20 minute read
The Bermondsey nurse used voodoo to entrap her victims
15% Of sOuthwark is Blighted By fuel pOverty
Advertisement
By Joshua Askew
joshA@southwarknews.co.uk
FiFteen Per cent of homes in Southwark are living in fuel poverty, a Labour party study has found.
Approximately 20,000 households in the borough are struggling to keep their homes warm and well lit this year. The findings come just one day before the government is set to lift the energy price cap, which will see energy costs surge by 54 per cent on average.
This crippling increase is likely to push people further to the brink in the coming months.
Yet fuel poverty in Southwark is around the average for London.
Boroughs Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Waltham Forest have the worse fuel poverty in the capital, with more than 20 per cent of households facing grim choices on whether or not to heat their homes.
The City of London, which is also one of the richest London boroughs, has the lowest amount of fuel poverty at around 6 per cent of households.
Fuel poverty occurs when a household must spend more than 10 per cent of its income on energy.
But the government recently broadened the definition to include homes where fuel costs are above the national average, and where meeting these costs pushes the household below the poverty line.
While most households across Southwark will feel the effects of April's energy price hike, those on low incomes will face more pain as they are typically reliant on pre-paid metres, which are more expensive than other alternative forms of energy.
Many factors are increasing fuel poverty in Southwark and the wider country.
The cost of energy is rising rapidly as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, meaning households need to spend more of their income paying fuel and electricity bills.
Many of Southwark's homes are also poorly insulated, which allows lots of heat to escape, and they have old and inefficient heating systems.
To solve the crisis, Labour is calling for an immediate cut to VAT on energy bills and a windfall tax on energy companies, alongside an extension on the warm homes discount, which together could save households between £200 to £600 per year.
Oil giants BP and Shell are on course to make a combined profit of £40 billion this year.
The government has offered households a £200 loan to offset energy costs, which will be repayable over the course of five years. "For months now, Londoners have been telling me agonising stories about the sacrifices they’ve been forced to make including deciding whether to cook a meal or whether to heat their home," said London Mayor Sadiq Khan. "The story is the same up and down the country and the Government’s response? A dodgy loan that no one asked for. Labour has a comprehensive strategy to bring costs down and ensure our ongoing energy security through investment in renewables,” he added.
'pumping up the jam' in care home
Peckham residents play their favourites thanks to Purple Angel
By Joshua Askew
joshA@southwarknews.co.uk
reSidentS oF one carehome have had the opportunity to blast out their favourite tracks.
Those living in Queen's Oak, Peckham, have been given MP3 players jam-packed with their most loved songs.
Residents were "smiling, singing and dancing along" not long after the five iPod Shuffles arrived at the care home last week.
Staff at Queen's Oak said it was wonderful to see the joy the device brought to residents as donned their headphones and cranked the volume up to the max.
The songs on the MP3 players had been hand-picked by five of the residents, who sat down with staff and discussed the important tracks from their past. "I love that I can now listen to my favourite songs when I want and relax in my room,” said one lady at Queen's Oak.
Purple Angel, the charity behind the initiative, said they wanted to ensure residents could access music and feel the benefits of listening to familiar songs. "Not only does this help to boost mood, but also bring back connected memories from the past," they said.
Devon-based Purple Angel, which aims to raise awareness of dementia and provide support for people who live with it, said that, since the iPods had arrived, they have been passed around the home, allowing all the residents to take some time out and listen to music on their own. "This has been calming and uplifting for many people and has certainly improved personal wellbeing," they said.
NHS England has found that music can bring much physical and mental solace to elderly people, especially those with dementia.
It can help reduce anxiety and depression, maintain speech and language, is helpful at the end of life, enhances quality of life and has a positive impact on carers. "Music lights up emotional memories. Everyone remembers songs from their past, the first kiss, the song at a wedding [or] seeing their parents dance," the NHS England website reads.
Two-thirds of Southwark homes sold before being built
By Kit Heren
kit@southwarknews.co.uk
more tHAn two-thirds of homes sold in Southwark last year were snapped up before developers had finished building them, research shows.
