We recently spoke to local publication The Elephant Magazine about our new community space, the Walworth Living Room.

Based at the historic All Saints Hall, Surrey Square, the Living Room first opened for a test-and-learn phase in 2019. 

With a large social space and regular pay-what-you-can cafe at its heart, it quickly became home to a huge range of activities and services: everything from a community cinema and sewing classes to cookery workshops, peer support groups and debt advice.

Read more about our vision for the Walworth Living Room – and how we brought it to life – in the full article below:

From the outset, we developed the Living Room alongside local residents and partners. As our Executive Director Mike Wilson said:

“We wanted to test the concept and for people to have an idea of their own involvement, rather than for us to simply build our version of the Living Room and find out that it didn’t suit the community.”

When the first lockdown hit, we had to pause the Walworth Living Room project. But as the magazine article says: ‘it won’t stay closed for long’.

Back in January, we were awarded £150,000 from Southwark Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy. We’ll be using this and other grants to refurbish All Saints Hall, developing a space that’s fit for the aspirations of the Walworth Living Room.

The magazine is a regular publication that covers the regeneration of Elephant and Castle and includes features about the area. It’s produced by the Council and distributed throughout the neighbourhood.

Our thanks to The Elephant Magazine team for chatting to us and writing such a brilliant feature on the Walworth Living Room!