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Track title: Evening

Southwark Neighbourhood Fund – Ekabo Action Team

SE17Working has been awarded a small grant to build upon the Ekabo pilot Project.  The funding is to build an Action Team, comprising of 30 individuals.  The funding is aimed at activities run by local groups, for local people, across the Southwark borough and provides financial support for local community led projects that enhance inclusion, improve the neighbourhood and develop stronger communities.  Watch this space for an update on activities!

Mentivity Community Hub – Temporary Closure of 285 Albany Road SE5 site

The building is closed due to issues with the electrics and asbestos.  It is unclear when groups will be able to return, however LB Southwark is currently carrying out inspections and repairs.  We will update you as soon as we hear any news!!

In the meantime, we would like to say a huge thank you to Creation Southwark (www.creationsouthwark.org) for their wonderful support by way of providing us a space to continue services.  We will indeed return the favour soon.

Customers can contact us by emailing info@se17workingcic.org – please add your full name and contact number.  Thank you!

Breaking News!

Ekabo!

In June 2022 SE17Working was awarded funds through the National Lottery Community Fund to deliver our Southwark based pilot project ‘Ekabo!’

‘Ekabo!’ means ‘Welcome!’ in the African Yoruba language, used to greet someone back from a long journey, and is one of the principal languages spoken in Nigeria. The Office for National Statistics states in Southwark Nigeria is the top country of birth other than UK, and black/African/Caribbean/Black British making up over a third of the Borough’s population. Addressing Covid19 impact in its 2020 Health inequalities framework, Southwark Council carried out a survey which found that those from BAME groups were more likely to report negative impacts in the areas of Employment; Finances; Physical health; and Mental health (EFPM). The 2020 Public Health England Report also reported this fact stating the ‘shock and dismay that is being felt in black and minority ethnic communities’. The Ekabo pilot project will work primarily with Southwark’s BAME Community to devise and facilitate a suite of 5 x 4 hour Workshops for 300 individuals over 8 months; provide 100 x Crèche spaces; and to organise and facilitate 1 x Community Day Event. The workshops will address the EFPM negative impacts which have been polarised since Lockdown which may lend them to feel isolated, and mentally exhausted, plus provide them with the confidence and motivation to reach personal goals, feedback from which we will use to develop and imbed these workshops in our main programme of activities. The Community Event will help participants to meet each other and ‘welcome’ local familiar faces again, and will include fun family games/activities to combat isolation and promote healthy lifestyles. The workshops will include a hot healthy meal as feedback from our existing workshops indicate this maximises attendance and may be the only nutritious meal eaten for the day. ‘Ekabo’ will be promoted through leaflet drops; social media; T&RA’s; local libraries; local schools and the Medical Centres.

The Chaucer Project Full Report 2021-2022

SE17Working was awarded a grant from Saint George the Martyr Charity to deliver a pioneering  project for residents in the London Brough of Southwark Chaucer Ward.  The project offered support and training for those disadvantaged since Covid-19 with a focus on the BAME community who are women and or parents.   Please see the full report below for outcomes and future development.

Lubaina Himid Exhibition Review

Assignment

Recently piquing interest in Art, primarily from Black artists, I discovered an amazing Artist called Lubaina Himid.

Lubaina, who was born in in 1954 in Zanzibar, has dedicated almost half of her life to her career to uncover truth that has been buried deep within her personal history throughout her life. Lubaina illustrates a lot of her work by painting on different materials which makes her work quite distinctive. She uses a few different objects to paint on: including objects such as; canvases, tables, Teacups, crates and many more other objects. While researching Lubaina’s work I noticed that she has an exhibition which is currently being shown at The Tate Modern from 25th November 2021 to 3rd July 2022. I purchased myself a ticket from the main website Tickets for Lubaina Himid – Exhibitions at Tate Modern | Tate for £16 and the process was quite easy and straight forward with only a few steps needed.  My ticket was booked for 30th April 2022 at 10:30am

Travel

I live in south east London and the Exhibition started at 10:30am therefore I took the 9:30am train from Sydenham Hill to Herne Hill.  I needed to take 2 trains with 1 changeover so a total of 5 stops (2 stops on the Southern Eastern rail then 3 stops on the Thames link rail) which took me straight to Blackfriars station leaving a few minutes to walk to The Tate Modern.  I arrived at Blackfriars roughly around 10:15am leaving me about 10 minutes to spare to wander around.  Luckily there was little traffic so I had enough time to grab an iced coffee opposite The Tate Modern which cost £2.00, and the customer service was great as the seller was quick and friendly.

