SoWN News 18 June 2025
- csaunders935
- Jun 17
- 8 min read
Welcome to your South Bank and Waterloo Neighbours newsletter.
This month’s newsletter is bursting with events, updates, and opportunities to get involved in your neighbourhood.
This newsletter contains:
SoWN Forum Agenda - Thursday 26 June
Waterloo Festival 10 to 13 July 2025 at St Johns and invitation to the opening night
Discover what's on in South Bank this summer
South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us update
Waterloo Community Counselling summer fundraising appeal
Loman Street Consultation, meeting tomorrow, Wednesday 18 June
Updates
Local operations to target phone snatchers
Backstage at The Old Vic
Events
The Great Get Together SE1, Saturday 21 June,
Paths to Paradise at the Garden Museum, Saturday 21 June
Lower Marsh Lates, 26 June, 31 July, 28 August
Archbishops Park Summer Garden Event, Tuesday 24 June
Incredible Edible Lambeth, various dates and times
Social groups and activities for displaced peoples, various dates and times
Spotlight on... Anna Richardson, Headteacher of Oasis Academy South Bank
SoWN Forum - Thursday 26 June, 6pm
Florence Eshalomi MP and Neil Coyle MP and your local councillors invite you to the South Bank and Waterloo Forum.
Date: Thursday 26 June
Tim: 6 - 7.30pm
Venue: Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, 108 Stamford Street, SE1 9NH
FROM 5.00 there will a walking tour of the Coin Street estate to hear about Coin Street's journey
AFTER the meeting a drinks reception with your neighbours
Agenda
6.00 Welcome and Update from Florence and Neil
Including update of Bicycles and Rough Sleeping
6.10 Current local issues from local Councillors
6.20 The London Growth Plan: presentation by Matt Blades, Director Economy, Culture, and Skills - LB of Lambeth
6.40 Plans to Review the Neighbourhood Plan at “half way”: presentation by Giles Goddard – Chair of SoWN
7.00 Student Accommodation at 10 Leake Street
7.10 Report back from previous Forums
7.15 Community announcements and updates
Community Southwark’s Premises Matching Project: Alex Wells - LB of Southwark
The Kids Network: Niamh Lynch – request for volunteers
If there's anything you would like to see on the Forum agenda, please let us know.
The dates for the Forums in 2025 are Thursday 9 October and Thursday 11 December.
Waterloo Festival at St John's 10 - 13 July
Waterloo Festival is an annual celebration of arts, heritage and community run by St John’s Waterloo.
The programme includes arts, exhibitions, music, stories, workshops and social events.
This year’s Festival, celebrates everything that makes our neighbourhood and community what it is today, all that brings us here, together.
You can find more details and the full programme on the website here.
Also, you are invited to the Waterloo Festival Opening Night!
On behalf of St John's Waterloo and The Bridge At Waterloo, you are warmly invited to the launch of this year's Waterloo Festival, the private view of the Festival's exhibitions and other related showcases on the night.
The opening night will take place on Thursday 10th July from 6:15pm onwards at St John's Waterloo SE1 8TY.
You can read more about the event and RSVP via the link here.
Discover what's on in South Bank this summer
As a resident in Waterloo and South Bank, there's a host of great events taking place on your doorstep this summer.
To help highlight all that's happening in South Bank this season, South Bank London have once again created a handy 'Your Summer Guide to South Bank' booklet. The booklet is packed with ideas on how to spend your time in the area, including exploring new arrivals and seasonal pop-ups.
These booklets have been distributed via door drops, but you can also access an online version here: physical copies are available at the Coin Street neighbourhood centre.
South Bank London, delivered by South Bank BID, is your one stop for discovering what's on in South Bank: you can also keep up to date on events, openings and local offers via the website, Instagram and Facebook.
Sustains Us Residents Group continues to grow and shape community event
Thank you to everyone who came along to the second meeting of the Sustains Us Residents Group (SURG) earlier this month. It was great to see some new faces and continue shaping our upcoming community event in September – celebrating local action for a greener, fairer South Bank and Waterloo.
Ideas generated by the group are now being developed into a full programme – to include fun activities for all ages, engaging workshops, access to local experts and advice, music and of course, food and drink! There was thoughtful discussion about the group’s wider aims: to bring neighbours together, share practical knowledge, and encourage people to take positive action.
So if you are interested in becoming an ambassador for building a greener and fairer
neighbourhood, come along to the next SURG meeting on Monday 7 July from 5.30–
7pm at St John’s Church, Waterloo.
To find out more, visit sbwsustainsus.org or contact:
Giles Goddard, SoWN Chair – giles@stjohnswaterloo.org
Charlotte Glazier, SoWN Programme Coordinator – charlotte@sowneighbours.org
Waterloo Community Counselling summer fundraising appeal
30 Years of Life-Changing Counselling in the Community
Waterloo Community Counselling has launched a summer appeal. Thanks to the compassion, support and collaboration of local people, WCC has been a lifeline in the community for 30 years.
Now, as more people than ever are facing mental health challenges, they need your help to continue this vital work.
The people they support are your neighbours, your colleagues, the parent you pass at the school gate. Your support can help them find the strength to keep going and to thrive.
“Talking to my counsellor weekly saved my life.” – WCC Client
The appeal runs from 10 June to 11 July, and they’re aiming to raise the funds they need to provide life-changing mental health support to those who need it most.
