Lambeth Libraries have compiled their events for April 2026. Scroll down to find out more:

UNISON members at Central Hill Day Centre are voting for strike action to save jobs and prevent the local specialist dementia service from closing.

Lambeth Council has announced cost saving plans to close the Day Centre and have a reduced service at Aspire, a nearby organisation that currently works with adults with learning difficulties.

The current team of staff that specialise in dementia care will lose 10 posts and the remaining staff will be reallocated to a single room at Aspire.

Staff, carers and UNISON do not believe that this is a proposal that delivers for people with dementia in Lambeth. The Day Centre is the only specialist dementia service the Council provides – in a borough with an ageing population where instances of dementia are likely to increase.

Management claim that there is reduced need for the service because they imposed an 18 month review which saw people living with dementia signposted elsewhere even when they would have benefited from the day centres expert care.

The Council’s position that there is a reduced demand for dementia services is ridiculous and primarily driven by cost saving demands.

UNISON joint branch secretary Simon Hannah said:

“This is an essential service that has been cynically run down by the council over the last 2 years and now faces closure. Lambeth is failing in its duty of care to people with dementia and their families.

 

Staff and the local community will fight this all the way. We are calling on the council to do what is right, stop the closure and properly resource this service.”

The ballot will run throughout April just as Labour councillors are seeking election for Council seats.

Background

• A petition launched to keep the service open has over 650 signatures. https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-closure-of-central-hill-adult-care-centre-in-lambeth
• More details on the proposed closure on the Unison website https://lambeth-unison.org/2026/02/13/why-is-lambeth-closing-central-hill-adult-day-care-centre/

On Monday 23rd March, parents, children and staff from Effra, Triangle and Maytree nurseries staged a protest outside Lambeth Town Hall.

They demanded that the council promise to keep the nurseries open and invest in their future. A delegation of parents went inside to attempt to speak to the Cabinet Meeting but only one Green councillor agreed to speak to them.

The protest was in reaction to a recent Lambeth Council consultation about maintained nursery provision that appears to be the forerunner to Lambeth cutting funding and support to these nurseries and potentially closing some or all of them.

This is despite studies that show maintained nurseries (which are teacher led) provide some of the best early years support, learning and development for our children, when compared to other early years care and types of nursery provision.

It was agreed by many people that the consultation was deeply flawed, both in its weighted statements and questions combined with some incorrect statistics and figures.

Four days before the protest was due to take place, Lambeth actually withdrew the consultation but has not made any further statements on the future of maintained nursery provision in the local area.

Asked why they decided to keep the protest on even though the council has withdrawn the consultations on the closures of the nurseries, one mum said:

“Ask anyone here, we know this is Lambeth reacting to pressure and trying to save face before the local elections.

 

We want to make it clear to all existing councillors and prospective councillors that we will keep fighting.

 

The nurseries currently have waiting lists, so the argument about failing children numbers simply isn’t true.

 

We want to work together with the council and staff to find real solutions which safeguard our children’s education and the amazing expertise of the staff in those nurseries.

 

It should be an example nationwide of what Early Years Education should be!”

A member of staff who spoke at the rally said:

“We know why we are here, and that is to make our voices heard. Lambeth Council have done things to us that are not correct.

 

This consultation that they have now ceased is just the beginning, because they haven’t said anything about keeping the nurseries open. Don’t be fooled- keep the support, we need actions, we need the support.”

Other parents explained the profound way in which these nurseries help maintain a support network, within and between local communities; How their support goes beyond an educational and developmental level; and that they are like a community hubs for many.

The depth of experience and knowledge held by the staff, and the culture that exists in these nurseries, is an asset that should not be lost.

Furthermore, the quality of the SEND provision provided to those who need it has allowed young people and their families to flourish.

This latter point was expressed by several parents as something at a level they had been unable to find or access elsewhere locally.

Alongside the protest, another group, London Renters Union, also staged a protest urging Lambeth to rehouse a family who have been living in overcrowded accommodation covered in black mould, which the council has failed to deal with, despite the requirements now enshrined in law since the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishaq.

At the protest parents and staff realised that Juma, the mum of this family is also a parent of one of the threatened nurseries, and this brought home to many how interconnected these issues and failings are, at both a communal and governmental level.

Another mum added, speaking to all of these issues with her baby son strapped to her chest said:

We hope that Lambeth can get their act together.

 

Being in safe housing is a basic human right, we need the basic things to be covered, our future, our children’s future depends on it.

 

No-one deserves to have their basic needs pushed aside because of money, and this is really what it is.

 

Our nurseries are important, there are a lot of people there that specialise in special education needs and just generally there are very talented staff at all those nurseries.

 

I have two sons and I’m just here with my youngest because his future matters, all our futures matter.”

Take action

• Sign  the petition online: https://www.change.org/p/halt-plans-to-close-maytree-effra-and-triangle-nursery-schools

[Words and photos by contributor]

We’ve been documenting  this strip for decades now, and seeing as our night walk photo features have always proved popular, here’s our latest update.

We started at the rather wonderful Hermits Cave in Camberwell.

Adam Food & Wine, Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell.

Heading back towards Brixton, we passed Spice N Nice.

Elfbar for all your potentially cancerous vape needs.

This 60s office block remains an incongruous addition to the street.

The Sun of Camberwell looks in fine shape after its recent £1m refurb.

Criminally, the former Amaryllis Bar and Kitchen continues to rot away,

New restaurant opening up.

The strip has improved considerably since we passed by in January 2024.

Johnnie’s Cafe is a well regarded American style diner.

Spot the modern windows!

Serving food from the Dominican Republic, the Casa Mofongo Bar Restaurant replaced the Junction Jazz Bar, who were ruthlessly priced out by their greedy offshore landlords.

Blessed West Indian Take Away, Loughborough Junction.

The absolute state of Loughborough Junction railway station.

Despite the station serving a daily average of 3,379 passengers, the facilities remain totally inadequate with zero provision for people with accessibility needs.

Like KFC. But BFC.

Kool Kut Barbers.

Vietnamese Bahn Bahn.

Tribute to Keelan.

Dancing at the Liquor Club, Brixton Village/Granville Arcade.

Whiskey Tumbler, Brixton.

See more night walks

• A 1am winter’s walk from Camberwell to Brixton via Coldharbour Lane, Jan 2024
• A late night walk along Coldharbour Lane from Camberwell to Brixton, June 2023
• A late night summer walk from Camberwell to Brixton, along Coldharbour Lane, July 2022
• A late night walk from Brixton to Loughborough Junction to Windrush Square – March 2021
• Loughborough Junction at night: shop fronts, signs, street scenes, takeaways and history –Oct 2020
• A late night stroll along Coldharbour Lane from Camberwell, Feb 2020

Figures from across the borough have voiced alarm at the conviction of Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal and Stop the War vice chair Chris Nineham, found guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday 1 April 2026 of breaching Public Order Act conditions imposed on a planned march to the BBC over its Gaza coverage in January 2025.

Jamal received an 18-month conditional discharge, Nineham 12 months, and both were ordered to pay £7,500 in prosecution costs. Jamal was also convicted of inciting others to breach the conditions.

The verdict drew sharp reactions locally, days after thousands marched through central London with the Together Alliance including a strong South London contingent.

“Today’s guilty verdict is a disgraceful and deeply troubling decision that strikes at the heart of democratic freedoms.

 

Peaceful protest and the right to speak out against injustice are fundamental pillars of our society and democracy, but these rights and freedoms are under attack from successive Tory and Labour governments and the wider establishment who are desperate to silence any and all voices who stand up against genocide and Israeli apartheid.

 

This movement will not be silenced.” – Streatham’s Cllr Martin Abrams.

“Anyone still doubting that there is a coherent, intentional drive to suppress unwelcome opinions needs to look long and hard at this decision.

 

It is shocking that this suppression of dissent has been directed at opponents of a genocide.

 

My fear is that it reflects a wider desire to make challenges to the established order more difficult.” – Tom Wood, Brixton

Wood noted that around 2,700 people have been arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action, with 500 charged.

