Rent useful household items
You can now rent useful household items, like drills, carpet cleaners, and projectors, at Canada Water Library of Things. Reserve online from as little as £1 per day, pick up at Canada Water Library, and return once you’ve finished with it.
>> See what items you can borrow and reserve
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What’s on
Free tennis taster sessions
To celebrate our refurbished tennis courts we’re offering free coaching taster sessions at Southwark Park on 30 July. Racquets are provided (or bring your own). There are sessions for families, adults and young people.
>> Book a free tennis coaching session at Southwark Park
Free: music, food and drink and more at the Rotherhithe Festival
Enjoy live music, including headliners Bill n Rickey, free children’s rides and food and drink at this year’s Rotherhithe Festival on 22 July, King George’s Fields, SE16.
>> Head to the Rotherhithe Festival on 22 July
Music and performance in multi-story car park!
On 7 July enjoy Routes, a new performance piece by the Multi-Story Young Creatives that blends narration and song, with a choir and orchestra. It all takes place in the unique setting of Peckham’s multi-story car park. Tickets from £6.
>> Get your tickets for Routes, at 7pm on 7 July
Join a Southwark 2030 workshop this month
Over 2,000 people have joined our Southwark 2030 events or participated online, sharing their ambitions for Southwark. At our next workshops, in July, we’ll share what we’ve heard and check we’ve not missed anything. Participants get a £10 voucher.
>> Join a Southwark 2030 workshop (and get a £10 voucher)
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New: Streets for People projects
We are taking ambitious steps to improve air quality, moving away from favouring cars to free up more space for walking, public transport and cycling. As part of the Streets for People programme, there are a number of projects kicking off this July:
Free cycle training for families, women and girls
We have teamed up with Joy Riders to provide free cycle training for families, women and girls. Bikes and helmets are available, or bring your own.
>> Reserve a spot on a free cycle training session
Earn rewards: walk, cycle and run
Our Better Points Southwark app encourages you to walk, cycle, run or use public transport. It tracks your travel via GPS from your smartphone and rewards you with points which can be converted into vouchers, discounts in shops or charity donations.
>> Download the exercise reward app now for a chance to win an electric folding bike
Free: three months’ bike hire
We’re funding The Try Before you Bike scheme, which allows you to hire a bike for three months, free of charge. Use one of the following codes on the Try Before You Bike website to get a discount, but be quick at this is a limited offer.
- standard bikes – bikestreetsforpeople
- electric bikes – ebikestreetsforpeople
- cargo bikes – cargostreetsforpeople
- adaptive bikes – adaptivestreetsforpeople
>> Hire a bike for three months, free of charge
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Children and families
Free: Join an Encanto sing-along by the river
Sing along to We Don’t Talk About Bruno and all your favourite songs with on-screen lyrics, at a free screening of Disney’s Encanto. Head to the Scoop, on the riverfront near Tower Bridge, on 25 July at 7pm.
>> Catch a free screening of Encanto near Tower Bridge
Summer holiday clubs for 4 to 16s: book now
If your child gets benefits-related free school meals they can join one of many summer of Food and Fun holiday clubs in Southwark. The clubs run fun activities and healthy and free food will be available.
>> Sign up for a free holiday club from 24 July to 25 August 2023
Free learn-to-cycle sessions for the whole family in Burgess Park (bikes provided)
Head to Burgess Park (various dates in July) if you and your family want to learn how to ride a bike or improve your basic cycling skills. Bikes and helmets are available or bring your own. Sessions are led by professional instructors.
>> Book onto a free cycling course for the family
>> If you’re a confident cyclist join a family cycle ride in July
Have your say: support hubs for families
We’re asking families how to make it easier for them to get the support they need in the right place, at the right time. New Family Hubs will bring together different services and support in one place. Have your say on how these should work.
>> Share your views on new Family Hubs by 29 September
Get over £1,000 in total to buy healthy food and milk for your child
You could be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if you’re aged:
- 18 or over and are pregnant, or have children under four years old and you get certain benefits
- Under 18, pregnant and don’t get benefits.
>> Apply for the healthy food and milk scheme for your child
Head to one of our youth clubs this summer
Visit our four youth clubs where you will be able to take part in a wide range of activities like basketball, football, table tennis, pool, table football, crafts, PSP gaming, gym, off-site trips and more.