The survey by estate agents Hamptons shows that the borough had the third-highest rate of 'offplan' sales in the country - at 67 per cent - and the highest in London. Only the Cotswolds and Monmouthshire in Wales had higher rates.
Southwark's rate was well ahead of the average for England and Wales, which stood at 37 per cent. But this was still the highest rate national rate in six years. Hamptons said the increase was because fewer homes were available on the market.
This also means that people looking to actually live in their homes - rather than people who want to use them as an investment opportunity - are behind much of the growth in off-plan sales.
It comes after the News reported in March that the average price of a property in Southwark is about thirteen times the average salary of someone who lives in the borough.
David Fell, a senior analyst at Hamptons, said: "“The lack of second-hand homes available to buy has meant that owner-occupiers are increasingly turning to new builds, with more willing to buy offplan in the face of limited options on the market. Typically, these are chain-free homeowners who have more flexibility on moving dates. "Despite this, owner-occupiers don’t buy as far in advance as investors who are often happy to wait a year or two, particularly when prices are rising. They’re also more likely to seek out bespoke, individually designed houses in smaller schemes, rather than flats in big city centre blocks."
Another tower is coming to Elephant
By Joshua Askew
joshA@southwarknews.co.uk
PLAnS For a new sixteen-storey block at elephant have been submitted to Southwark Council.
The 233-room student accommodation will be located on Avonmouth Street, just off Newington Causeway at Elephant and Castle.
It will replace the existing Avonmouth House Conference Centre, which is behind the London Bridge Job Centre and neighbours Newington Gardens.
Developer Tribe have said the block will include 233 rooms for students, alongside offices and a new healthcare hub. "I strongly object to this proposal," said one online commentator on the planning application. "Those of us living on the Western side of the Rockingham Estate are now being surrounded by high-rise buildings. The Travelodge Hotel allowed here is a complete eyesore. "Natural light has already been greatly reduced over the past few years," they added.
In the planning application, consultants HGH, speaking on behalf of Tribe, claim the tower is needed as there is "a substantial deficit in the supply of student housing relative to the number of students living and studying in Southwark."
Both London South Bank University and the London College of Communication are a short walk from the proposed site. They wrote a letter in support of the development, which was attached to last week's application.
Avonmouth House operator etc. venues said the existing conference centre is "surplus to requirements." They added that businesses and staff at the centre will be relocated to nearby Prospero House in Borough High Street. "The proposed development, designed by Stitch Architects, is of the highest quality and would deliver an exemplary design solution for this site," said HGH in the planning document. "The architecture is expressed as a group of elements of differing heights which relate to different orientations."
They continued: "It will form part of the emerging cluster at Elephant & Castle and will represent an appropriate transition between the tallest elements located on Newington Causeway including Two Fifty One, 89 and 87 Newington Causeway, and the lower scale further north on Newington Causeway and to the south and east of the site. "Its height will contribute to this emerging cluster that defines the gateway into the central area of Elephant & Castle."
HGH has worked on a number of major developments in Southwark, including the Leathams Building and Nyes Wharf.
Founded in 2020 by a team of veteran developers in the private housing sector, Tribe says it aims to ease the shortage of good quality affordable accommodation for London’s students. The company is currently progressing with five sites including this scheme.
In March, Tribe was provided with a £35 million loan to build a 250-unit student accommodation development in South Bermondsey. The plans can be viewed using the reference 21/AP/4297 on the Southwark planning register.
eveliNa appOiNts first dedicated Nurse fOr rare cOvid cONditiON
Michael Bell Sumita and Rahul
eVeLinA London Children's Hospital is among the first hospitals to hire a nurse dedicated to tackling a rare condition that affects kids that have had Covid-19, writes Kit Heren...
Doctors think PIMS-TS is a delayed reaction to the body trying to get over Covid, causing swelling throughout the body. There are only a very small number of children who get PIMS-TS, but they need hospital treatment. It needs to be caught early, but it can be successfully treated. Evelina London was among the first in the world to report PIMS-TS as a new condition in April 2020, helping other countries to also successfully treat it.