Tourism

There were a lot of queues everywhere for different shops and different exhibitions that were also taking place on the same day ‘Surrealism Behind Borders’ and ‘A Year In Art: Australia 1992’.There were a lot of families and tourists taking pictures by the River Thames which is overlooked by the Tate Modern building. You can look into the distance and see other prominent landmarks from miles away such as the Shard and many other places depending on which part of the building you are in. As The Tate Modern is located in the centre of London where there is so much to do. You could go out for food and drinks, or just go site seeing. The scenery is beautiful and overlooks the River Thames.

 The Tate Modern

Entering The Tate Modern there were security at the entrance checking tickets and searching bags much like being at an airport. There were ‘fast moving’ queues for the varying Exhibitions going on around the same time so queuing up didn’t take much time at all. The Tate Modern is a huge building with 10 levels so I thought that finding my way around would have been difficult, however the staff were very helpful with directions and it was no issue finding the exhibition I had travelled to see which was in the Blavatnik Building, Level 2. There were no restrictions, only that you couldn’t touch any of the art work. It was pretty much laid back and the staff were cool. As soon as you walk in the exhibition you can wonder wherever you want within bounds. There are various exhibitions for which the prices vary. There are also pop-up shops on the main ground floor. If you want to check out the pop-up shop you’ll find items such as Books, T-shirts, tote bags, small ornaments and a variety of other gifts/souvenirs. You could leave with something for yourself, or maybe your friends/family. The facilities are accessible for everyone including, wheelchair users and people with children.

The Exhibition

Upon entry I was stunned by the first set of artwork which was presented on a table. The artwork was beautifully laid out.  I did not see any members of staff around which gave me a sense of independence. I could interpret the work in my own way. We were given handbooks at the entrance which gave deeper insight on inspiration behind the art work. It was interesting to find out that Lubaina produced sonic works to extend the theatricality and themes of her paintings. Sonic works adds an element to the painting which makes you feel more than hear. There were different audios and sound effects playing in the background from different parts of the rooms giving you a deeper sense and understanding on what you may have felt or heard within the stories Lubaina’s art tells you. My favourite art work is ‘A Fashionable Marriage’  because this exhibit is formed by many different cutouts and paintings which tells you a story. You gradually start to notice little details that you then realise aren’t so little after all. All the little details are pieced together creating such a big statement which allows you to break it down bit by bit and articulate it in your own way. I would like to add on that her work unravels the harsh reality of history and the events that took place. Lubaina Himid also used herself in the work where she painted her younger self. It gives a feel on what she may have witnessed or experienced during her childhood. There was not too much work displayed at the exhibition which was quite disappointing as there were some pieces I was looking forward to seeing that I spotted throughout my research. However, it left me more time to go into depth with each work. I noticed some details in Lubaina’s art which were very interesting especially in some of her paintings where she would include collaging out of newspapers, envelopes and packaging, even including cut out words from articles which were pieced together to create very blunt phrases, or slogans which call out the truth about our history and race.

A Fashionable Marriage, by Lubaina Himid. 1987. 

Eating

After the exhibition, if you’re looking for anywhere to eat, 2 minutes from The Tate there is a pub called Founders Arms. I decided to walk to Waterloo which took no more than 10 minutes where if you are interested in a great place to eat you will find GBK! They make exquisite burgers and also have vegan options for those who do not eat meat. I am sure you would enjoy.

Conclusion

This was a great experience being my first time going to an exhibition. I felt it was a great decision furthering my research by coming to see the Exhibition for myself. Seeing the work in person allowed me to interpret the work in my own way rather than from someone else’s viewpoint. I believe there is no right or wrong way to perceive art. I highly recommend this to those who have interest in art and history. The last date for the exhibition is 3^rd July 2022.

Zahui Orome April 2022

The Making of Black Britain: History in the making!

Wednesday 27th April 2022

Jossett Lynch arrived in Birmingham during the 1960s from Jamaica.

Creator: Vanley Burke  Date Created: 1960

In the lead up to 2023, the 75th anniversary of the 1948 British Nationality Act, The Making of Black Britain will launch a nationwide tour. Diane and her team will travel to cities, towns and villages across the UK. In partnership with regional networkers, the team will capture, catalogue, and archive hundreds of personal stories from the people of Britain in their own words. This is the beginning of an evergreen, living archive that will grow in perpetuity for future generations.

At the heart of the project is a collaborative digital archive created and curated by a network of partners across Britain, offering historians and future generations new insights and perspectives at a pivotal time in modern history. The Making of Black Britain team will work closely with academic partners to conduct preliminary research, create a research design, and write a treatment.

​The Making of Black Britain project will embrace the use of social media, digital storytelling, and other collaborative platforms to collect and curate stories together with the public. Watch this space for information on how you can get involved!!

