The next Myatt’s Fields councillor surgery has been moved to Thursday, 8 May from its usual date on the first Thursday of each month.
The surgery will take place at the usual time of 6pm-7pm and be hosted at Longfield Hall (SE5 9QY). As usual you can contact your councillors at any time using these contact details.
A group which works to save children and young people in Myatt’s Fields from educational failure and other effects of social problems is the big winner in a list of cash awards worth almost a quarter of a million pounds, announced by Lambeth council.
XLP, which supports young people in Lambeth facing challenges like family breakdown, unemployment, and educational failure, often in areas impacted by antisocial behaviour and gang violence, will get £156,814.
The organisation, which works alongside bodies including St Gabriel’s School in Myatt’s Fields, focuses on creating positive futures through long-term relationships and belief in change, regardless of background. Initiatives include a school exclusion reduction programme, mentoring, sports and arts and a mobile youth centre. Read about XLP here.
Three other local community projects are celebrating their share of the combined windfall from the Borough’s Community Connections fund.
Breath Arts Health Research — £77,000. Breath are world leaders in combining creativity and scientific research to improve health and wellbeing in communities. The Melodies for Mums programme aims to support new mothers in Brixton and Stockwell experiencing postnatal depression or low mood. This free, 10-week group singing initiative, delivered in local community settings including the Liz Atkinson Children’s Centre, has been proven to improve mental health, boost confidence, and strengthen social connections. More details here.
Longfield Hall Trust — £10,000. The famous local landmark bid will receive the funding injection to help continue it’s work in the community: read about the Hall’s work here.
The Remakery – £9,995. This renowned sustainability organisation which includes a collection of workshops and community space in Lilford Rd will use the grant to support its ongoing community outreach work. Read more about this project here
Community Connections encourages initiatives set up to make our borough fairer and safer — more details can be found here.
Cllr Annie Gallop and Cllr Paul Gadsby said:
“It’s great to see Lambeth stepping in and putting our cash where it’s going to have a significant effect on the lives of many vulnerable people. We’re also please to see big financial boosts for organisations which have been working to improve lives in our neighbourhoods for many years.”
Myatt’s Fields councillors have confirmed their public surgeries for 2025, including a change to the first surgery of the new year.
As in 2024, Myatt’s Fields Labour councillors will hold a regularly monthly surgery (apart from in August) at Longfield Hall on the first Thursday of each month, between 6pm and 7pm. Either Cllr Gadsby or Cllr Gallop will be on hand, accompanied by support volunteers, to speak to residents about any local issue they might have. No appointments are necessary!
Residents can also contact councillors at this page.
The schedule for 2025 is below: the councillors have opted to move the first surgery of the new year to the second Thursday in January to avoid a clash with the start of the year.
Surgery details for 2025 (all held at Longfield Hall, 50 Knatchbull Road, London, SE5 9QY between 6pm and 7pm)
Thursday, 9 January
Thursday, 6 February
Thursday, 6 March
Thursday, 3 April
Thursday, 1 May
Thursday, 5 June
Thursday, 3 July
Thursday, 4 September
Thursday, 2 October
Thursday, 6 November
Thursday, 4 December
An exciting drama programme at Longfield Hall and multisports and crafts at Myatt’s Fields North community centre are just some of dozens of activities planned during the borough council-organised Winter of Food and Fun, which runs from Monday December 23rd to Friday January 3rd.
The programme is aimed at children between four and 16 years who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. Each club will provide free healthy meals, fun physical activities to suit all tastes and ages, as well as opportunities for the family to learn about food and nutrition.
A flyer is being distributed around our neighbourhoods — you can find it here. More about the project, funded with cash from the Department for Education, is here.
Local residents will have an opportunity to raise any issues, opinions or concerns they have about community safety in Myatt’s Fields at a Safer Neighbourhood Team meeting in November.
The meeting, organised by the ward’s police team, is open to all residents and will review local anti-social behaviour, crime and community safety issues in our area.
April’s meeting will be held on Friday, 15 November, 7-830pm at Longfield Hall.
If you have any issues you would like raised with our police team, please contact your councillors here.
A jellyfish which saves the world and and a doll which goes on an accidental global tour feature in two of the events just announced by Myatt’s Fields’ Longfield Hall.
The doll — called Lottie — is the star of a puppet performance by the String Theatre in a production suitable for all ages, which is accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. Clyde the Jellyfish, on the other hand, is on a quest for a friend in a “tentacle-tapping puppetry musical”, according to the Jam Jar theatre company.
Other events include “primal rock theatre” from Bones and the Aft’s Christmas party (pictured above) and — perhaps more sedate — a “mooch” around local areas including Little Portugal and the Minet estate.
For more details of these unmissable attractions, click here.
Myatt’s Fields councillors will next month be switching their regular monthly surgery to Thursday 9 May 2024 in order to avoid a clash with the Mayoral elections (taking place on Thursday 2 May 2024).
As usual the surgery will be held at Longfield Hall, 6pm-7pm, and as always, no appointment is necessary: if you have an issue to discuss please do drop in for a chat!
The monthly surgeries will return to the first Thursday of every month from June 2024.
Longfield Hall Trust is taking part in the National Theatre Connections Festival, 2024, by hosting two performances of Abi Zakarian’s brilliant play Age is Revolting – a tale about a choir rehearsal descending into chaos when the class are transformed into their 80 year-old selves.
As part of the celebrations, Longfield Hall have formed their first ever Young Company, made up of 20 local young people aged 13-18, who are either performing or working backstage.
Two performances are being held on Friday, 15 March and Saturday 16 March, with both shows kicking off at 7.30pm.
More information, and ticket booking, can be found here.
Longfield Hall has announced details of its festive celebration which this year will take place on Saturday 16 December.
The community run hall announced that:
Bringing together four choirs from all over South London for a night of Festive Fun. Come along to Longfield Hall on Saturday 16th December at 7pm for an evening of choral Christmas music sung by 4 wonderful choirs from all around South London. Bringing together Longfield Hall’s very own Longfield Voices, Vocal Chords from Sydenham, Wimbledon Music Hub A Cappella, and The Solis Choir, this fun, Christmassy concert will feature musicians of all ages (spanning 8 decades!) and a whole lot of festive cheer!! Featuring carols both traditional and contemporary, alongside more popular Christmas hits.
We can’t wait to come together and sing as one at the most wonderful time of the year! There’ll even be mulled wine and mince pies too! The concert is free entry and un-ticketed, but any donations to support the work of Longfield Hall will be warmly welcomed. We hope to see you there!
You can reserve your ticket for the event here.
A sell-out show born in the bomb-shelters of Kyiv is to be staged at our local Longfield Hall at the end of March.
Called Bunker Cabaret, the show is described as a mix of music, poetry, dance and film and is a “powerful exploration of love versus totalitarianism, and the personal conflicts of making art in time of war”.
The show is the work of a company called the Hooligan Art Community, who say it was developed partly in the bomb-shelters of Kyiv. The Longfield dates are a stop on a UK tour following a sold-out run in London last September.
Two performances will be held on Thursday 30 March and Friday 31 March, with tickets ranging from £5 – £22.
You can buy tickets here.
Myatt's Fields Labour 