SoWN's Role
About 10,000 people live in this area, which also contains Britain’s second busiest railway station (70 million passengers p.a.), one of the UK’s largest hospitals, the biggest concentration of arts and culture in Europe, some of London’s top tourist attractions (28 million visitors each year), major companies, many hotels and restaurants, the headquarters of several charities, major educational institutions, and the fantastic walk along the river from Lambeth Place to Blackfriars and beyond. So this is a throbbing part of central London.
South Bank & Waterloo Neighbours is the formal Neighbourhood Forum authorised under the Localism Act. A registered charity, it brings together residents, businesses and local organisations to co-ordinate, campaign for and fund projects that help build a better local area for everyone. We wrote and promote the Neighbourhood Plan (2020), organise a quarterly public forum, manage projects funded by a levy from developments in the area, monitor and comment on major planning proposals and run the London Eye Community Chest grants programme.
We work closely with Lambeth and Southwark local authorities, the WeAreWaterloo and South Bank Business Improvement Districts, the cultural and educational institutions here and community and voluntary groups. Our role is both statutory and collaborative — representing local views, while enabling delivery through partnerships and funding.
Since its creation, SoWN has:
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Supported over 30 community-led projects
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Directed funding towards initiatives that build community resilience, environmental sustainability and social cohesion
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Created an ongoing platform for local decision-making and investment