Michael Bell was hired as the PIMSTS clinical nurse specialist at the end of 2021 and works with doctors and nurses to care for children in Evelina London with the condition, as well as their families.
He also runs a dedicated helpline which gives medical support and advice to parents of patients who have gone home from hospital, and runs clinics where patients see a range of experts in one setting for check-ups after their time in hospital.
Ten-year-old Rahul Chakravarty became unwell with PIMS-TS last December. He was transferred to Evelina London by the South Thames Retrieval Service for specialist care after being diagnosed with the condition at his local hospital.
Rahul’s mother Sumita Chakravarty said: “By the time Rahul was diagnosed with PIMS-TS he was very ill. The doctors at our local hospital were concerned that he might have long term damage to his heart. They contacted doctors at Evelina London for advice and he was taken to the hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit. It was very traumatic seeing him there with so many IV lines connected to his body. He was otherwise a very healthy boy so the experience was very upsetting for us.”
Rahul spent nine days at Evelina London before going home to finish recovering.
Sumita said: “Once Rahul was back home it was very reassuring knowing that there was a dedicated helpline we could call to get medical advice. Rahul developed knee pain after being in hospital and we called the helpline and Michael arranged an appointment with a physiotherapist which did wonders.
“The staff at Evelina London were absolutely wonderful and it’s fantastic that they have a recognised pathway and a dedicated nurse to treat patients with this condition. I felt comfortable that the team knew what they were doing and Rahul was in very safe hands.
“Rahul thankfully has no long term complications. He gets tired very easily but he gets better every week and he has been able to return to school part time. His doctors have told us that most children are fully recovered by six months after their hospital treatment.”
Since the condition was discovered, Evelina London has treated almost 400 patients from across London and south east England.
symPToms of Pims-Ts can includE:
• A prolonged fever (higher than 38C) • Tummy ache • Diarrhoea and / or vomiting • Widespread red rash • red bloodshot eyes, strawberry red tongue, or red cracked lips • Swelling of fingers and toes • Not feeling or acting like themselves. If your child has any of the following symptoms, call your GP or NHS 111 for advice. If your child develops chest pain, please call 999 immediately.
the Blackfriars settlemeNt Needs £10,000 tO keep gOiNg
A CHArity that helps look after elderly people and people with mental health problems is having to ask for money to keep going, after seeing its income plummet during the Covid-19 pandemic, writes Kit Heren...
Blackfriars Settlement, which supports people in the north of Southwark, is looking for £10,000 to keep its doors open and run projects like Sunday lunches for older people who live alone, singing for wellbeing, arts sessions and a women's group.
One visitor who goes to the lunches said the meals were: "Somewhere I can go to when feeling lonely as I meet lots of new friends. I enjoy the company."
The singing for wellbeing groups are also popular. "It keeps me motivated," another visitor said. "It’s a great form of exercise and socialising. And it brings me joy."
Meanwhile the arts sessions help people believe in themselves, a third visitor said. " I grew from those sessions by believing I could actually draw and be artistic. I also grew by meeting new friends and by discovering things about myself ."
To donate, click search online for Blackfriars Settlement fundraiser.
here is yOur chaNce tO BecOme aN athlete via a sOuthwark spONsOrship scheme
UP-AnD-CoMing ATHLeTeS have been asked to apply for a sponsorship scheme fronted by olympians, writes Joshua Askew...
Southwark's rising sports stars are being offered the opportunity to become 'Sporting Champions' and gain expert support as part of the sports talent development initiative.
The 'Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions Scheme' - now in its sixth year - has helped thousands of athletes unlock their sporting potential by providing free entry to leisure centres, as well as guidance from Olympic medalists.
Aspiring athletes will be able to apply for the scheme through the Everyone Active Sporting Champions website from the beginning of April.
Everyone Active's 200+ leisure centres can be found in Camberwell, Dulwich, Elephant and Castle, Peckham Pulse, Surrey Quays and beyond.
