In 1999, there was an opportunity for one community to be selected in Lambeth to receive an award to regenerate their community. So six of us residents got together and made a compelling case about how abandoned this area was. In 2001, we were awarded a £56 million New Deal for Communities grant to regenerate Clapham Park, one of the largest regeneration amounts given by the central government. There is a photo of all of us holding up a huge cheque somewhere! I was elected as a local councillor in 2002, I chaired the Health Theme Group for 4 years, I used to run the Food Bank and I’m also on the board of the Clapham Park Committee. I’ve never been paid for all the community work I’ve done, but I love it and I do it because I want to make a difference.
— Lydia Serwaa has been a resident of Clapham Park for over 24 years
— Photographed by Marcia Chandra at International Women’s Day hosted by New Vision 4 Women, Clapham Park Community Resource Centre , March 2018
CLAPHAM PARK CREATIVE CO-OP 