Author Archives: SE16.com

Redriff primary pupils help to launch Southwark savings account initiative

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Cllr Fiona Colley and Cllr Stephanie Cryan with Redriff Primary School pupils

11-year-olds in Southwark will be given a helping hand with their finances, thanks to a new Southwark Council initiative, believed to be the first in England.

This spring, every child aged 11 in the borough will be offered the chance to set up their own bank account with the London Mutual Credit Union. All those who do so will find £10 in their account, to help them get their savings under way.

The scheme, which will cost the council £60,000, has been designed to help young people understand the concepts of banking and saving from an early age, giving them the tools to manage their money into adulthood.

Cllr Fiona Colley, cabinet member for finance, strategy and performance, said: “For many of us, opening a bank account was a rite of passage, but there is still a surprising number of people who don’t have a bank account, and who therefore are limited in their options for saving and borrowing.

“This great initiative will encourage young people to think about their finances, to plan for the future, and hopefully avoid the lure of payday lenders as they get older.”

As parents must accompany their children to the credit union to set up an account, it is also an effective way to introduce many adults to the benefits of saving with a credit union. It is estimated that as many as 5 per centof people in the UK have no bank account at all. In a climate where many residents are turning to extortionate payday loans to pay their rent or buy clothes for their children, the council is determined to help residents find positive alternatives.

Cllr Stephanie Cryan, deputy cabinet member for financial inclusion, added: “Southwark Council has been working hard for some time to help alleviate the severe financial problems some of our residents experience, by supporting local food banks, clamping down on payday lenders, and offering short-term financial support.

“However, we wanted to do something more long-term to help nip some of these problems in the bud and help our residents take control of their finances. If we can get people back on their feet financially, not only do we give them confidence but we also reduce their dependence on the council and other services – a real example of invest to save.”

The council has written to the parents of all eligible children to invite them to set up an account and claim their £10. Schools have also been encouraged to teach pupils about personal finance.

Council proposes time limit for parking in Southwark Park

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From the Southwark Council website:

Stakeholders have asked that the council carry out a review of parking within Southwark Park.

The aim of the project is to improve the parking facilities for genuine park visitors.

The review covers the road that runs between Gomm Gate and Southwark Park Road Gate, as well as the car park off Hawkstone Road.

Full details here.

Woman shot in leg in Rotherhithe New Road

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Police are appealing for information after a fight between two men outside a barber’s shop in Rotherhithe New Road shortly before 3pm on Friday.

One of the men was armed with a broom and the other with a gun.

During the fight a member of the public – said not to be involved in the altercation – was shot in the leg.

The 38-year-old injured woman was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service.

Her injuries are not life threatening.

Officers from the Met’s Trident gang command are investigating. No-one has been arrested.

Detectives are keen to hear from anyone who either witnessed this incident or has information concerning the identity of the two men involved, particularly the man armed with the gun.

Anyone with information should call Trident officers on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Millwall boss Neil Harris backs Simon Hughes

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Simon Hughes & Neil Harris

Millwall FC manager Neil Harris has endorsed Simon Hughes’s campaign for re-election in Bermondsey & Old Southwark.

Neil Harris said: “Simon Hughes has been a great friend and supporter of Millwall over many, many years – no Member of Parliament could have done more.

“I personally really hope that he will be the Bermondsey & Old Southwark MP again after the election.”

Harris isn’t the only local sporting figure to back Mr Hughes.

Danny Maguire, captain of Fisher FC, said: “Simon has been instrumental in bringing Fisher FC home. As always, he has been fully committed to our community and he recognises the importance of having a local football club back in Bermondsey.

“I will be backing Simon Hughes in the upcoming election. He has been extremely helpful to me in my attempts to get onto the property ladder in Bermondsey and goes above and beyond to serve our community with genuine gratitude.”

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Simon Hughes & Danny Maguire

Steve Coogan campaigns for Labour at Canada Water

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Steve Coogan addressed a rally of Labour activists at Canada Water on Bank Holiday afternoon as the general election campaign nears its end.

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Coogan is spending two days touring London constituencies with former minister Tom Watson to highlight Labour’s NHS campaign.

On Bank Holiday Monday afternoon he joined Labour candidate Neil Coyle, councillors and party activists outside Canada Water Library.

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Nick Clegg addresses Lib Dem rally in Bermondsey

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Nick Clegg visited Bermondsey on Sunday morning to address a gathering of Liberal Democrat activists at the Galleywall Road tenants’ hall.

Interviews with Bermondsey & Old Southwark parliamentary candidates

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Rotherhithe has only had two MPs since 1946 – Bob Mellish from 1946 to 1982 and Simon Hughes since 1983.