 

Original Caribbean Spice

Located in Elephant Square in Elephant & Castle are specialists in Caribbean meals, freshly cooked on site every day. Sisters Loroma and Marcia have been running their grab and go business for over 25 years. Specialties include; Curry Goat, Jerk Chicken, Oxtail and Broad Bean. Their Caribbean punch is also legendary.

Open Monday to Fridays from 10am – 8pm

Free ‘Bikefix Fridays’ returns for local young bike users

Please book a FREE slot at Bike Fix (communitycycleworks.co.uk)

 

The Household Support Fund

HELPING HAND; Thousands of families can claim up to £275 free supermarket vouchers for food and essentials including Tesco and Asda

STRUGGLING families can get help paying for food and essentials this winter – and it could be worth up to £275.

The Household Support Fund is a pot of £500m cash that is being handed out to hard-up Brits through local councils.

The cash comes as millions face growing pressure on household budgets from rising energy bills and food prices.

Each area is giving out the cash in different ways and in North Yorkshire there’s electronic vouchers to help pay for food and other essentials at supermarkets.

The £275 payment is being handed out to residents who already get help with their council tax, and have a child age under 19 living at home.

Anyone eligible should have been sent a letter by North Yorkshire council with a code that’s needed to apply for the help online.

This needs to be done by 28 February but in other areas there may be different deadlines, but it’s best to apply sooner rather than later as there is a limited pot of cash.

Each council will also have different ways you can qualify, and the amounts being given out vary.

For example in Elmbridge in Surrey you can get a one-off payment of £100 to help pay for food and bills until Jan 31.

Published in THE SUN by Lynsey Barber

The Chaucer Project

SE17Working has recently been awarded a grant from Saint George the Martyr Charity for an exciting new project for residents in the Southwark Chaucer Ward.  The project will offer support and training for those disadvantaged since Covid-19 with a focus on the BAME community who are women and or parents. The funding will be used to engage up to 50 eligible residents.

Referrals can be made direct, by family members; via Job Centre Plus Work Coaches; Community Organisations;  and GPs.

If you are interested please contact Patrischia : 0207708 4088

 

SE17Working Independent Lives Project

The SE17Working Independent Lives Project aimed to provide jobs which focused on sectors that provided the best outcomes for our residents, and support for those already in work, on low pay or employed in sectors which contribute to unstable tenancies, and support them to move on to the next job in a career path. Clients also benefited from an essential aftercare package specifically for those whom have recently found employment; or have been difficult to engage with; and/or are isolated; suffering from in work poverty/low waged to maximise sustained employment; and support towards more independent lives.

The project was open to, aged 18 and over, living on the Aylesbury Estate and the immediate surrounding local area.

The main activities were designed to increase sustained economic activity, and support independent living through

· Support into employment and apprenticeships

· workshops and general training for those seeking employment

· Increase confidence

The project featured a 4 steps programme; Referrals; Self-Assessment; Action Plan and Group Activities; and Self Assessment Review.

At Self-Assessment and Review stage we saw that a large percentage of clients that were looking for support with employment felt that they already had relevant job skills and experience thus falling into “Learning” zone at 47%. However their lack of confidence in being able to find work independently was evident with the majority of them falling into the “Believing and Trying” zone at 36%.

Over the life of the project we have engaged with over 953 individuals, formed a working selection of 563 of these, and actively engaged with an average of 380 of these in any one quarter. We have sent 39,082 texts, and made 1323 client interactions, and delivered 21

different types of bespoke workshop. Due to Coronavirus guidance, the SE17Working office at the Giraffe House was closed for workshops and group sessions. After being furloughed for 80% of the time in July to September 2020, In October the team came back into the office for 50% of their time delivering directly again, and subject to government guidelines.

Key findings:

· Of the Active clients list 563, 253 found employment (45%)

· The average age of those who found employment is 33

· 78% of the overall job outcomes are BAME

· The top 3 sectors that employed our clients are Hospitality, Construction, and Education

· 51% of the overall job outcomes are Female

· 22% of the overall job outcomes are Lone Parents. Many young parents cannot make the transition into fulltime employment due to lack of childcare networks

· 28% of the overall job outcomes are 25. This is an increase over previous years which we believe is mainly due to our local employer employer engagement

· 16% of overall job outcomes are 50+. The main barriers are lack of up to date IT skills, and lack of confidence and motivation due to the competitive job market, especially during lockdown

· 21% Have disclosed some type of mental health issue. Illnesses disclosed include present Suicide ideation, Psychosis, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar and personality disorders, anorexia ack of confidence

· Due to our expertise we estimate that approximately 57% of the active clients database have mental health issues

· 99.1% of the overall job outcomes are Southwark residents

Recommendations:

Lone Parents:

More support in terms of building local child support networks, and investment in Childcare training so some have an opportunity of self employment rather that working for reduced hours with less pay.

