recognise the significant socio-economic and equalities issues affecting Camberwell and its residents.

SE5 Forum is using social media to campaign to fight these cuts due to their negative impact on Camberwell – please share our tweets and posts. We are calling on the Mayor of London to withdraw these flawed proposals and reverse other recent cuts.

We will also be submitting our response to the consultation and sharing our objections. If you care about the loss of bus services, have your say here: haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/busreview.

Here is a summary of our consultation response: 
Thank you to consultant Jane Bevis, for volunteering to put together a full response to these cuts and show their negative effect on public transport in Camberwell. You can read the full document here. 

• The proposals to withdraw completely two bus services connecting Camberwell with central London to the north, Lambeth to the west and reducing service along the corridor towards Lewisham in the east. These are key locations supporting Camberwell’s economy and opening up employment and education opportunities across London for residents.

• Overall TfL’s proposes to withdraw 16 routes across London. It is completely disproportionate to target 2 of these on Camberwell – a single community reliant on its bus connections.

• High levels of multiple deprivation, unemployment, low pay, child poverty, physical and mental health problems and an ageing population speak to the need for enhanced, not deteriorating, public transport services in Camberwell.

• Access to car transport is limited among residents and TfL targets for Southwark look to reduce car ownership further.

• Impacts resulting from the withdrawal of services and re-routing of others include increased and less predictable door to door journey times, loss of Hopper fares due to extended journey times, and fears over personal safety at interchange points affecting women, older and young people, disabled people and LGBTQ people. Camberwell has a majority BAME population, many of whom experience multiple deprivation factors.

• Collectively these factors show TfL is failing in its Public Sector Equality Duty in the way it has assessed its proposals and their impacts on Camberwell residents.

• Visitors to Camberwell and its businesses and services, notably including two major London hospitals, King’s College Hospital and South London & Maudsley Hospital, will also face reduced services and access.

• Significant levels of housebuilding in Camberwell means the population is growing and bus passenger figures can be expected to rise by 15-30 percent by 2030.

• There has been a century of disinvestment in Camberwell’s transport infrastructure since the railway station closed in 1916. Repeated failures over 80 years to invest in Tube, rail and tram services connecting Camberwell with central London leaves Camberwell uniquely reliant on bus services. Over recent years these too have been reduced with the loss of 5 cross-river bus services and the reduction in frequency on remaining routes.

NEW free Feel Good Festival brings health, art, music and food experts to Camberwell Green this summer 

• Free workshops covering all areas of physical & mental wellbeing for children and adults 
• Every Saturday from 25^th June to 30th July at SE5 Forum’s stall at Camberwell Green market, from 10am to 1pm 

SE5 Forum’s Feel Good Festival brings together 35 health professionals to run free health and wellbeing sessions for the community on Camberwell Green over 6 weeks this summer. 

The sessions include exercise, yoga, tai chi, skating and cycling classes, art, music, creative writing, nutrition and food pantries. Partnership Southwark’s health and wellbeing tent will also be there to provide mini health checks alongside Covid-19 vaccination for all the family. The aim is to help local residents improve their physical and mental health and to signpost people to services. 

The programme is the brainchild of local parent Shazna Choudhry. She was moved by the impact of COVID on her community. Shazna says: “When lockdown hit, I saw the loneliness of my elderly neighbours, the isolation of  our children, the difficulty of accessing health care. Now post-COVID, it is wonderful to see the community coming together in our Feel Good Festival to improve everyone’s wellbeing.”

Shazna joined the board of community organisation SE5 Forum, who backed the Feel Good Festival as did Partnership Southwark, MIND and the Bethlem Gallery at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Shazna’s own employer Eversholt Rail, generously provided funding, while local health practitioners are providing their services for free. Local dad Pete Lewis, who runs creative design agency Curious Ways, has designed all the marketing for the event free of charge.

Shazna says: “It is so special to have all these experts provide their skills and services for free to the community for our Feel Good Festival.”

For further information, please email: admin@se5 Forum.org.uk. 

Feel Good Festival programme:

***LAST-MINUTE PROGRAMME CHANGES:

Week 2: – Izzy Parker workshop replaced with Weaving a Community Tapestry with Camberwell Arts’ Debbie Allen.
– Added: Clay candleholder making at 12-1pm.

Week 1 – Saturday 25th June: BODY with face and henna painting, mini health checks and Covid-19 vaccination at the health and wellbeing tent from Partnership Southwark, Osteopathy from Osteopathy on the Green, Pulse diagnosis, Women’s cycling for beginners with Joyriders, Salsation with Rebeca Italiani, a guided tree walk with The Camberwell Society and Tai chi with Wu Style Brixton.

Week 2 – Saturday 2nd July: ART with creative workshops by Izzy Parker and Bethlem Gallery, Restore Your Calm with Arts by Kola, Wor(l)d building writing with Mary Paterson, #joinmycanvas with Ange Mukeza, Yoga with Oshala Livity.

Week 3 – Saturday 9th JULY: MIND with the MIND charity, My Emotions activity book workshop with Laura H Brown, Mindfulness through photography and play with South London & Maudsley CAMHS, Creative Writing with Camberwell Scribes, Music performance with Lyndhurst Primary School Choirs, and Healthcheck and fitness advice with Pure Gym.