“When peaceful protest is restricted under pressure, it sends a message about whose voices are protected and whose are not.

 

As an independent candidate, it reinforces for me why local politics matters – because we need representatives who are not beholden to party lines or external pressure, but who will defend the right to protest and stand with communities demanding accountability.” – Ruby Bukhari.

“This verdict confirms exactly why Lambeth Votes Palestine exists.

 

When the courts criminalise peaceful protest and the state shields the BBC from accountability over its Gaza coverage, the ballot box becomes even more important.

 

On May 7th, Lambeth voters have the chance to elect councillors who have signed the Palestine pledge and will stand up for the right to protest, the right to dissent, and the right of Palestinians to live in freedom.” – Lambeth Votes Palestine.

The convictions stem from the 22nd national Palestine march on 18th January 2025. The route to BBC headquarters at Portland Place had been agreed with police months in advance, but conditions were imposed at the last minute restricting the event to a static rally on Whitehall.

The defence argued the conditions were unlawful, citing a Court of Appeal ruling that legislation granting police unlimited powers to restrict protests was enacted unlawfully. The judge dismissed this without giving reasons.

Speaking outside court alongside Your Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Jamal said: “We know that decisions like today are designed to suppress support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation. It will not succeed, this cause remains more important than ever.”

Corbyn, who attended the original march to the BBC alongside Labour MP John McDonnell and both later questioned by police, said he was “appalled” by the verdict, while Jamal’s full statement can be seen in the video at the end of this article.

Both men have confirmed they will appeal. PSC described the verdict as “designed to chill ongoing opposition to genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation” and raised concerns about the conduct of the six-day hearing, noting that the judge dismissed the defence’s legal argument on the unlawfulness of the conditions without giving any reasons for his decision.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Where people who ought to have known about conditions in place choose to breach them, or choose to incite others to do so, it is important that there are consequences. We hope the verdicts encourage all protest organisers, no matter their cause, to understand the importance of cooperating with officers and complying with the lawful decisions they make.”

The next national march for Palestine is on 16th May.

More Info

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign
• Stop the War Coalition
• Lambeth Votes Palestine
• Jewish Voice for Liberation statement
• Martin Abrams insta
• Ruby Bukhari Insta

Full video of Ben Jamal’s statement outside court:

View this post on Instagram

Feature Image by Jess Hurd, courtesy of Stop the War
Nineham and Jamal by Steve Eason, courtesy of Stop the War
Woman being arrested by Wayne Campbell
‘I Support Palestine Action’ at the High Court images courtesy of Tom Wood
All other images by Phil Ross
Video courtesy of PSC UK

Otter Chaos, Brixton’s popular board game café is hosting a fundraiser on Friday, 24th April to help raise vital funds for Lambeth & Croydon Foodbank and the wider work of Oasis Waterloo.

Otter Chaos boasts a collection of over 500 board games, with knowledgeable staff on hand to help you find the perfect one. Whether you’re after a quick party game, an immersive story-driven adventure, a strategic challenge, or something imaginative, there’s something for everyone.

Bring your friends, family, neighbours for an evening of board games, delicious food, and plenty of laughs and help raise money for two great causes.

While you play, you can enjoy Otter Chaos’ wide range of soft and alcoholic drinks, including cocktails, and their delicious handmade sourdough pizzas. Vegan options and gluten-free bases are available on request, so everyone can join the feast.

Your £12 ticket gives you unlimited access to games all evening, and there will also be a raffle with the chance to win some fantastic board games and other prizes.

More info

Board guide fundraiser
7pm-11pm, Fri 24th April 2026
Arch 22, Atlantic Rd, Brixton SW9 8JL

• Get your tickets here: Board Game Night at Otter Chaos

[Title edited to correct date]

Brixton has long had a history of LGBTQ+ activity. This is in part due to a failed 1960s plan by the Greater London Council to create a huge high speed motorway hub through the centre of Brixton, so large swaths of Victorian housing stock were emptied for demolition to make way for the new London Ringway.

Thankfully, the project never happened, and the empty properties were soon occupied by a new generation of squatters and activists who rallied against the status quo of the 1950s generation including a higher than average proportion of LGBTQ+ people.

Some of the squats contained many of the founder members of the Gay Liberation Front and for a time the South London Gay Centre was on Railton Road. Even today, the borough of Lambeth has the highest LGBTQ+ identifying population in London.

In the late 1980s, The Landmark opened on Tulse Hill, becoming the first ever Day Centre for people with HIV/AIDS.

The Centre was opened by Princess Diana, and the picture of her shaking Jonathan Grimshaw’s hand, who had been HIV+ for 5 years, was shared around the world, changing attitudes and beginning to break down prejudices. At the time the Police would still use rubber gloves to handle people suspected of being HIV+ or having AIDS.

Brockwell Park would later become the home the UK’s National Gay Pride celebrations for three years including the world’s first ever Euro Pride celebration in 1992.

Over 100 thousand people reveled in the park with performances from Holly Johnson, Boy Geroge and Lily Savage. These events also paved the way for more commercial queer festivals such as Summer Rites, Purple in the Park and the latest incarnation Mighty Hoopla.

Take a tour

Did you know the area had a now lost gay pub in the 1980s and a whole host of queer night club venues?

The first ever LGBTQ+ Rainbow crossing in the UK?

Learn more about some of Brixton’s now forgotten queer artists.

Come and find out about all these stories and many more by joining experienced Lambeth Tour Guides Adrian and Clare on Sunday 19th April at12 noon at the steps of Brixton Library. Tickets and further details on the newly revamped Lambeth Tour Guides website

• Lambeth Tour Guides

The Loughborough Estate Management Board (LEMB) faced its second HMRC winding-up petition in seven months at the High Court yesterday. Residents’ representatives in attendance at the hearing in the Rolls Building in Fetter Lane, EC4 were placed under strict instructions from the court not to divulge any details to the press.

However, Lambeth’s November 2025 audit which gave LEMB the lowest possible ‘No Assurance’ rating, uncovered not only questionable spending on gifts, foreign trips and petty cash, plus widespread procurement and governance failures, but no evidence whatsoever of VAT returns being filed, which raises speculation as to the grounds for the HMRC petition.

The first winding-up petition was filed in August 2025 and dismissed in October after LEMB supposedly reached a settlement with HMRC. The new petition suggests either that settlement was never paid, or LEMB has accumulated fresh tax debts in the intervening months.

Tim Gingell from the group told Brixton Buzz that numerous assurances given by the council, including in December 2024 about closer work with residents, have not led to any meaningful joint action.

“Better oversight over the last six years would have got us to the point we are now much sooner.” – Tim Gingell, Loughborough Voices

The residents’ campaign has secured national news and television coverage, while LEMB chair Peter Shorinwa’s notorious ‘devil’ letter made it into Private Eye’s Rotten Boroughs section, helping to force Lambeth Council into action after years of inaction.

In a statement, Loughborough Voices said:

“Residents must not be gaslit into believing that the authorities who failed to act for so long were all along leading the struggle on our behalf. The history of this estate says otherwise.” – Tim Gingell, Loughborough Voices

LEMB has been managing the 1,000-home estate for fifteen years under chair Peter Shorinwa, funded with £3 million per year of public money from Lambeth Council. Over that time, Loughborough Voices say, LEMB took an organisation with reserves and surpluses and drove it into deficit.

As LEMB’s long list of failings began to attract media attention, 68 percent of residents voted in February 2025 to remove LEMB and return management to Lambeth Council. LEMB declared the ballot invalid citing procedural issues.

However it took until 17 March 2026 for Labour-run Lambeth to issue a final warning giving LEMB fourteen days to re-run the Continuation Ballot, convene a valid AGM, and distribute the long-delayed audit to residents, threatening High Court action if LEMB did not comply by 30 March.

Despite arguably having these powers under existing MMA, Lambeth took political cover behind Housing Secretary Steve Reed in December 2025, asking the Streatham MP and former Lambeth leader to look at national rules governing Tenant Management Organisations to give councils stronger powers over failing TMOs like LEMB.