Local Community Hubs:

Investment in spaces where local people can interact whilst learning to reduce isolation, increase confidence and develop life skills.

Mental Health:

Although Mental Health is more widely publicised, there is still some way to go in terms of making it ‘acceptable’ for some, particularly in BAME Communities.

Theory Of Change

To view the Theory of Change in more detail, please click here

 

SE17Working: Tackling Unemployment and Inequality

SE17Working submitted a paper to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Social Mobility. Our paper highlights the disadvantages that BAME jobseekers face in finding and staying in work and what we do to help them overcome these barriers.

The key part of our findings are;

– We believe that the SE17Working programme works because the services we provide incorporate cultural dynamics into the journey into finding employment. With our staff also being from BAME families, we directly identify with our clients and we are able to have a full understanding of their emotional and physical barriers to employment. The team can ask the right questions, respect boundaries, and get to the ‘bare bones’ of what the client needs. This may be lack or loss of identity, and an inability to articulate feelings without having to lose their pride in the process.

– We provide a culturally-themed hot meal at all workshops we deliver, to align with the BAME culture of eating and engaging, and have a well-equipped and conveniently located training space. This helps to aid retention for the duration of the activity, which in turn maximises learning. It also encourages conversation, helping to build relationships for those who are feeling isolated and giving them strength and stamina to stay on their path into work.

– We are committed to working with lone parents, a key target group in our community We see the economic and emotional effect that family breakdown and absent fathers has on the household. These hard-working women often have a complicated relationship with their sons as a result. Many of our black female clients go into care roles, mainly as there is a high demand and there are always vacancies. This type of work includes long shifts, so they are not always at home to spend time with their children, supporting them with homework, or eating together.

– Welfare to work delivery must be delivered through an established third sector body such as ours, which already has a connection with the community it serves. In our experience this body needs to offer the following to get positive, sustainable results:

– flexible service delivery in a space close to clients’ homes

– the ability to support with childcare needs

– recognition of client diversity by employing staff and trainers who reflect it

– recognition that clients have differing needs and barriers to employment

– a supportive and safe training environment with hot food and drink

– incentivising and celebrating client success

– support for clients whilst in work, including travel bursaries and help to buy work-suitable                  clothing

To read the full SE17Working report click here: SE17 Working APPG Report

To read the APPG Summary report click here: Improving Opportunities Summary

To read the full APPG report click here: Improving Opportunities Full Report

Dear SE17Working CIC

The SE17Working CIC Team is here to help solve problems that you may experience in everyday life. This page is dedicated to your queries, offering an expert or specialise solution. We look forward to hearing from you.

Dear SE17Working

I lost my job during COVID19 and as we are coming out of the lockdown, I am beginning to apply for jobs so I can secure employment. I have mixed feelings about getting back to work as COVID19 has changed the world and are still not in the ‘all clear’. I never want to put myself or others at any harm. It feels scary to put myself and family at any risk. What do you recommend I do – Mr Kamara, 44 Southwark

You are not alone with feeling scared at the effects and aftermath of the pandemic caused by COVID19. You are asking yourself the right questions before you take steps back into employment. One thing you can do to make yourself feel more aware about COVID19 and getting back to work is to complete a COVID Awareness training CPD Certificate. It is online distance learning, affordable and can be completed in your own time with no expiry time. Please see the link : https://cpdonline.co.uk/course/covid-19-awareness/

Dear SE17Working

I recently got a job offer as a part time Administrator, however I am in two minds of taking it. I have been claiming Universal Credit and I informed my JCP Work Coach and it appears if I take this job it will mean I am paying higher Council tax and will do more harm than good. I am ready to get back to working, and this job is perfect as I am a single parent and it can operate around childcare for my daughter. I don’t want to be worst off than I already am. Can you help me decide? – Anonymous, 34 Southwark

Firstly, congratulations on your job offer, that is great news! This is very common when considering employment and coming off benefits. Making the right decision by you and your family can feel overwhelming at times especially when you do not have the correct information to help you. There are a few active things you can do, to help you get better insight to your new possible circumstances. You can use the Government’s official tool to help work out all your incomings versus your outgoings which is called a ‘Benefits Calculator’. Please see the link: https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators.

Additionally, you could also visit your local Citizen Advice Bureau to speak with an advisor and get free legal advice. There are several bureau’s in Southwark which you can attend, the link is provided below with appointment details: https://www.citizensadvicesouthwark.org.uk

All the Best

From the SE17Working CIC Team