Several new Olympians and Paralympians are set to join the scheme who will use their experience and expertise to mentor successful applicants. Their identities are yet to be revealed.
Olympic silver medalist Colin Jackson is continuing to support the scheme as an ambassador, working alongside the newly appointed Elite athletes to make sport more accessible within local communities. "I’m proud to be involved in a scheme that is so dedicated to supporting athletic talent from grassroots up," said Colin."I have watched the Sporting Champions scheme grow and I’m so excited for the relaunch of the scheme this year, where I’ll be working alongside some truly talented Elite athletes.
“The Sporting Champions scheme has helped thousands of up-andcoming athletes to achieve their sporting dreams and I can’t wait to see what this year’s intake go on to achieve,” he added.
Colin will play a key part in giving both one-to-one and group mentoring sessions throughout the year.
Sporting Champions will also receive free unlimited access to the Everyone on Demand app, providing them with more than 500,000 athome workouts from fitness brands, including WithU, Flex and Les Mills on Demand.
Sporting Champions has invested more than £1million into athletes through the scheme, over the past six years. Applicants should follow the Sporting Champions Instagram page (@ easportingchamps) for further updates on how to apply. The online application form is now open.
grave Of piONeeriNg camBerwell Nurse restOred
Stephen Bourne with Annie Brewster's grave at the ceremony
ExclusivE
By Kit Heren
kit@southwarknews.co.uk
tHe eASt London grave of a pioneering black nurse from Camberwell has been restored.
Southwark historian Stephen Bourne discovered the 'forgotten' grave of Annie Brewster, who died 120 years ago, in the City of London cemetery in Newham in 2019. At that time, it was overgrown and the large stone cross had fallen over.
Annie died in 1902 aged just 43. She was born on the Caribbean island of St Vincent in 1858 and settled in London with her family in the 1860s.
Her father was a wealthy merchant who was originally from Barbados and the Brewsters lived in Grove Vale, East Dulwich, before moving to Camberwell.
In 1881 Annie joined the nursing staff at the well-known London Hospital in Whitechapel in the east end of London. Mr Bourne, author of several books on black British history, learned more about her in the hospital archives. He said: “The first record, dated December 16, 1881, described her as a thoroughly satisfactory probationer. She was a favourite with all the sisters under whom she worked. She was gentle and kind to her patients.”
In 1902 Annie died after an emergency operation. Matron Eva Luckes and the nursing staff were heartbroken.
Ms Luckes reported that Annie was known to all her hospital friends as ‘Nurse Ophthalmic’ because of her painstaking work with elderly patients who were going blind.
She said at the time: “She had spent the best and happiest years of her life at the London Hospital. She was with us for just over 20 years, nearly 14 of which had been spent as nurse in charge of the Ophthalmic Wards. With her quick intelligence she became very skilful in the treatment of ‘eyes’ and her kindness to the poor old people who passed through her hands during this period was unwearied. Hospital friends mourn her loss and keep her in affectionate remembrance.”
The restoration of Annie’s grave was paid for by the Company of Nurses. Other people at the restoration ceremony on Tuesday, March 29, alongside Mr Bourne included members of the Royal British Nurses’ Association and Cenio E. Lewis, High Commissioner for St Vincent and The Grenadines. Annie Brewster
Restorers working on the Civitas Londinium
By Kit Heren
kit@southwarknews.co.uk
tHe oLdeSt surviving map of London is to go on display next week for the first time.
The Civitas Londinium, originally created in the 1570s, gives a birdseye view of the capital as it was at the time, stretching from Southwark in the south, up to Hampstead and Highgate in the north of the city.
There are three surviving prints of the map, all made in 1633. No one knows who originally made it, or why.
The Civitas Londinium is the centre of a new, free exhibition called Magnificent Maps of London at the London Metropolitan Archives in Clerkenwell, which starts next Monday, April 11.
Other exhibits include The Ruins of London, a survey commissioned by the City of London Corporation after the Great Fire of London tore through the city in 1666.