Reed has not responded publicly to Lambeth’s request but was reported yesterday by The i Paper as the headline speaker at a Labour Party ‘curry night’ fundraiser in October where major housing developers paid £2,000 per table for access – the kind of access that social housing groups and homeless charities told The i Paper they are denied.

Brixton Buzz has contacted Lambeth Council and LEMB for comment on the latest Winding-up petition.

Filtered

STOP PRESS: Wow! I’ve just had a voicemail from my local MP Steve Reed:

“One chicken bhuna, one tarka daal, a mushroom rice and two chapatis. And if you can bring me a bottle of sauvignon blanc, that would be great.”

I’ve no idea how he got my number!?!

I guess after recent months of requests for comment from the Brixton Buzz newsroom, a post-it note message must have eventually strayed onto his desk:

Q: Could the minister explain why countless millions continue to be funnelled towards private equity temporary accommodation giants while the building of new council houses is minimal?

Q: Will you intervene on behalf of your constituents and ask your Labour Party colleagues running the council to save our much loved Lambeth Country Show and please not give the space to private equity festivals?

Q: Could you please help to protect our ‘No Casino’ policy in Lambeth in the same way you’re campaigning against casinos in Croydon?

Ha! Joke! – of course it’s a late April Fool, I’m joking!

The discerning diner will be fully aware that while the labour movement (and Lambeth Council) is full of good, honest people who believe in fairness and equality, the people that run the Party primarily cater to the tastes, preferences and interests of private equity – developers, arms firms, gambling.

The Party does do a great smoke and mirrors act that it does its best to represent working people. But the flaw is irreparable: you either represent the vast majority of the population or you represent private equity.

This particular Party has reached its sell-by date. Enjoy the curry Steve.

More Info

• Loughborough Voices Insta

Join the Discussion on Urban 75

• LEMB Loughborough Estate. Please read the plight of Loughborough Estate under this management

Disclaimer: The feature image is a parody image, and at no point to our knowledge did council leader Claire Holland question Steve Reed about housing developers paying £2000 to have a curry with him. And at no point has Steve Reed ever said ‘no comment’ in response to Brixton Buzz or anyone else that we are aware of. And at no point have either of them been to Loughborough Estate as far as we know.

Brockwell Lido will remain open after its operator, Fusion Lifestyle, entered administration on 1st April. Lambeth Council is stepping in to take immediate control of the site and bring it back under direct municipal management.

The council confirmed that the Herne Hill facility, including its outdoor pool and gym, will transfer fully into its in house leisure service, Active Lambeth, from 1st July.

In the meantime, the authority has moved quickly to ensure there is no interruption to public access, with the Lido continuing to operate as normal despite the collapse of its long term operator.

Fusion Lifestyle, which runs leisure centres across the UK, had been in prolonged financial difficulty and had already been in discussions with the council about the future of Brockwell Lido prior to entering administration.

The move confirms that Lambeth had been preparing for this outcome, with contingency plans now activated to avoid any closure of one of south London’s most heavily used and high profile public swimming sites.

The council said its priority is to maintain continuity of service, protect public access and secure the long term future of the Lido. Existing memberships will continue, with further details to be provided to users ahead of the July transfer date.

Once the handover is complete, the site will be incorporated into the wider Active Lambeth portfolio, giving members access to facilities across the borough.

No formal announcement has been made about the future of staff currently employed at the Lido, many of whom are highly regarded by regular users.

However, it was indicated at a recent Brockwell Lido Users meeting that staff contracts are expected to transfer across to the council as part of the transition, suggesting day to day operations may continue with the same workforce in place.

The development follows growing concerns about Fusion’s stewardship of the site in recent years, with campaigners and user groups repeatedly raising issues around maintenance, investment and overall standards.

At a packed public meeting in March, organised by Brockwell Lido Users, attendees were told that a new charity had already been established and could be deployed if required to help secure the future of the facility.

At the same meeting, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, gave assurances that there would be no break in use if Fusion’s position deteriorated.

Those warnings have now materialised, with the operator’s financial collapse forcing an early end to its involvement in Brockwell Lido ahead of the scheduled expiry of its 25 year lease in 2031.

While the immediate crisis has been averted, significant longer term challenges remain. Years of under investment mean that substantial remedial work is likely to be required simply to maintain safe and sanitary conditions at the site, before any wider refurbishment or upgrade programme can be considered. Campaigners have previously suggested that millions of pounds may be needed to bring the Lido up to standard.

Lambeth points to its recent track record of bringing leisure services back in house as evidence that it can stabilise and improve facilities.

The council says it invested £1.1 million in 2024 to enhance its leisure offer, part of a broader strategy aimed at modernising services, improving financial sustainability and widening access to sport and wellbeing provision.

However, the authority itself faces well documented financial pressures, raising questions about how quickly and extensively it will be able to address the backlog of maintenance issues at Brockwell Lido.

The decision to take control of the site at this stage also reflects a more immediate concern that, without intervention, the council could have found itself competing with other creditors in the wake of Fusion’s collapse.

The implications of Fusion Lifestyle’s administration are expected to extend well beyond Lambeth. The organisation operates numerous leisure facilities nationwide, and its failure is likely to trigger similar interventions, contract renegotiations or emergency takeovers by local authorities across the country in the coming weeks.

Following on from the recent reports of teenagers creating significant disorder and anti-social behaviour on the streets of Clapham,  the Met Police has said it will be enforcing a Section 35 dispersal order in the town centre from 12:00pm on 1st April – 12:00pm on 3rd April, as illustrated in the  map below:

They told Brixton Buzz:

Section 35 Dispersal Zone in Clapham

Following the recent disorder and anti social behaviour seen in Clapham town centre—where large groups of young people caused significant disruption. We have put enhanced policing measures in place. This follows similar incidents earlier in the week, and forms part of the Met’s robust and visible policing plan for the area.

 

To help prevent further disruption and keep the community safe, I have authorised a Section 35 dispersal order for the Clapham area from 12:00pm on 1st April – 12:00pm on 3rd April in the area on the enclosed map

 

This gives officers the power to direct anyone behaving in, or likely to engage in, anti social behaviour to leave the area. Increased patrols will continue throughout the duration of the order, in line with wider Met efforts to prevent further incidents and reassure businesses and the public.

 

We are working closely with local partners and retailers, and officers remain in the area reviewing CCTV and identifying those responsible for recent disorder.

 

Thank you to residents and businesses who have contacted us. Please continue to report ASB or suspicious activity to police via 101, online, or 999 in an emergency.

 

We remain committed to ensuring Clapham is a safe place for everyone who lives, works and visits here.

Local MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP commented on social media:

I’m very concerned by the recent scenes of unrest on Clapham High Street.

 

This intimidating behaviour causes havoc for local residents and businesses alike. It is inexcusable.

 

The police have informed me that we will see increased patrols in the area over the coming days.

View this post on Instagram

What is Section 35?

Section 35 of the Antisocial Behaviour, Police and Crime Act 2014 allows a police officer of at least the rank of Inspector to authorise a dispersal zone for up to 48 hours.  Under the act, a person commits an offence if they fail to leave, or return having been directed to leave

There has been some controversy surrounding the use of these powers, particularly when applied to protests.

Join the local discussion

• Clapham, Stockwell and Kennington news, rumour and general chat
• Clapham youth rushing shops / TikTok Trend

Dulwich Hamlet fought back from an early goal by Leyton Orient to emerge 2-1 victors, earning themselves a spot at the London Senior Cup final – their first cup final for 13 years. 

On the Hamlet forum, seriously chuffed fans added their comments:

MG: Great second half from us. I thought if we could get a goal the support would play a part – and we did as they focussed more on arguing with ref than playing. Proper double save from Toby too and his kicking was key.

 

BD: That was great. So many cup games over last 5 years have been abject heartless capitulations, that was the exact opposite.

 

Put out our strongest team, coped with the loss of an early goal, and won through sheer commitment and wanting to get the ball in the net at all costs.

Bloody brilliant stuff!

 

LW: Fantastic all round performance.. every player put in an absolute shift, subs made a difference and manager got everything just about spot on selection and tactics wise.

