4 DAYS AGO - Local charity Link Age Southwark has launched a brand new project with the aim of bringing colour and nature back to the lives of older people in Southwark, but they need your help to make it happen. Bloomin’ Lovely is a fundraiser with a vision of gifting plants to older people who have been unable to leave their homes for many weeks due to the COVID-19 crisis. Throughout the pandemic, the charity have been supporting over 60s who have been unable to do any kind of shopping, which includes buying plants and flowers to spruce up their homes and gardens. This project aims to raise funds to deliver bedding plants, a bunch of flowers or a houseplant to show our older friends that the local community hasn’t forgotten them. A willing band of volunteer gardeners will deliver the plants and can also offer practical help with planting and tidying garden spaces to ensure our older friends’ gardens aren’t left untended. The charity’s fundraising goal is £5,000 which is being raised Collapse

27/06/2020 - Central Southwark Community Hub (CSCH) provides food to people in need within our community. The number of residents they support weekly has grown from 30 to 200+ due to Covid-19. CSCH is running a raffle to fundraise for the foodbank. Money raised will mean more people can be supplied with food packages, as well as help, to address the underlying cause of their situation. All of the raffle prizes have been generously donated from Southwark foodie businesses. There are some truly worthwhile things on offer! Tickets can be purchased using this link. They are just £2 so please dig deep for the chance to win some delicious prizes in exchange for giving the gift of food. Follow CSCH on Instagram, ​Twitter or Facebook   The post Central Southwark Community Hub Covid-19 Foodie Raffle appeared first on Around Dulwich. Collapse

17/06/2020 - I am Victoria Rennison and I started the first Covid-19 community raffle – #SaveEastDulwich – to support local independent businesses during the pandemic.     How long have you lived in the area? I have lived in East Dulwich for just over 3 years. What brought you here? I used to live elsewhere in South London but when I first came to East Dulwich, I fell in love with the village feel of it, with the green space and independent shops and cafes and the sense of community. It has the best bits of London whilst still feeling like its own little area that’s outside the hustle and bustle of the city. What has changed most during that time? It has retained its independent charm and embraced the idea of local shops, restaurants, bakeries etc., even more, which is what makes the area so wonderful. The onset of the pandemic has put a lot of that under threat and has been heartbreaking to see, and is what brought about my idea of creating a community raffle … The Collapse

20/05/2020 -   Now that we’re spending more time in our homes, those of us lucky enough to have one are appreciating our garden more than ever. Here’s how to keep yours at its best at this time of year.   Pruning … Prune early flowering shrubs like weigela, ribes, philadelphus and deciduous magnolias. Cut back flowered growth to strong young shoots lower down the plant and around a quarter of older stems. And cut back flowered shoots of choisya for the chance of a second flush. Prune back Clematis montana and armandii, as well as honeysuckle and other vigorous climbers Lightly prune evergreen topiary and hedges with pruning shears. Cut back flowering stems and yellowing foliage on spring bulbs (around six weeks after flowering). Until then, keep watering and feeding bulbs to prepare them for next year. ( Growing bulbs like tulips in a pot is a good way of avoiding having to look at the foliage as it dies back as you can move it away.) Tidying… Keep on top of weeds – pulling out Collapse

16/05/2020 - Nena Foster wrote a lovely article for the May issue of SE23 which we are happy to share. As a freelance nutritional chef, my work revolves around working with people; whether it is a cookery class or workshop, working with clients on a 1-2-1 basis or cooking on a set for a cookbook or magazine. My job also revolves around consistent access to food, so it was no surprise, but still came as a shock, that when we ended up in lockdown all my work completely dried up or needed to be delivered without making contact with others. After an initial panic, I decided to take my experience as a cookery teacher, former university lecturer delivering remote teaching sessions and use my limited (but growing) tech skills to move the parts of my business that I could online. The first week of lockdown was spent trying to make sure my family had what we needed and was spent getting up to speed with transitioning to online class delivery. At times it felt completely impossible; juggling … The Collapse

13/05/2020 - Many local businesses have had to adapt to life under the Covid-19 lockdown.  So many businesses got in touch with us at SE Mags to tell us how they have adapted their business to cope. Jerk Off BBQ At Jerk Off BBQ we love to host events and parties. We’ve been planning a launch for our new site but due to the Government lockdown we’ve been unable to celebrate when we’d wanted to, it a real shame not to see our supportive customers and community. However, we believe in positivity and great food, so as cooks we are always ready and willing to adapt and have done this by going fully online. We’re delivering locally to some lovely regulars from our pop ups and markets, as well as gaining a great new local following! Whilst we are in a pandemic the only thing we can do is stay safe and take all the recommended government guidelines seriously, which is why we operate a contact-free curb-side delivery system with all payments made online. Other than that, why not be Collapse

11/05/2020 - Aneto Cafe need your help.  In 2013 Chef Damiano Vecchio opened Aneto where Locale once was. Inspired by great fresh ingredients, Aneto, a small neighborhood café began creating great breakfasts for regular guests. Due to their success, neighbours began to ask for homemade soups and salads, and even made-to-order sandwiches. After successfully trading for five years Aneto moved into bigger premises next door to showcase more dishes and increase trading hours until 8pm in the evening. Since Covid 19 crisis started, and the café was closed, Aneto swiftly changed  into a deli/shop complete with all the proper self distancing rules and guidelines . Selling fresh homemade pasta, in-store made breads, wines, dry and fresh goods and the occasional toilet roll! They also have a delivery service where they make sure the proper cleanliness is adhered to in making, picking and packing the orders. They provide a free delivery service to the most vulnerable people living in SE22/15 Post Covid-19 Collapse

07/05/2020 -   We caught up with Amanda Pearce, one half of the duo behind the The Great Big SE4 and SE23 Raffle who is  passionate about indie businesses and shopping small.  Amanda had The Last Word in the May issue of SE23. I’m Amanda Pearce, Forest Hill resident, mum to two boys, coffee addict, crocheter, classically trained soprano, and Australian export.   How long have you lived in the area? I’ve been a Forest Hill local for nearly 7.5 years, arriving in December 2012. What brought you here? The offer of a spare room, whilst I found my feet in freezing London after moving from Australia. I loved the feel of the area so much that I found a room to rent, and never left! What has changed most during that time? The shop-fronts have certainly changed! There’s always a tug of sadness that the Laundromat was replaced by an estate agent, but it’s been great to see some of the diversity opening up along Dartmouth Road and how well it’s been received. What do you most … The post The Collapse