WELL LONDON

Well London is a five year £9.6 million scheme delivering healthy living projects around the themes of physical activity, healthy eating and mental wellbeing in 20 of the most deprived Super Output Areas (SOA) in London. It is a partnership between London Health Commission, Central YMCA, Groundwork London, London Sustainability Exchange, University of East London (UEL), Arts Council and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust. In Southwark, the SOA is in Peckham centred around the Cossall Estate, Queens Road, SE15.

PVSF has been appointed as co hosts for carrying out the community engagement process with local residents on the Cossall Estate.

Here are the major highlights of our involvement as co hosts of the Well London Project:

• Community Cafe consultation on health issues in the area held as part of the Cossall Fun Day on 10th May. This was organised in partnership with PeckhamProgramme. Around 50 local residents gave their views.

• PVSF recruited five local fieldworkers and one coordinator recruited. The team will carry out 100 interviews in the SOA to establish baseline levels of health. DM ran an induction session for them at PVSF and provided support during their training at University of East London. The team are now line managed by UEL.

• PVSF carried out a mapping of the SOA listing demographics, health information and local facilities.

• Community Appreciation Workshop held on 16th June to develop ideas for portfolio of projects. This was supposed to include residents, and representatives from the voluntary and statutory sectors. Unfortunately it was very poorly attended by local residents. Groundwork has since carried out several small scale consultations with residents to try and rectify this.

 

There have been several meetings of a Local Advisory Group which provides guidance to the scheme in the area. It is currently made up of representatives of PVSF, Groundwork, Southwark PCT and Southwark Council though once the scheme gets underway it is expected that membership will widen.

Canal Bridge Green Fayre: Peckham

The Canal Bridge Fayre Peckham event, aims to help raise awareness about green issues. This event which started off in 1993 (by a group local residents' living in Northfield House, Peckham project makes a welcome return on 20th September 2008.

2008 sees another group of enthusiastic Peckham residents taken on the commitment to resurrect the event which was so popular in the early 90’s. The residents are organising the event in partnership with Peckham Voluntary Sector Forum. Other contributors include Peckham Community Council, Peckham Community Wardens, Southwark Cyclists, and Peckham Green Ventures etc.

This year's event will bring together a range of local groups and organisations which will transform the Peckham Square into a vibrant space with a solar cinema, busy marketplace of stalls for local and London-wide environmental initiatives, fun activities for both the young and the old, environmentally friendly and recycled items and so on.

For more information about the history of the Canal Bridge Green Fayre - click here

PHLN

Peckham Voluntary Sector Forum from 2004 - 2008, managed and coordinated the Peckham Healthy Living Network.

The Network consisted of  11 community groups, voluntary organisations and helath agencies deliverubg and supporting health  related proejcts in Peckham working to make a difference to people's health and well being through focusing on three areas:

• Physical Activity

• Food

• Mental Health

The network was initially funded by the New Opportunities Fund for a period of 4 ½ years.

The 11 organisations delivering 12 projects were:

• All Seasons Gardening Club

• Arts Express

• Ashbourne Centre Community Counselling

• Carl Campbell Dance Company

• Mental Health Project

• HOurBank Community Cafe

• Green Adventures

• Newpin Fathers Project

• African Dance Aerobics

• Place2be

• Wickway Centre