 

Thought that was the best Millsy has played in yrs. Had the bit between his teeth all game and lead from the front. Proper roll back the years performance.

great atmosphere too for 996!

 

BRD: The contrast between their first half and second was astounding, it was like they put out a completely different team.

 

All credit to our lads though, started fast and kept pushing. Nothing beats a final, see you on the 28th.

EDC: Everything great about non league football tonight.

PP added:

A real slow burner of an evening from our point of view.

 

I’ve noticed these teams of young professionals seem to set the tempo from the start and dominate the opening phase with their technical excellence, but if we can hang in there we can wrest control and beat them with experience and know how.

 

It happened against Charlton last year in the quarter final, and again against Brentford in the 2nd round this season.

 

On both those occasions we kept a clean sheet after weathering the early storm. This time we fell behind, then there was a crucial double save from Bull to stop us going two down just before we equalised.

 

Ultimately I don’t think Orient’s inexperienced young players were quite ready to compete against players with hundreds of men’s games behind them, in front of a partisan home crowd.

 

It was a shrewd move to restore Mills to the starting XI, because those youngsters won’t have faced a centre forward like that before, or a team that plays to his strengths.

 

I hope the final will be QPR. because I feel we can beat these sorts of teams. I’ll be less confident if it’s Cheshunt, who are just about the most awkward and unattractive mid-table side in our own division.

Join the match discussion

• Dulwich Hamlet v Leyton Orient, London Senior Cup semi-final, Tues 31st March 2026

Match stats

Get behind the Hamlet!

• Dulwich Hamlet FC forum
• All the photos and match reports at dulwichhamlet.org
• Official website
• Dulwich Hamlet on Twitter
• DHFC Women
• Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust
• Dulwich Hamlet TV
• Dulwich Hamlet Radio

Join the discussion

• Dulwich Hamlet forum (over 100,000 messages)
• Dulwich Hamlet Women’s team on the forum (over 1,000 posts)

 Dulwich Hamlet FC info

Dulwich Hamlet FC
Champion Hill Stadium,
Edgar Kail Way, London SE22 8BD

RTS Award-winning TV presenter and sustainable fashion advocate Sabrina Grant is among the celebrity supporters backing Traid’s Closet Clear-Out campaign, which launches across 12 London stores including Traid Brixton and Traid Clapham on 2nd April.

Grant is a long-term supporter of sustainable fashion who regularly visits Traid’s Brixton and Clapham stores. After training at the BRIT School in Croydon and Mountview Academy in Peckham, she worked as a stylist to the likes of Taylor Swift and Sam Smith before moving in front of the camera with Channel 4’s Supershoppers, BBC Two’s Saved and Remade and E4’s Second Hand Showdown. A self-described “conscious consumer”, her wardrobe is built mainly on vintage and charity shop finds.

“Today’s fashion system produces clothing that often isn’t built to last. The most powerful thing you can do is donate pieces someone else can wear and love for years to come.” – Dr Maria Chenoweth, Traid CEO.

Anyone who books a free home collection during April will be entered into a prize draw to win Traid shopping vouchers worth up to £100.

More Info

• Traid Closet Clear-Out 2026 launches 2nd April, runs for four weeks
• Find your local Traid store
• Book a free home collection
• Outside London: donate by post via any Collect+ outlet
• Sabrina Grant Insta

Lambeth’s use of Brockwell Park for major commercial music festivals has proved divisive in recent years, and that controversy is likely to grow after Brixton Buzz learned that the council is currently in talks with companies to lay a section of ‘hybrid turf’ in the park.

[Above: damage to Brockwell Park during the City Splash 2024 festival]

Speaking in confidence, a contractor reached out to to tell us that his company had been asked to provide a quote to cover approximate 7,000 square meters in the park with the latest fully recyclable, infill-free grass system.

This state of the art ‘plastic pitch’ uses an advanced hybrid turf (natural grass reinforced with synthetic fibres) which looks and feels pretty close to the real thing, and would be permanently installed around the busy stage areas of the festivals.

A Lambeth insider told us:

“Installing this tough and resilient hi-tech grass substitute will ensure that the park avoids the ecological disaster of previous festivals and means that the council will be able to host more “free” and commercial events from 2027 onwards.”

Meanwhile, Turf accountant Paul Poaceae told Buzz:

I’m betting that Protect Brockwell Park, along with many residents, will be very much against this proposal although it makes sound economic sense for the council – and it’s good for the environment too.

 

With a durable, all weather grass base, the council can look forward to hosting even more commercial events throughout the year, including a large scale Winter Wonderland festival, like the popular attraction in Hyde Park.

We’ve messaged Lambeth Council to confirm this story, but at the time of going to press haven’t heard anything back.

What do you think?

Is this a sensible move by the council to ensure that they can get more use out of the park, or should they leave it as it is?
Leave your thoughts in the comments box below

Join the local discussion

• Mighty Hoopla, Cross The Tracks, Wide Awake, Field Day & City Splash festivals, Brockwell Park – discussion (over 1,900 posts to date)
• Brockwell Park news, festival updates and more… (over 1,200 posts)

The team behind the hugely successful Brixton MegaPop residency are back at the Prince Albert this Saturday, 4th April – and it’s going to be one hell of a party!

There’ll be DJs throwing down a wild mash-up of monster pop hits, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, disco, dance, reggae,  dancehall, indie and rock, so get ready to party hard – and – best of all – we’re open till 2am and it’s free entry all night!

Taking place in the heart of Brixton on Coldharbour Lane, you can expect a night of hedonistic fun, with huge party tunes from across the decades and genres, including Chappell Roan, Daft Punk, ABBA, Erasure, Bowie, The Clash, Bob Marley, Sean Paul, Human League,  Fleetwood Mac, Katy Perry, The Specials and more.

Plus there’s affordable prices at the bar, friendly vibes, a mixed crowd and free entry all night, with the club running from 10pm-2am.

Here’s some pics from some recent shows – we hope to see y’all on the dancefloor on Saturday night!

And yes, we do sometimes play requests (if we have them) unless:

• (a) they’re really rubbish
• (b) we’ve just played them while you were having a fag or
• (c) you’re unable to articulate comprehensible human sounds

More info

Brixton MegaPop 2 Party
Prince Albert, 418 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW98TT

Saturday 4th April 2026
DJs from 10pm to 2am
Admission free
*This is very much a LGBTQIA+ friendly night!

• See photos from all the Brixton Megapop shows here

Location

Prince Albert
418 Coldharbour Lane,
Brixton, SW9 8LF

If you stand on the high hill in Brockwell Park and look north toward the skyline of London it feels as if the city is taking a long deep breath.

The wind moves through the trees.
Children run across the grass.
People pause for a moment above the rooftops.

This place exists because one man believed a city should leave room for air.

His name was Thomas Lynn Bristowe.

Thomas Lynn Bristowe was born in 1836 when London was already the largest city in the world.

But greatness came with a cost.

Coal fires filled the air with smoke.

Factories and railways pushed outward into the suburbs.

Entire neighbourhoods were crowded with workers and their families.

In those streets the air could feel heavy.

Victorian reformers began to speak about something simple but radical.

Cities needed open spaces where people could breathe.

They called parks the lungs of London.

Thomas Lynn Bristowe was a barrister who later became a Member of Parliament representing Camberwell in South London.

He was a man deeply connected to the communities around him and understood something many leaders of the time missed.

The people who worked hardest in London had the least access to beauty and fresh air.

During the late nineteenth century South London was expanding rapidly. Railways and housing developments were spreading outward and land was increasingly valuable.

Among the landscapes threatened by development was the Brockwell Estate surrounding Brockwell Hall.

Developers saw an opportunity to build rows of houses.

Thomas Lynn Bristowe saw something different.

He saw the chance to create a great public park for the people of South London.

Saving land from development was not easy. It required pressure in Parliament, negotiations and public support.

Bristowe worked tirelessly to ensure that the estate would not disappear beneath bricks and streets.

His belief was simple.

South London deserved a park as beautiful as any in the capital.