The corporation commissioned the survey in the week after the fire - which destroyed 13,000 houses - as part of efforts to rebuild the city following the devastating blaze.
Other artefacts in the exhibition include Victorian maps showing the spread of deadly diseases like typhoid, cholera and smallpox.
The chair of the City of London Corporation’s culture, heritage and libraries committee, Wendy Hyde, said: “This new exhibition gives a unique and compelling insight into how London was literally put on the map.
“It charts this extraordinary city’s development through some of the tumultuous events that defined it, like the Great Fire.
“We are bringing the history of London to life for our visitors, unlocking imagination, creativity, and innovation.” The exhibition runs from April 11-October 26. For more information search online.
afghaN refugees thrash parliameNt team at fOOtie match iN dulwich
The women were evacuated with flight paid for by Kim Kardashian
By Joshua Askew
joshA@southwarknews.co.uk
AFGHAn reFuGeeS have inflicted a crushing defeat on a Parliamentary team at a football match in dulwich.
The Afghanistan Development Squad thrashed the Women's Parliamentary Team at Dulwich Hamlet's home ground last Tuesday week, March 29.
The team of Afghan girls and women played against a cross-party group of MPs including Tracey Crouch, Kim Leadbeater and Alison McGovern, winning four thrilling games in total.
The goal tally at Champion Hill reached double figures in one match, with the Afghans putting on a sterling display of footie.
The Afghan Development Team fled the Taliban last year on a flight sponsored by the reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
They faced persecution and death for playing football as women after the Taliban took over in September, arriving safely in the UK in November. "The team is a long way from home, but the cheering atmosphere today was what they needed," said Khalida Popal, the squad's director. "After a tumultuous journey to reach safety, there are still many obstacles they face. Football has a powerful way of bringing people together and is a crucial part of the team rebuilding their lives in the UK.”
Tracey Crouch, captain of the losing Parliamentary squad, added: “We knew we were playing against pros, and we were up for the challenge. We got to know the Afghan team on the pitch, and they are remarkable players. It’s an absolute pleasure to have them settled in the UK and we can’t wait to watch them grow as a team.”
The match, kickstarted by Amnesty, aimed to celebrate the contribution refugees can make to football and highlight women's rights issues in Afghanistan.
Girls in Afghanistan were recently banned from going to secondary school, drawing international condemnation.
It is part of Football Welcomes, an Amnesty International UK initiative to welcome refugees and people seeking asylum into UK communities through football. "This match goes to the very heart of what Football Welcomes is all about - breaking down barriers and bringing people together from different walks of life," said Naomi Westland, head of the Amnesty initiative.
This year’s campaign – which is in its fifth year - comes during the biggest refugee crisis Europe has seen since the Second World War. "The refugee crisis in Ukraine shines a light on the importance of welcoming refugees wherever they're from, whether it’s Ukraine, Afghanistan, Eritrea or elsewhere," said Naomi. "We hope as many football teams as possible get involved this year to welcome refugees and show just how important they are to our communities."
walk iN the fOOtsteps Of ada salter with BermONdsey aNd rOtherhithe tulip map
20,000 are now flowering
By Kit Heren
kit@southwarknews.co.uk
A BermondSey residents’ group has planted more than 20,000 tulips in the area, which are coming into flower now.
Greener Bermondsey has published a map showing where the tulips are planted, so anyone who is interested can navigate their way around the 53 patches in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe. #ADA100 signs are also being put up at each site.
The local group was set up to celebrate the legacy of Ada Salter, the former socialist mayor of Bermondsey, who was elected to her post in 1922 - 100 years ago this year.
Ada found a Bermondsey that was heavily polluted and launched the beautification committee to plant thousands of trees and 10,000 tulips in the local area, among many other initiatives.
This is the second year that Greener Bermondsey has planted the tulips, after a successful launch in 2021. Both years J Parker Bulbs has donated 10,000 bulbs. For more information on the project and on Ada Salter, and to see a list of all planting groups, search online for Greener Bermondsey.