This week the area faces its most momentous election in more than three decades when for the first time Simon Hughes defends his record as a member of a party of Government.

Over on our sister website London SE1, James Hatts has interviewed eight of the nine candidates vying for your vote on Thursday 7 May.

Listen here:

If you missed Saturday’s hustings in Bermondsey, you can listen to the event in full right here on SE16.com.

Listen to Bermondsey & Old Southwark hustings in full

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This evening St James’s Church – on behalf of Christians for Transformation in Bermondsey & Rotherhithe – hosted a hustings meeting for the Bermondsey & Old Southwark constituency.

Chaired by Julian Kelly of City Hope Church, the panel featured:

  • Andrew Beadle (UKIP)
  • Neil Coyle (Labour)
  • JP Floru (Conservative)
  • Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat)
  • William Lavin (Green)

Two further candidates – Steve Freeman (Republican Socialist) and Lucy Hall (independent) – were allowed to make contributions from the floor.

Here’s the full audio of the event:

With thanks to Canon Gary Jenkins and C4T for making this possible.

The Clipper: decision deferred after two hours of late-night debate

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Councillors have deferred a decision on plans to demolish the Clipper pub in Rotherhithe Street and replace it with a four-storey block of flats .

Planning officer David Cliff told the committee that the current pub building did have “townscape merit” but there were no policy grounds to demand its retention.

The committee heard from nearby residents concerned about the impact of the development on daylight and sunlight to their homes.

Andrew Large of the South East London branch of the Campaign for Real Ale also addressed the committee to argue that Rotherhithe has already lost many community (non-tourist) pubs and that – contrary to the planning officers’ assertion – the law does offer safeguards to protect pubs from demolition or conversion to other uses.

Architect Laurence Mineham said his proposal would provide “a high-quality and sustainable mixed-use development” with “much-needed new homes”.

He explained that planning officers had encouraged him to adopt a traditional design for the new flats reflecting the character of local wharves and warehouses.

Mr Mineham said that the existing Clipper building was an example of a ‘pattern book pub’ built to a standard brewery design.

Under questioning, Mr Mineham said that in his experience Enterprise Inns (previous owner of the Clipper) would not sell a pub if it was making money.

Cllr David Hubber said that when he was first elected in Surrey Docks ward there were 12 pubs but there are now five.

“It would be a great pity to see this building go, because it does have local value,” he said.

Cllr Hubber was also critical of the design of the new building which he said had been put together to ensure maximum profit for the developer.

At a midnight session of planning sub-committee B, councillors decided to put a decision on hold to allow them to make a site visit.

A final decision is likely to be made in the summer.

Construction training centre opens at former college

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Construction Youth Trust, a charity helping young people to build better futures by giving them access to training, education and employment opportunities in the construction industry, has opened a new  training centre on Drummond Road

Grosvenor will host the new Construction Training Centre for the next two years on the former Lewisham and Southwark College site.

The Construction Training Centre enables young people from the area to access training, education and employment opportunities in the construction industry.

The training centre offers OCN accredited multi-skilled and trade-focused courses with Level 1 Health and Safety in Construction included in both.

Christine Townley, executive director of the Construction Youth Trust, said: “Construction Youth Trust is delighted to be opening this new training facility with the great support of Grosvenor.

“This is another step in our plans for expanding our support for young people in Southwark and across London. Partnerships with developers and contractors are a key plank in our strategy to ensure everything we do to support young people is demand-led.

“The UK has high skills shortages and high numbers of young people out of work; by working in partnership with Grosvenor and the local community we plan to change this. Together we can make a difference.”

Tony O’Reilly, director of construction and development for the Bermondsey project at Grosvenor, said: “We believe we can make a positive contribution to Bermondsey and to Southwark, and accommodating and supporting education provision alongside new homes is fundamental to our vision for this 12 acre site.

“By working with Construction Youth Trust we hope to support local people who wish to upskill, and benefit from the job opportunities that will result from the works on site in the years ahead.”

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The Construction Training Centre was formally opened on Friday 17 April. Guests explored the new training facilities and heard more about how Construction Youth Trust supports young people into the industry.

To find out more visit www.constructionyouth.org.uk/budding-builders  or call 020 7467 9540.

Construction Youth Trust is sharing the former Campus site with Compass School Southwark, a mixed 11-16 school which opened in September 2013, and Old Vic New Voices, which has recently established a creative community hub on the site.

Grosvenor Britain & Ireland owns the former college site as well as the neighbouring Biscuit Factory site and intends to hold a public consultation on the future of these two sites later this year.