Not a small garden but a great landscape where ordinary Londoners could escape the smoke and noise of the city.

Eventually the campaign succeeded.

The land was secured and the estate would become a public park.

When Brockwell Park opened it was far more elaborate than the green landscape we see today.

Victorian parks were places of wonder.

Visitors could find ornamental fountains, landscaped flower gardens, aviaries filled with birds, glasshouses growing exotic plants, terraces and promenades where people could walk and take in the view.

Flower exhibitions were held there and families came dressed in their best clothes to enjoy a day in the open air.

For many working people this was the closest thing to a holiday.

On the 6th of June 1892 the gates of Brockwell Park were opened to the public.

Crowds gathered from Brixton, Herne Hill and Camberwell to celebrate the creation of their new park.

It was a moment of triumph for the communities of South London.

But that same day tragedy struck.

Thomas Lynn Bristowe collapsed and died suddenly during the celebrations.

The man who had fought so hard to create the park had lived just long enough to see it open.

He never walked the park as an ordinary visitor.

There is something deeply moving about that moment.

Bristowe spent years working to create a place where others could breathe freely.

It is a little like a chef who prepares a magnificent meal for others and tastes only a single spoonful before stepping away from the table.

The feast belongs to everyone else.

More than a century later Brockwell Park still does exactly what Thomas Lynn Bristowe hoped it would do.

People come here to rest, to walk, to sit under the trees and look across the city.

The aviaries and glasshouses may be gone but the essential gift remains.

Space.
Light.
Air.

Too often Thomas Lynn Bristowe is remembered only for the strange coincidence of his death on the day the park opened.

But that moment should not define him.

He was a man who believed that beauty and fresh air should belong to everyone.

Because of that belief generations of Londoners have enjoyed one of the finest parks in the city.

Every time someone walks across the hill at Brockwell Park the city takes another quiet breath.

A breath made possible by Thomas Lynn Bristowe.

Brockwell Park history

• Brockwell Park in Victorian and Edwardian postcards: Views around the park
• Brockwell Park in Victorian and Edwardian postcards: The Old English Garden
• Brixton history: the long-lost Brockwell Park bandstand in archive postcards
• Brockwell Park in Victorian and Edwardian postcards: The Lake/Duck Pond

More about Brockwell park

• Chat about Brockwell Park on the busy Brixton forum.
• More about Brockwell Park
• See all discussions about Brockwell Park.

Lambeth has proposed plans for a new library in Waterloo following the availability of its current site coming to an end, and the council committed to honouring its pledge to maintain levels of service in the area despite its deep financial challenge.

The council is preparing for the new local library to open in Wootton Street, Waterloo on a bigger and better site this summer to replace the area’s current service operating from a space within the Oasis Centre in Kennington Road.

Waterloo’s library has been at the Oasis Centre since 2016 under moves to improve on library services in the area and ensure local residents’ needs were met. The latest proposed move maintains that pledge.

Cllr Donatus Anyanwu (pictured abovce), Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, said:

“This is a big commitment to library services in Lambeth and builds on our pledges to back these vital front-line council-run services.

 

“Waterloo has gone from having a temporary library in a portacabin more than a decade ago, to services in a community centre to the latest proposal for a council run stand-alone library in the heart of Waterloo.

 

“This is an incredibly difficult time for the council financially, and for local authorities across London, but we are determined to protect the frontline services our residents have told us they value the most.”

The Wootton Street site will be available as a library for at least 18-months, and work on finding a permanent location in Waterloo is being progressed.

The council has already applied for change of use planning permission to ensure the scheme can progress in a timely manner. The new location was chosen to best ensure continuity of service, as the council is committed to maintaining library services in Waterloo.

Lambeth Council puts £4million a year into its ten libraries and the new Lambeth Archives in Brixton Hill, and has invested heavily in ensuring the buildings are up to a high standard and well-staffed by trained librarians.

In 2024 Brixton Library underwent a £1million improvement programme. Tate South Lambeth library in Stockwell officially reopened last year following a £360,000 Lambeth Council investment to restore its Victorian features, introduce brand-new toilets and an air-source heat pump, ensuring it best meets the needs of the local community.

Durning Library, Carnegie Library, Minet Library and Streatham Library all also had improvement works completed last year.

Residents can access more information about Lambeth’s broad services, and about all libraries in the borough, at lambeth.gov.uk/libraries.

[This article and accompanying image first appeared in Love Lambeth and is reproduced here for information purposes]

A huge crowd of just under 3,000 saw Dulwich Hamlet thump bottom club Potters Bar Town by four goals to one.

Buzz photographer was there to capture some of the scenes:

On the Hamlet forum, AT added their musings on the match:

AT: Rather windy effected game, but a good result, 4-1. I thought we played very within ourselves, and being kind, had an eye on Tuesday night.

 

Probably should have been 4-1 up at HT, but will take comfortable wins whenever we can get them.

 

There was a fracas which led to PB getting a red card, but it was the other side of the pitch, so I couldn’t really understand what happened.

Join the match discussion

• Dulwich Hamlet vs Potters Bar Town (Isthmian Premier) Non League Day – Saturday 28th March

Match stats

League table

Get behind the Hamlet!

• Dulwich Hamlet FC forum
• All the photos and match reports at dulwichhamlet.org
• Official website
• Dulwich Hamlet on Twitter
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• Dulwich Hamlet TV
• Dulwich Hamlet Radio

Join the discussion

• Dulwich Hamlet forum (over 100,000 messages)
• Dulwich Hamlet Women’s team on the forum (over 1,000 posts)

 Dulwich Hamlet FC info

Dulwich Hamlet FC
Champion Hill Stadium,
Edgar Kail Way, London SE22 8BD

Lambeth Council, in partnership with Lambeth Portuguese Wellbeing Partnership and businesses on Wilcox Road, are proud to celebrate the borough’s vibrant Portuguese-speaking community with a celebratory event on Saturday 13^th June 2026, in honour of Day of Portugal on 10^th June 2026.

The event will run from 6pm-10pm with a programme of music and dance to celebrate the local community around Wilcox Road.

Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the evening will see cultural performances from Portuguese-speaking countries around the world alongside family activities, food and drink from local businesses, extra outdoor dining areas and Dr Bike service, accessible for all.

Little Portugal plays a significant role in Lambeth and its identity, with the borough being home to one of the largest Portuguese-speaking population in the UK.

This event highlights the council’s ongoing commitment to supporting and showcasing Little Portugal as a key cultural destination within the borough as part of the Lambeth Growth Plan.

Lambeth Council is continuing to invest in further placemaking initiatives to strengthen the area’s identity.

Future improvements will be developed in close consultation with local businesses and residents, with the June event offering opportunities for creative engagement as part of the activities planned.

This work builds on the successful 2025 Shine a Light on Wilcox Road project by NOOMA Studio.

The installation, which includes a co-designed mural, banners, and a bespoke illuminated gateway sign, has enhanced the connection between South Lambeth Road and Nine Elms Underground Station.

The project celebrates the character of Little Portugal, boosts footfall, and supports local businesses.
Any further placemaking initiatives will complement this existing work, continuing to celebrate and strengthen the unique identity of Little Portugal.

Cllr Marcia Cameron, Cabinet Member for Economic Inclusion said:

“Our Portuguese-speaking businesses are an essential part of Lambeth’s unique character. Lambeth Council is committed to supporting our local businesses and strengthening the visitor economy.

 

The Day of Portugal celebrations, alongside our wider placemaking initiatives, will help drive footfall, create new opportunities for local businesses, and showcase the distinctive character of this important area.

 

By working closely with businesses and the community, we’re ensuring that Little Portugal continues to thrive as a vibrant destination for residents and visitors”.

Cllr Diogo Costa, Policy Lead for Digital, Data & Insight and a member of the local Portuguese community said:

“I am very pleased to see the active role that Lambeth Council is playing in bringing the Day of Portugal celebrations back to the borough.

