Working in Partnership in Kennington & Vauxhall

I have been supporting Riverside Community Development Trust (RCDT) in various capacities) since May 2004. Like most community organisations it has had its ups and downs. Its back on an up. It has decided to work more closely than previously with Lady Margaret Hall Settlement (LMHS) because we have found that partnership working can make the most of opportunities that arise. LMHS has been supporting Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre (VGCC) in its negotiations over the past few years to ensure it has a continued existence when Lambeth Council sold the building VGCC occupies to a major office developer in the area CLS Holdings. This has now been achieved with the future of the Centre secured. LMHS also helped it sign an agreement with Real World to run its UK On-Line Computer Centre at the building. As a lot of work has to be done to bring the building up to scratch RCDT is housing the Centre and Real World at its premises at 20 Newburn. Now I have become Secretary to both the RCDT Board and LMHS Council and the RCDT member newsletter has been relaunched with LMHS as a joint public document. To receive copies all residents and workers in Kennington and Vauxhall have to do is to email me sean.creighton@btinternet.com

The two organisations, VGCC and Real World ran a joint set of stall at the 11 September Changing Vauxhall EXPO community event. I led two walks round the area of Spring Gardens and launched my new publication providing a historical overview to mutual and social action in Lambeth written because of Lambeth Council's Co-operative Council initiative (see separate blog posting).

The Albert Embankment and the Vauxhall area forms part of the Vauxhall, Nine Elms & Battersea Opportunity area in which massive redevelopment is proposed by Mayor Boris, and Lambeth and Wandsworth Councils. There is the proposed Covent Garden, American Embassy, Power Station and Tideway developments, the proposed extension of the Northern Line into the Power Station site. And now added into the mix is the mammoth underground sewer main project proposed by Thames Water. It is very important that the community groups on both sides of the Lambeth/Wandsworth border liaise.