Today I’ve launched a new website – South London Stories. Regular readers of this blog will recognise many of the stories it contains. This blog will continue, but South London Stories will house the more in-depth work that I do as I continue to explore the effects of austerity in the part of London where … Continue reading Introducing South London Stories
A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
To experience psychosis is to temporarily lose your connection with reality. It can involve hearing voices, delusional beliefs, confusion and difficulty communicating. Psychotic episodes are common to a number of severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia. Not all experiences of psychosis are negative – but some people may be hospitalised after a particularly serious episode. … Continue reading A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
The Surgery: General practice in the age of austerity
Last year, the number of GPs in England fell by more than 1,000 – and a record number of surgeries closed. Earlier this year, the largest annual survey of GPs found that unfilled vacancies were at their highest ever level. There is a national shortage of GPs, and the situation is getting worse. So what’s going … Continue reading The Surgery: General practice in the age of austerity
Lavilla’s Story: Suffering in silence
One day, Lavilla just stopped talking. For over two years, she didn’t utter a single word, in public or in private. A series of traumatic events triggered a breakdown that saw her repeatedly hospitalised and lose contact with her son and her family. I met Lavilla through Ace of Clubs, the day centre that has … Continue reading Lavilla’s Story: Suffering in silence
The Foodbank: A short film and a photo story
I’ve been spending time at the foodbanks in Norwood and Brixton since 2015, getting to know clients, staff and volunteers. Earlier this year, I worked with my friends at Hilow Films to produce a short documentary, focusing on the people they help and the reasons that bring them there. We filmed at West Norwood and recorded … Continue reading The Foodbank: A short film and a photo story
The Winter Shelter: A night with Glass Door
Last month I spent a night at a winter homeless shelter in Wandsworth, run by the charity Glass Door. I wanted to understand why rough sleeping in England has risen so relentlessly since 2010 – up 16% last year and 30% the year before. I talked to guests, staff and volunteers about the disparate problems … Continue reading The Winter Shelter: A night with Glass Door
“It feels like the people in power have no clue how people are living here” – Mosaic Clubhouse’s Maresa Ness and Lee Elliott on mental health and the impact of austerity
Mosaic Clubhouse in Brixton has been a lifeline for Lambeth residents suffering from mental health problems since 1994. Funded by Lambeth Council and the borough's Clinical Commissioning Group, it provides education and employment opportunities, housing and benefits advice, advocacy, a supportive community and a safe space in the evenings for those in crisis. According to … Continue reading “It feels like the people in power have no clue how people are living here” – Mosaic Clubhouse’s Maresa Ness and Lee Elliott on mental health and the impact of austerity
Fair Funding for all Schools: Meet the parents fighting a £25m cut to Lambeth school budgets
By 2019, Lambeth schools collectively face losing an estimated £25m from their annual budget through a combination of rising costs and a new formula for how education funding is distributed around the country. In total, schools across England will be approximately £3bn a year worse off by 2020, according to the National Audit Office. Head … Continue reading Fair Funding for all Schools: Meet the parents fighting a £25m cut to Lambeth school budgets
Piotrek’s Story: Loss, addiction and life on the streets in Lambeth
When his wife died suddenly 18 months ago, Piotrek’s life collapsed. He lost everything and ended up sleeping rough outside a post office on Clapham High Street for nearly a year. I met him at Ace of Clubs, a day centre in south London that helps homeless and vulnerable people, and where I’ve been spending time for the last … Continue reading Piotrek’s Story: Loss, addiction and life on the streets in Lambeth
Why people use Foodbanks: An interview with Jon Taylor
Jon Taylor has run the Brixton branch of the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank on Ferndale Road since 2011, and now manages a debt centre for Christians Against Poverty as well. In that time he’s seen demand grow fivefold – from providing food for 1,287 people in 2011-12 to 6,536 in 2015-16. He talked me through … Continue reading Why people use Foodbanks: An interview with Jon Taylor
Lambeth: Living with the cuts 