Our Portuguese-speaking community is an integral part of Lambeth’s cultural fabric and this work is a great opportunity to recognise their contributions and celebrate and strengthen the unique identity and vibrant community that defines this area”

[This article and accompanying image first appeared in Love Lambeth and is reproduced here for information purposes]

One of Streatham’s most treasured local green spaces is in line for a refurbishment designed to make it a more accessible and enjoyable place for the whole community.

Lambeth Council has approved plans to take the next phase of the Streatham Green transformation project in-house, to create “a safer, more accessible and environmentally friendly Green that would attract more people and encourage them to stay in the area longer”.

Here’s what they told Brixton Buzz:

The ambitious project was initially an InStreatham Business Improvement District (BID)-led project, following a competitive process.

 

The BID appointed landscape architects Outerspace to undertake community engagement, feasibility studies, design and a planning application and subsequently delivered phase 1.

 

It has been  agreed to bring the next phase of delivery in house to the council, which will allow Lambeth to directly oversee the work and deliver an impactful scheme within the remaining budget. The project will be funded through a £189,658 Communities and Place capital grant from UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF).

 

A council report confirming the development  recognised that investment was needed in Streatham – and in other town centres in the borough – “to create safer, greener and more welcoming places, that in turn are able to attract footfall and investment”.

 

The proposed improvements to Streatham Green align with the key ambition in Lambeth’s borough plan, to make Lambeth neighbourhoods fit for the future. Lambeth’s Growth Plan identifies the delivery of “upgraded and accessible green public space at Streatham Green” as a named action to be delivered over the next year.

 

The next phase of works will be delivered by the Council’s Capital Studio team, and the council will reappoint Outerspace to conduct the design work on the project.

 

The redevelopment of Streatham Green will focus on enhancing the area’s green credentials, reducing antisocial behaviour and attracting more people and encouraging them to stay for longer.

 

Popular themes identified from previous consultation were features within the green – including play, water, business and events, accessibility and inclusivity, activating space and community, safety and behaviours.

 

All of these priorities are being considered by Capital Studio and the design team when value engineering the scheme and progressing a new design for the Green.

 

Outerspace are exploring design priorities such as hard landscape and paving strategy, accessibility and inclusive design, utilities, lighting and infrastructure, trees and planting strategy, furniture, natural play, safety ASB and environmental management.

Word from the Cabinet

Cllr Marcia Cameron, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, said:

“Our town centres, particularly in the south of the borough, have faced a series of challenges in recent years, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to help them.

 

“Transforming Streatham Green is a particular priority for us and it represents a great opportunity to improve the area for everyone who uses it.

 

We’ve worked closely with local people and businesses over a number of years to plan the proposals and get them off the ground; now, by bringing it in-house, we’re making sure that they deliver the improved Streatham Green that everyone wants to see.”

More info

• About Streatham Green

[Pic credit: Ewan Munro]

The popular free Streatham Common Kite Day will be returning to Streatham Common on Sunday, 10th May 2026, transforming the open space into a festival of colour, community, creativity and soaring kites.

You’ll be able to watch world-class kite professionals perform breath-taking displays while you fly your own kite, browse local food stalls, and soak up the buzz of one of South London’s most beloved free events.

Officially opened by the Mayor of Lambeth, the day brings together expert kite flyers, fantastic food, local community groups, kids’ activities and — weather depending — some truly spectacular skies.

Whether you’re a seasoned kite enthusiast or bringing little ones for their very first taste of kite flying, there’s something magical for everyone.

More info

Streatham Common Kite Day
Sunday 10th May 2026
11am-5pm, admission free

More info

• Streatham Kite Day website

Join the discussion

• Streatham Kite Day chat

Archive Streatham Kite Day photos:

• Streatham Kite Day 2024
• Streatham Kite Day 2021
• Streatham Kite Day 2019
• Streatham Kite Day 2018
• Streatham Kite Day 2017
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• Streatham Kite Day 2015
• Streatham Kite Day 2014
• Streatham Kite Day 2013
• Streatham Kite Day 2012
• Streatham Kite Day 2011
• Streatham Kite Day 2010
• Streatham Kite Day 2007

Lift Up LJ, the campaign for urgent improvements at Loughborough Junction station, have welcomed Lambeth Council’s recent announcement about the funding of a feasibility study in 2026.

This will examine options to accommodate not only vital step-free accessibility improvements, but also long-overdue safety infrastructure works at both platform and street level.

They told Brixton Buzz:

The campaign particularly noted the statement by Lambeth Council is Deputy Leader that Lambeth “looks forward to working with local people as this project progresses”.

 

The campaign has important local knowledge, relevant to the design and scope of the feasibility study, that it is anxious to share from the outset with the Council and also with Network Rail, and is now pressing the Council for an early meeting to discuss these critical details.

Speaking for Lift Up LJ, local campaigner Nick Lewis said

“The value of a feasibility study, and its credibility with the growing number of station users, depends on its legal scope as well as the willingness of local and national authorities to push the project forward, which is why we look forward to working closely with the Council and Network Rail at this critical early stage of the project.”

They added:

Loughborough Junction and its population is growing rapidly, stimulated by recent and current major residential developments and supported by over 40 thriving businesses run by a diverse and welcoming local community.

 

In addition, we are welcoming the continued expansion of new clinics and staff accommodation associated with King’s College Hospital.

 

This project therefore represents a unique opportunity to improve the quality of life, health and wellbeing of this neglected area of Lambeth.

More info

• For more information and to join the campaign, visit the Lift Up LJ website, https://www.ljstation.com

Join the community discussion

• Loughborough Junction news [over 3,800 posts]

Yesterday, Brixton Buzz travelled west to watch Battersea Ironsides take on Worcester Park in a semi-final for the Surrey Premier County League Premier Challenge Cup.

Gale force gusts and a hard, bobbly pitch meant this wasn’t a game for the purists, but there was plenty of entertainment on offer as both teams battled hard for a place in the final.

The visitors took an early lead but we were busy chatting to Battersea’s sole supporter at the time so we failed to capture the action. Apologies!

A goal mouth scramble comes to nowt.

When the sun was out if felt near-Mediterranean. Ish.

But – Gordon Bennett! – when the dark clouds coveted the sky,  it was bloomin’ taters.

The Ironsides Sports Club also hosts cricket and rugby teams.

Half time pint.

Checking out the historic photos in the clubhouse.

After a quick rustle in the nets, the second half is set to begin.

The ref was HAVING NONE OF IT.

The Shed o’Glory.

There was quite a few yellow cards being bandied about, but compared to the extremely bad tempered encounter between these two teams a few months ago, it was rather mellow.

A sensational free kick earned Battersea the equaliser.

In the dying minutes of the game, Worcester bagged the winner.

A pint clutching spectator runs to retrieve an errant ball.

The Ironsides piled on the pressure but failed to net an equaliser.

A dust devil swirls around the feet of the players.

Full time: Battersea Ironsides 1-2  Worcester Park.

Join the forum discussion

• General non league chat, match reports, photos etc [Over 1,300 comments]

More info

Battersea Ironsides Football Club
Sports Club
Burntwood Ln, London SW17 0AW

This is the sad sight of the SW9 Bar in Dorrell Place, Brixton today, seven years after property developers forced the owners to shut up shop.

The LGBT friendly café bar  permanently closed in December 2019, supposedly to make way for a  96 bedroom hotel which is yet to materialise

Despite bar proprietor Alan Culverhouse running the bar for two decades, he received  just £18,000 compensation from the anonymous offshore company who terminated his lease.

This plans sparked a lively discussion on the Brixton forum, where many hoped the bar could be saved, and in Sept 2017 we reported: “Residents furious as public consultation plans for major Brixton hotel development are rushed through.”

Seven years on, no work has started on the hotel, so there was no reason to have forced the bar to close in the first place. And that makes us rather angry.

Join the discussion

• SW9 bar to be closed under plans for five storey hotel for Dorrell Place (over 100 responses)

Scheduled to coincide with an international break, Non-League Day provides a platform for clubs to promote the importance of affordable volunteer-led community football while giving fans across the country the chance to show support for their local non-league side.

