BrixtonBuzz

The council’s Big Shift Community Parklet Scheme is now asking for fresh applications for residents to establish their very own parklet in areas of Lambeth that need it most.

Parklets are a shared area of the kerbside that would normally be used by vehicle parking.

Instead, they can be transformed into a social space where residents can meet, create new green spaces, places to stop and rest and give them a say over how their streets are used.

The Big Shift Community Parklet Scheme was launched in 2023 to give every council area in Lambeth the chance to apply.

A new exhibition of posters, photos and illustrations at Lambeth Council’s Archives tells the story of how the borough was the birthplace of the circus in Britain.

Although Philip Astley never called his “Amphitheatre” – opened in 1770 on a site in Westminster Bridge Road where St Thomas’ Hospital now stands – a circus, it is now recognised as the first ever fixed-site circus and the birthplace of a British and European circus tradition that continues to this day.

If you fancy a game of chess on a Saturday afternoon, the West Norwood Library Chess Club takes place every Saturday afternoon, with no charge to play.

The organisers say:

A chess club for all ages and abilities. Chess boards and pieces provided.

Beginner, intermediate or grandmaster, all are welcome. No need to book; drop in and play!

Upcoming dates

More info

West Norwood Library

London

SE27 9JX

Location

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We are sorry if you are experiencing a loss of water supply or loss of pressure in your area. We have located the burst pipe in the area and have teams working hard to resolve the issue.

Our team have been working overnight to fix the pipe and will continue to work throughout today; and our engineers have been working to get your water supply back while we carry out the fix.

We are also continuing to work repairing a leak at our pumping station in Crystal Palace.

Clapham & Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has been selected as one of 32 new Trade Envoys appointed by the Trade Secretary to drive UK exports and investment.

As Trade Envoy to Ghana, she will support the drive for economic growth by building on the UK’s relations with Ghana, helping UK businesses to take advantage of the opportunities arising from our global trade agenda.

Streatham Library’s 50+ Group meets on the last Friday of each month from 10:30am-12pm for board games, card games, quizzes, puzzles and colouring.

Billed as an opportunity for a friendly chat and to catch up with old friends and make new ones, members are expected to chip chip in £1 a meeting to cover the costs of the tea, coffee and biscuits.

They say, “Sociable new members welcome. ”

Dates and times

Location

Streatham Library

London, SW16 1PN

Contact details

Vincia Bennett, Library Manager

Lambeth Council is delivering its vision for safer, greener, and more accessible travel with the third phase of improvements to the Peckham to Streatham Healthy Route to make our neighbourhoods fit for the future.

The Peckham to Streatham Healthy Route is part of the Healthy Routes network, connecting neighbourhoods in and around Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and Streatham, using mainly quieter streets. Since September 2020, the project has sought to enable walking, cycling, and wheeling.

Minnie Kidd House in south Clapham is the new home for all the sexual health services that were previously available from the Streatham Hill clinic.

Cabinet Member for Healthier Communities, said:

“For STI Awareness Day on 14 January we hoped to raise awareness of sexual health in Lambeth and highlight Minnie Kidd House as the newest clinic in Lambeth.

Hive Café, a community charity café in SW2 providing work placements for people with learning disabilities, is appealing for funds after suffering multiple break ins.

Over the past three weeks, the cafe has suffered three break-ins—on December 22nd, December 24th, and January 6th 2025—causing extensive damage.

Vandals destroyed windows, stole the till, and caused total damages exceeding £25,000. The café is currently closed, leaving staff and work placements without a safe space to work.

Funding, finances and some often frivolous behaviour best sums up the themes coming out of Lambeth Town Hall as we take a look back at our Brixton Buzz archive for the past year.

It was a year where Homes for Lambeth was put out of its misery, Lambeth made a move on taking services back in house, and a more commercial approach to running some areas of public life was taken.

Let’s take a look back on how Brixton Buzz kept an eye on the Council throughout the past year.

January