>> See what’s on at youth clubs and the opening times
Measles is spreading: check your child is protected with a MMR vaccine
Cases are rising among children in south east London. It’s a serious and potentially fatal illness, which can be prevented by vaccination. Make sure your child is up to date with their MMR (measles mumps and rubella) vaccine by checking their red book (child health record). Contact your GP if your child is not up to date.
>> Find out the signs and symptoms of measles, and what to do if you think your child has it
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Southwark Leisure opens its doors!
We’re directly managing our leisure centres again under the name Southwark Leisure. You’ll find fantastic facilities, friendly staff and great activities in all our centres.
Buy a one-month membership to try us out!
>> Buy a one-month membership to try us out (there’s no additional joining fee currently): Choose ‘join online’ on our website
Book classes on our app or website
>> Download our leisure centre app from the App Store
or
>> Download our leisure centre app from Google Play
>> Book leisure centre classes or facilities on our website
You can also read our media release about the launch of Southwark Leisure
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More updates
Get help to lose weight: free virtual Weight Watchers support
If you’re 18 or over you may be eligible for 12 weeks’ free weight loss support. This includes virtual expert coaching, and discounted gym membership. You’ll need to have certain body mass index (BMI), and be a resident or be registered with a Southwark GP to apply. Places are limited, so apply today!
>> Find out about free Weight Watchers support
Health roadshows hit Southwark this summer
Look out for our health and wellbeing van visiting events. You’ll be able to get a range of advice available at all the free events including:
- preventing and managing diabetes
- local cancer screening
- blood pressure and weight checks
- what your local leisure centre can offer you
>> Visit the next health roadshow at the free Feel Good festival on Camberwell Green, Saturday 8 July
Property licensing extends to new wards for rented properties
From 1 November 2023, selective property licensing will be extended to include 19 of the borough’s 23 wards. See our interactive map to check if your property is included. Selective licensing covers all privately rented properties not already licensed by our HMO licensing schemes. Landlords and agents can sign-up to receive regular updates by emailing propertylicensing@southwark.gov.uk
Let’s talk health and wellbeing in Camberwell
If you’re interested in what’s going on to supports local’s health and wellbeing come along to Camberwell Library on Wednesday 12 July. Meet like-minded people, share the activities you’re involved in and explore new ways of collaborating locally.
>> Book for the health and wellbeing conversation in SE5 on 12 July, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Learn English (free courses)
Learning English can help you talk to your doctor, get a job and help your child with homework. There are lots of free English courses in Southwark
>> Want to learn English? Find a free course
Free: re-train in green skills
London South Bank University is offering a free five-week Green Skills Bootcamp, starting on 24 July. If you have maths GCSE and some IT skills you’re eligible. Learn real world skills in sustainable engineering and get help you find a job.
>> Register your interest in a green skills bootcamp
Help prevent suicides in Southwark
Suicide prevention is everyone’s business. We want to hear from people who live, work or run a business in the borough. You can get advice on supporting your mental health and wellbeing. If you need someone to talk to right away, you can call the Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 116 123 (free from any phone).
How we can make Southwark more age-friendly
We want to hear from anyone on how we can make the borough a better place for older people, so they can live healthy and active later lives.
>> Complete the survey on how age-friendly the borough is by 6 August
Free: get active in Southwark’s parks this summer
We’re running five health and wellbeing park events this summer starting from 29 July. Come and take part in a taster session, including exercise classes, family sport, BMX (Burgess Park), training on outdoor gyms, hear about local leisure centre opportunities, and find out about healthy lifestyle services in Southwark.
>> Find out more: our active Southwark fun days in parks
Beat the heat – stay safe this summer
Hot weather can be life-threatening for older adults, people with long term health conditions and young children. Look out for signs of heatstroke and dehydration in yourself, and others during hot weather.
>> Get advice on staying well in hot weather
seful household items, like drills, carpet cleaners, and projectors, at Canada Water Library of Things. Reserve online from as little as £1 per day, pick up at Canada Water Library, and return once you’ve finished with it.
>> See what items you can borrow and reserve
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