If you fancy watching some non league action today, here’s what’s on offer (in order of distance from Brixton):

Dulwich Hamlet vs Potters Bar Town 

Approx 2km away
Isthmian League Premier Division
KO 3pm. Buy tickets here
Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London, SE22 8BD

It’s Hamlet’s penultimate Saturday Home fixture of what has frankly been a ‘meh’ season. That said, it’s likely to be a sold out crowd of 3,000+ with a lively atmosphere, so be sure to book your tickets ASAP.

Battersea Ironsides vs Worcester Park – our pick of the bunch

6km away, train to Earlsfield
Surrey Premier County League Premier Challenge Cup Semi Final
KO 2pm. Free entry
Battersea Ironsides Football Club, Burntwood Ln, London SW17 0AW

We visited this splendidly friendly club late last year when the same two teams were facing each other in what turned out to be a proper feisty encounter.  With both teams still chasing a play off spot, this semi-final cup clash could get tasty!

AFC Croydon Athletic vs Ashford United

9km away
Isthmian League South East Division
KO 3pm. Tickets £3-£5
Croydon Athletic FC, Mayfield Stadium, Mayfield Road, Thornton Heath CR7 6DN

Second placed Croydon take on 9th placed Ashford . We’ve not visited this ground but there’s entertaining chat about the venue and nearby pubs here. The club will also be donating £1 to Prostate Cancer UK for every single ticket sold.

More info

• Non-League Day

Rated the top coolest neighbourhood in the UK by Time Out, Camberwell is also becoming one of the top food destinations in London, with new Michelin star restaurant Kerfield Arms and an inviting range of eateries – as seen on The Go-To Food channel.

This year’s annual food festival: Eat Around the World on Camberwell Green promises to bring another hot global culinary adventure to Camberwell.

They say (deep breath):

From the fiery spices of Asia and the hearty, soulful dishes of Africa, to the zestful flavours of Latin America, the heat of the Caribbean and the aromatic cuisine of the Middle East and Mediterranean – on Saturday 16th May, Camberwell Green becomes a world food map, with every stall another country, every bite another journey.

Now in its third year, Eat Around the World is already a significant cultural event in south London’s calendar, with 7,000 visitors in 2025.

Hosting more than 80 stalls, this year’s global flavour fest also features four bars, live music, free family fun and games, art & crafts stalls & workshops, a free community lunch as well as a farmers’ market, with fresh-farm produce, hand-grown plants and herbs, and hyperlocal delights made in SE5.

The new free Camberwell Life App will also be showcasing what’s on offer at the festival, with culinary tours around each continent.

The organisers say this is what you can expect:

• Diverse global flavours: food that breaks boundaries and unites us in diversity and passion. With food stalls from Brazil to Venezuela by way of Madagascar, Tanzania and the Caribbean.
• Four thirst-quenching bars from local businesses – craft beers, wine tastings, bubble tea, freshly-squeezed juices, Pimms and cocktails.
• Farm-to-fork local produce at the Camberwell Green farmers’ market – including farm-fresh produce, artisan and deli delights, plants and herbs.
•  Hyperlocal food – honey, jam, mead & more made a stone’s throw from Camberwell Green.
• Online Camberwell Food Map featuring SE5’s fantastic food scene, with 90 eateries serving up flavours from around the globe.
• Sign-ups to our bestselling Camberwell Food Walks exploring Camberwell’s exciting food destinations.
• Support Local, Taste Global – an opportunity for visitors to support Camberwell’s independent food businesses and multicultural community through a feast for all senses.
• Live music – Relaxing sounds and beats with traditional Scottish music MICHTY! and sound system Mr Swing Easy.
• Free family fun – Bouncy castles, zorb balls, penalty shoot-out and more from Amuru children’s charity, plus face painting and art and crafts.
• Art & crafts stalls & workshops – from heavenly lavender to handmade gifts and free activities.
• Camberwell community comes together – a FREE community lunch from Spring Community Hub food charity, bike marking from the local Met Police and a range of community stalls.

More info

The Green Party says that it will halt Labour plans to replace International House and Pop Brixton with “unaffordable luxury flats” and use the sites for “genuine council homes.”

They told Brixton Buzz:

This week, Lambeth Council approved planning permission for a 288 home development that will see the closure of International House, London’s largest affordable workspace, and Pop Brixton.

 

The two-tower development (20 and 18 storeys) green lit for the 49 Brixton Station Road site is being delivered by London Square which is owned by Abu Dhabi backed Aldar Properties.

 

Of the 288 homes being delivered only 34% are affordable homes – far below the council’s own target of 50% affordable housing on public land.

 

At Lambeth’s Planning Committee on Tuesday, Leader of Lambeth Greens, Cllr Scott Ainslie, was the sole committee member to vote against the application.

 

Cllr Ainslie highlighted the height and bulk of towers up to 280ft towering over neighbouring council estates, plunging dozens of tenants on the Canterbury Crescent Estate into darkness, and leaving just 2% of the estate’s open space enjoying sunshine.

 

The loss of the largest affordable workspace in London for local organisations was equally unacceptable, along with the negative impacts on Brixton’s unique cultural heritage.

 

After the vote, Cllr Ainslie said Councillors supporting the development were “on the wrong side of history” having been heckled and harassed by Labour members for voting against the application.

 

International House provides affordable workspace for over 100, mainly Black and Global Majority-led, charities and community organisations.

 

Protestors gathered outside Lambeth Town Hall ahead of the meeting to oppose the development, and campaigners have launched a petition calling for International House to be saved.

Cllr Scott Ainlsie, Green Party councillor for Streatham St Leonard’s, said:

“The idea of unaffordable luxury flats towering over Electric Avenue and Brixton Village is unthinkable. The Greens would put a stop to this development on day one if we win the council in May. 

 

Labour are selling off our borough’s cultural heritage to overseas investors. If this development goes ahead, small businesses will close, hundreds of charities and community organisations will cease to exist and nearby residents will be plunged into darkness. 

 

We need genuine council homes, not luxury flats.

 

There is £11.9bn available for social housing in Sadiq Khan’s coffers which Labour Lambeth haven’t even bothered to bid for. The Greens will bid for funds on day one to build council homes on this site in Brixton, as well as elsewhere across the borough.  

 

It’s clear that Labour’s allegiances lie with developers and private interests.

 

By voting Green in May, Lambeth can elect a council that listens to the community and puts this unaccountable, out of touch Labour administration out of its misery.”

Background

• Agenda and recording of Planning Committee held 24th March 2026 – Agenda for Planning Applications Committee on Tuesday 24 March 2026, 7.00 pm | Lambeth Council
• Full planning application and associated reports here.
• The petition, launched by the Save Nour campaign, has gained over 1,000 signatures.

Join the community discussion

• Planning Application for Pop Site and International House (2025)

More about the proposals

• Two towers, 288 homes and the end of Pop Brixton: major redevelopment plans submitted for Brixton Station Road and International House site
• Petition launched to save Brixton’s community-focused International House from redevelopment
• Save Nour campaign group react to Lambeth Council approving the redevelopment of International House

Over 300 organisations representing more than seven million people, including trade unions, campaigning groups, charities and faith groups, are backing this Saturday’s Together Alliance national march against the far right, with Lambeth residents assembling at Windrush Square at 11am before heading into central London.

Local groups have been campaigning for weeks to publicise the march, mobilising from Windrush Square including the Green Party, NEU, Unite, Unison and West Norwood 4 Palestine.

Laura Graham, who is planning to stand in St Martin’s ward as a Your Party-backed independent candidate, told Brixton Buzz she was “incensed to see that little fascist Tommy Robinson posing at the cenotaph, having the bare-faced cheek to appropriate our fallen.” Members of her family had “fought the Nazis in World War Two against hateful little people like him.” (see our video at the end of the article).

While canvassing for people to attend the march, Green Party councillor Paul Valentine told the Buzz:

“So many people are coming together and making a stand – it’s such a wonderful, positive sign of hope. We will be united against the racists of the far right. We will see them off.” – Cllr Paul Valentine.

Speaking to the Buzz in Windrush Square last week, Den Henry from the NEU said:

“The whole community must come together and stand firm and stand strong together, and I urge everyone who can to get out on Saturday.” Den Henry, NEU.