Week 4 – Saturday 16th July: MUSIC with drop-in sessions for parents with child psychologist Dr Jen Wills Lamacq, Margaret’s Music – Kids’ singing workshop with South London Songsters, EasyGym fitness class and free gym passes, Salsation with Rebeca Italiani, Skating for beginners with Landshark. 

Week 5 – Saturday 23rd July: FOOD with Nutrition & Caribbean fermentation workshop with Jasmine Carbon, Pop up Pantry and Food Workshop with Healthy Living Platform, West African Feast with Spring Community Hub, Fitness with BizzyIzzy, Get Fit & Do Good with GoodGym Southwark, Nikcarl Mckenzie’s comic drawing workshop.

Week 6 – Saturday 30th July: EXERCISE withYoga with Mistercollieman, Self-defence with Vegan Special Forces, Whole Body Workout with Alex Naylor, Salsation with Rebeca Italiani, Nikcarl Mckenzie’s kids’ skate workshop, Mini health checks and Covid-19 vaccination at the Partnership Southwark health and wellbeing tent. 

Come join the Camberwell conversation at the next series of talks hosted by SE5 Forum for Camberwell at St Giles’ Church. From the innovative youth theatre vision of Suzann McLean, artistic director of Theatre Peckham, to the stories behind the delicious Kurdish cuisine served up by Nandine’s Pary Baban and Antiques Roadshow’s resident art expert Rupert Maas talks art and money.

Don’t miss these fascinating, personal stories from our inspiring locals.
Book tickets here on Eventbrite: £10 or £7 concession. Your ticket also includes a free drink and a half-price deal on the night for a pre- or post-talk set meal at local restaurant Caravaggio.

BOOK TICKETS HERE
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/camberwell-talks-summer-2022

BOOK TICKETS HERE:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/camberwell-talks-summer-2022

SE5 Forum to host Local Elections Hustings for Camberwell
Wednesday 20 April, 7pm-8.30pm
United Reformed Church, Love Walk SE5 8AE

Hear from and quiz local candidates for Southwark and Lambeth Councils 
Register on the SE5 Forum Eventbrite page to attend. 
For this Hustings, we are focusing on Southwark and Lambeth wards in Camberwell and SE5. The following issues will be covered:

• Improving public transport 

• Cycle hire and storage

• Improving Camberwell town centre

To book, please register for free on Eventbrite here.

We plan to invite a candidate from four parties (Conservatives, Greens, Labour and Lib Dems) representing Southwark and Lambeth, so eight candidates in total.

If you have a question for candidates, please write your question on the form when you register – or email us at admin@se5forum.org.uk with your question and your full name.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/local-election-hustings-camberwell-tickets-310503473247

Camberwell Talks Spring season
We’re kicking off our SE5 Forum Camberwell Talks 2022 season with a focus on music and design – three fascinating talks by talented locals on first Mondays, 7-9pm at The Crypt, St Giles Church. 

– Broadcaster, blogger and vinyl afficianado Anna Doble (7 Feb). 
– Musician and force behind Jazz Live at The Crypt Russell Occomore (7 March).
– Mini Moderns, the Camberwell-based homeware designers Keith and Mark. 
We hope you’ll join us. 

Tickets £10/£7 concession (with free drink). For more information and to book tickets on Eventbrite, click here

Green Corridors in Camberwell – have your say!

Thursday 24 February, 7pm 
• Which streets would you choose to walk or cycle if there was less traffic and car pollution?  
• How can we link up our parks and open spaces to create routes not just for people, but for nature to link up?
• Come and hear about the green routes planned for SE5.  
Join neighbours and local community groups for a Zoom session to map out routes for Green Corridors. Let’s get ahead of local policies and planning, so we can be proactive and clear about our community’s priorities.  

To book tickets, go to: https://bit.ly/3KQ6Gwg
 
The Trees and Green Spaces group is an initiative by SE5 Forum for Camberwell and the Camberwell Society camberwellsociety.org.uk.

Graffiti in the town centre: take our survey 

How do you feel about the graffiti around Camberwell town centre? Would you like to see your council do more to remove it? Or perhaps it doesn’t bother you. Do you have any concerns about dog fouling on pavements? We want to know what you think so we’ve created a super short survey  to get your views so we could present any specific issues to the council. Many thanks if you could take a few minutes to fill in our survey here: https://forms.gle/rxbve338puqhnr8C9

Cycle parking around the station  
Are you unsure how to use the new, locked cycle parking in Windsor Walk by the new Denmark Hill station entrance? Did you know it’s free?
Just apply for a free Key Smartcard (also usable for rail ticketing). Then use to scan in. You can get your Key Smartcard here: The Key Smartcard | Southern Railway

Southwark Pensioners 
In this challenging winter, Southwark Pensioners is running vital Winter Wellbeing support for older people. Their projects include: BESN Saving Energy Costs, Ageing Well Warm and Well, Being Prepared this winter – avoiding slips and falls (below), and the Warm and Well Small Grants Programme.  

If you would like to learn more, call Southwark Pensioners on 020 7708 4556 or ring the Ageing Well Southwark service on 020 7358 4077.

You can also email: advice@southwarkpensioners.org.uk or find out more on their website: www.southwarkpensioners.org.uk

Southwark Council News 
Cultural Celebrations Fund Southwark Council’s Cultural Celebrations Fund is now open for applications. The fund will support outdoor events between 1 May 2022 and 31 March 2023. Applicants are invited to apply for a maximum of £10,000. Applications need to be in by 9am on Wednesday 9 February 2022. More info here