Building Hope in Lambeth: A Roundtable for Change
Ecosysem Coldharbour unites health, education, policing, housing and the voluntary sector to build a community public health model in Lambeth
On July 3rd, leaders, practitioners, and young changemakers gathered at 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning for the HOPE Roundtable discussion: “How do we build a community public health model in Lambeth?”
Hosted by Helen Hayes MP, the event united voices from health, housing, education, policing, and the voluntary sector. Together, we explored how to co-create a community-led response to violence, trauma, and the challenges facing Lambeth’s young people.
Tafari Clark, Youth Facilitator and changemaker, anchored the day’s conversations with raw honesty and hope. Tafari ensured that youth voices stayed central to the dialogue and reminded all participants that solutions must be shaped with young people, not just for them.
Our CEO, Joel Balkwill, offered reflections on how local partnerships can better respond to challenges in the community, ensuring that young people have pathways out of cycles of exclusion, underpinned by a localised toolkit providing clear referral pathways and collaborative models of support.
The agenda centred on three key pillars:
Early intervention & Prevention. Universal by Design Youth Participation: agents for change
Pathways to change and rehabilitation: including a focus on older cohorts
Trauma-responsive models: restoring healing and reconciliation in the community
By the close of the event, delegates reaffirmed their commitment to shaping a Lambeth Charter for Change — a promise to work differently, in partnership, and with young people leading the way.
What’s next?
Insights from the HOPE Roundtable are now being collated into a full report that will capture the collective learning and recommendations from the day. This report will form the foundation of a proposed Lambeth Charter for Change — a new way of working that places young people and communities at the centre. In October, the findings will be shared at a sponsored Parliamentary event, marking an important step in turning dialogue into action. Alongside this, a newly developed Community Reference Group (CRG) will begin meeting quarterly to ensure ongoing collaboration, accountability, and momentum. Together, these efforts signal the start of a long-term commitment to safer, healthier, and more connected communities in Lambeth.
With thanks to contributors and partners
This important conversation was driven by Ecosystem Coldharbour the leadership and insights of:
MP Helen Hayes – Chair
London Violence Reduction Unit – Arnold Yousaf, Zakaria Hussain, Tom Isaac
Ecosystem Coldharbour - Mark Foster, Rachael Palmer, Jedidah Onchere
Juvenis – Guiditta Menghetti, Dr Ron Dodzro
Health sector – Dr Jack Gilgunn, Dr Vishal Bhavsar, Dr Sadru Kheraj
Metropolitan Police – PS Nigel Pearce
The Well Centre – John Poyton OBE
Education – Una Sookun, Principal, Ark Evelyn Grace Academy
Community voices – Solomon Smith (Brixton Soup Kitchen), Alex Cameron (CHIPS), Annie Natarjan & Margaret Pierre (MLCE)
Local Authority – Rory Gray, Lambeth Made Safer Programme Manager
Cllr Dr Mahamed Hashi, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, Lambeth Council
More to come – keep connected with Spiral Skills for what’s ahead.
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