After speeches from 2pm, the Together Alliance and House Against Hate are hosting a free music event in Trafalgar Square from 3pm until 6pm, featuring Lambeth’s own Joy Crookes alongside A Guy Called Gerald, Norman Jay MBE, Hot Chip (DJ Set) and many more.

A Stop the War Coalition feeder march for Palestine will also assemble at 12 midday on Exhibition Road at the Hyde Park end before joining the main demonstration.

Assembles from 12pm on Park Lane, departing at 1pm along Piccadilly, Regent Street and Pall Mall before finishing on Whitehall. A shorter, accessible route gathers from 1pm at the top of Whitehall outside Waterstones, near Trafalgar Square.

More Info

• Lambeth assembly: Windrush Square, 11am
• Main march: Park Lane from 12pm, departing 1pm
• Palestine feeder march: Exhibition Road (Hyde Park end) from 12pm
• Accessible short route: Whitehall from 1pm (outside Waterstones)
• Speeches from 2pm, music event in Trafalgar Square 3–6pm
• Full lineup: Together Alliance & House Against Hate
• Together Alliance
• Stop the War Coalition

Flyer

Video: Tommy Robinson and Christian Fascism, 13 September 2025

The 3Space project in International House is currently home to London’s largest affordable workspace and a hub for community support, used by over 100 charities and community organisations.

Lambeth Council has recently approved the redevelopment of this 12 storey block.

Local community campaign group Save Nour, Save Brixton has issued this response to the decision:

As expected, Lambeth Council has approved the destruction of a crucial cornerstone of South London’s Black communities to make space for an Emirati billionaire.

 

London Square’s proposal will evict over 100 community organisations, to make way for 69 private rental homes, alongside limited social housing.

 

Experience shows that, across London, social housing commitments get reduced again and again by developers through viability assessments.

 

Giving billionaire property developers everything they want, in the hope that something will be returned from those enormous profits, has failed to meet the needs of normal people for decades. Isn’t it time that we took an alternative approach?

 

International House already is that alternative. It is home to 100+ organisations providing vital services – including HIV prevention, combatting youth violence and supporting the integration of refugees, without direct council funding.

 

Paying tenants on other floors fund these organisations, and the operator, 3Space, even pays rent to Lambeth for the building.

 

Councillors dismissed our concerns that forcing so many organisations out would negatively impact people with protected characteristics the most, including Black and disabled communities, thus violating their obligations under the 2010 Equalities Act.

 

Councillor Danny Adilypour emphasised the need for “new affordable workspace and new homes” while backing a decision that will displace London’s largest existing affordable workspace – currently free to dozens of Black-led organisations.

 

Lambeth’s relocation offer to the tenants is insulting at best, and social cleansing at worst – proposing that they move to spaces that cost £20,000 a year. How is that affordable for organisations with an annual turnover of less than £10,000?

 

We need more social housing, but the mere promise of it cannot come at the cost of the free support that has been keeping us afloat.

 

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More info

• Save Nour, Save Brixton

Join the community discussion

• Planning Application for Pop Site and International House (2025)

Background

• Two towers, 288 homes and the end of Pop Brixton: major redevelopment plans submitted for Brixton Station Road and International House site
• Petition launched to save Brixton’s community-focused International House from redevelopment

[Pics (c) Save Nour]

Yeah, as per fecking usual, they mention “live music” in a severely tokenist fashion.

Proven by ZERO listings of live music so far, all DJs, then overpriced food and drink (easy to hide the markup of and sell a hyped-up experience, which is why Brixton often sucks these days).

ANY fool pub with a working electricity socket can stick a PA in a space and put a DJ on, it takes NOTHING special to organise.

Same as a man with a guitar and vocals in a pub corner is simply electrified busking, NOT live music.

Live music has drums (MY benchmark), and gets people dancing and requires organising.

Live music venues have sound engineers and sound QUALITY. At least VENUE-based live music.

Why bother paying for venue overheads and the stress of being herded into an often-oppressive space by security (which is indirect oppression by Police and Council Licensing Authority).

Why feel like you’ll be told what to do at every turn all for some basic experience like a DJ?

I love my good DJs but it has overcast real live music too much.

Culture used to be a nice choice of one, the other, or three gigs in an (early!) night about ten years ago, I remember doing in Central London.

When busking is easy, a venue makes itself irrelevant if it is only going to provide a busking-level setup (which can be musically-great, incidentally, note my actual point).

Also free (as in freedom). Humans need to be human, not feel like nothing more than a market to profit from.

The more un-sober I am the less I notice these vibes, which makes me wonder if we do too many drugs to even have some basic self-respect as a society any more.

Balance, nature loves balance, we should listen to her.

Whether it be balance between DJ-based music and live, between quality and quantity (especially of food, drink and other drugs) or between male and female influence, for example.

Modern society gets a hell of a lot wrong and loves to tell lies to cover up agendas, usually profit – or other unbalanced power-grubbing – motivated. Peace : you gotta know the recipe for it!

[This opinion piece by ‘Love Yourself and Others’ who commented on our article about Freight Brixton opening in March 2026]

Hundreds of local residents, community groups and dignitaries gathered in Elephant & Castle last Saturday for the official unveiling of Dr. Belfield Clarke Square.

This new public space, which will form the heart of the reimagined Elephant & Castle town centre, celebrates one of the area’s most influential – yet long-overlooked – historical figures.

Dr. Clarke practised from his surgery on the site now occupied by the Elephant & Castle Library for more than 45 years, serving generations of local residents.

His formula for calculating safe medication dosages for children, Clark’s Rule, is still used by medical professionals worldwide today.

Dr. Clarke was also one of the first Black doctors to sit on the British Medical Association’s Council and was a co-founder of the League of Coloured Peoples, one of the UK’s earliest and most influential civil rights organisations.

The naming of the square represents the first major public commemoration of Dr. Clarke’s life.

The event formed a highlight of the fifth annual Urban Elephant Festival, a vibrant celebration of the area’s diversity, creativity and community, and included a mini play paying tribute to Dr. Clarke by performers from the People’s Company at Southwark Playhouse.

The decision to honour Dr. Clarke follows a collaborative consultation with Elephant & Castle residents, community groups, local business and cultural stakeholders to find a name for the new town centre that reflects the area’s unique history and identity.

The square will sit at the heart of The Elephant, a vibrant new destination within Elephant & Castle that opens later this year, bringing with it new homes, shops, dining and leisure experiences as well as a brand-new, purpose-built campus for the London College of Communication (LCC).

Diana Barranco, Partnerships Director, Get Living, said:

“The unveiling of Dr Belfield Clarke Square is about ensuring the legacy that shaped this area is properly recognised.

 

The square will become a focal point of life in The Elephant – a destination shaped by the community, for the community.

 

Elevating the stories of the people who built this area before us is something we are inspired to do as Elephant & Castle continues to evolve.”

John Wheelan, Artistic Director, Urban Elephant Festival, said:

“Dr. Clarke was not only a local doctor but also a trailblazer. It was wonderful to bring his life and connection to the area to the stage through our play, which helped animate his story for the community.

 

Seeing so many people come together to honour him as part of the Urban Elephant Festival was a powerful moment.

 

The festival has always aimed to celebrate the stories that define Elephant & Castle and its cultural diversity, and the unveiling of the square has become one of its most meaningful milestones.”

Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, Southwark Council, said:

“The transformation of Elephant & Castle is a significant undertaking and there is so much to be proud of. The Castle Leisure Centre, Elephant Park, the Walworth Town Hall restoration, a new home for UAL, and much more.

 

“This wonderful square, right at the heart of the new town centre will be a fantastic space for the whole community and I look forward to it coming to life as shops, workspace and other facilities start to open. All of this will be supported by the transport upgrades that the council is working to push forward.

 

“We’re committed to ensuring the contributions made by Southwark residents past and present get the recognition they deserve. As an important figure from Elephant and Castle’s diverse Black and LGBTQ history I’m proud that this new square will keep the name of Cecil Belfield Clarke alive for generations to come.”