Here’s how you can help:
Donate if you can: Give today
Share the campaign with your network: forward the email below to your friends, family and colleagues - or share this link via social media
Every donation & every share brings us closer to ensuring no one in our community has to face mental health struggles alone.
Loman Street consultation
iQ Student Accommodation is bringing forward plans for the redevelopment of Loman Street, the former Blackfriars Crown Court.
As part of this process, they will be hosting a further public consultation event on Wednesday 18 June at The Bridge, 73–81 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ, where the updated proposals will be presented.
You can find more information about the project here. In addition to the public event, we would also welcome the opportunity to meet with you individually to share further detail and hear your thoughts.
Please get in touch with iQ if you have any questions or would like to arrange a meeting: lomanstreet@kandaconsulting.co.uk or 020 3900 3676.
Updates
Local Operations to target Phone Snatchers
With phone thefts being a concern across central London, South Bank BID's Security Manager has been running deterrent patrols with the S92 officers to help target local phone snatchers.
Over the last 2 months the BID's Security Manager, Umer, has worked closely with the Met's BCU robbery team, in response to thefts and robberies happening in South Bank and Waterloo. This has included sharing intelligence and linking partners locally, to make sure strategic operations tackling theft can be as well co-ordinated as possible.
A large scale operation took place in the South Bank and Waterloo area on the 3rd of June, with 3 individuals operating on high-powered e-bikes caught and arrested. A number of other prolific offenders have also been caught over the past few months, with items where possible returned to their owners.
Further operations are planned to take place in the near future. Residents are encouraged to remain alert and aware when using their phone out in public spaces.
Backstage at The Old Vic
The Old Vic is pleased to share updates about how the development is progressing.
The internal installation is well underway for mechanical, electrical, kitchen, and bar systems. The floor finishes are in the process of being laid, and the decking installation is progressing on both the 1st and 4th floor balcony and terrace.
This month, they will be working to complete the cladding and glazing at Ground Level and moving ahead with joinery installation on all levels, continuing with the interior decoration and installing new lighting throughout the building.
The Old Vic have launched a fundraising campaign to raise £100,000 by the end of July to contribute to the project. Every contribution will bring them closer to opening the doors of this transformative new building and ensuring that anyone can experience, make, and benefit from, theatre.
Events
The Great Get Together SE1 2025
Hosted by Living Bankside
Time: 11am to 7pm
Location: Events will be held in and around: Borough Yards, Potters Fields, The Golden Hinde, Southwark Cathedral The Scoop, at More London an COLAB TOWER
More information here.
Paths to Paradise
The Garden Museum and Sisterhood Supperclub Collective have been hosting family friendly free events in Old Paradise Gardens during May and June. The final event is this Saturday.
Saturday 21 June, 2 - 4pm - Herbal treats led by Shez Chung-Blake
Free
Email info@gardenmuseum.org.uk or supperclubsisterhood@gmail.com for more information.
Lower Marsh Lates
Lower Marsh Lates is returning this summer with a free open-air cinema series in Waterloo.
26 June – Mamma Mia!
31 July – Dirty Dancing
28 August – Grease
More information here.
Archbishops Park Summer Garden Event
Coin Street and Archbishops Park Community Trust are holding a Summer Garden event with activities including tour of the garden, herbal tea tastings and nature badges.
Date: Tuesday 24 June
Time: 11am to 1pm
Book with Laura and let us know any dietary requirements - l.reynolds@coinstreet.org or 07557 740 442
Incredible Edible Lambeth
Join free guided walks to find some of the hidden green gems in the borough.
Various dates, times and locations
Free
More information here.
Social Groups & Activities for displaced peoples
Waterloo Community Counselling organises meetups where refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants seeking companionship can come together to explore, learn, and have fun.
Date, time and location: various
Time: Various
Free
More information here.
Spotlight on... Anna Richardson
What’s your role in South Bank and Waterloo?
I’m the very proud Headteacher of Oasis Academy South Bank , a secondary school for just over seven hundred students aged 11-18 on Westminster Bridge Road. At Oasis South Bank, we want our young people to live lives of choice, opportunity and purpose- we talk about discovering their 'dream jobs' and serving the community as 'model citizens'. I work closely with staff, students, families, and the wider community to make sure our school is ambitious, inclusive, and genuinely rooted in the local community.
What was your first job?
My first job was working in a local café when I was at secondary school. It was called Gluttons — which feels very appropriate, as I still love food! I spent my weekends making sandwiches, serving the regulars and learning how much can be achieved with a good team, a kind approach and a strong coffee!
What would be a perfect day for you?
A perfect day would be an opportunity to combine spending time with my own children and those in my school! Perhaps a trip with my young kids to a museum or show on the South Bank, a nice lunch from one of my favourite Lower Marsh Market vendors and then an afternoon together watching my children being inspired by the talented teenagers of Oasis South Bank in one of the incredible performances the Creative Arts team put on each year.
If you could time travel, where would you go?
I’d love to visit London in the late 1960s — a moment of such cultural, political, and social change. I imagine South Bank must’ve felt like the heart of it all, full of new ideas and bold energy.
Who is your hero/heroine?
I really admire anyone who leads with both courage and kindness. I am always in awe of Barack Obama, his hope, dignity, and inclusive leadership has inspired me and his speeches are a work to behold! Closer to home, every day I am inspired by my incredible colleagues who quietly lead with integrity every day.
Who do you nominate for a SoWN spotlight?
I’d love to nominate Harrie Notton, at We are Waterloo. It has been so brilliant getting to know other people working locally who are equally passionate about our very special community.
