Black Prince Trust’s Community Living Room boosts health in north Lambeth

Health and care system leaders in Lambeth were joined by Board members from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust on a visit to the Black Prince Trust this week to see how their Community Living Room is boosting health in the north of Lambeth. This initiative, supported by Lambeth Together, brings residents together for social activities that promote wellbeing and build resilience. The visit took in a ‘Forever Young’ class, which supports healthy ageing by helping participants over 55 improve their strength, balance and coordination. The class has been so popular it’s expanded from one to three weekly sessions.

Richard Joyce, Chief Executive at Black Prince Trust said: “Our Community Living Room programme offers health and wellbeing activities five days a week, focusing on those communities less likely to engage in physical activity and who already experience health inequalities. This includes older people, ethnically diverse communities, parents with young children, unemployed individuals, and those with ongoing health conditions.”

Beverley De Valmency, Black Prince Trust Health and Wellbeing Projects Lead, added: “We always look to extend our services and keep people engaged beyond each individual project. For example, while attending a weight management programme, participants can learn about other health activities, and many become regular members. While they learn about diet and nutrition, they can also take home fresh fruit and veg through our food programme, which runs on the same day. So, when people come to the Community Living Room, they’re also connecting with everything else happening here. In this way, the Community Living Room has attracted more people here and helped us double attendance across our health and wellbeing programmes.”

Bimpe Oki, Lambeth’s Acting Director of Public Health and Lambeth Together Board member, said: “The Community Living Room at Black Prince Trust strongly supports Lambeth Together’s aim to make sure communities are connected, engaged, and thriving. It’s a key priority within our Staying Healthy Programme to make sure people are supported to maintain good health so that they avoid developing preventable serious long term health conditions. And within our Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance, we work at neighbourhood level to ensure that people are connected with services that can support them to improve their health, especially when they have ongoing health issues.”

Pictured below: Diane and Elizabeth attend the Forever Young class every week.

Elizabeth said: “It’s good for our joints, to avoid them getting stiff, which is important at our age. It’s also great for our minds, for brain stimulation and coordination. We do exercises like walking backwards to improve balance. You can really feel it the next day, so you know you’ve worked hard!”

Diane added: “We also practice walking whilst carrying weights – which has really helped another lady who comes here regularly to start carrying her shopping back from the supermarket which she wasn’t able to do before. I come here with my husband primarily for the fitness, but everyone here gets on really well and we often stay for coffee afterwards. It’s a really friendly group.”

This is Lambeth’s second Community Living Room. Thriving Stockwell’s Community Living Room opened in July 2023.

Find out  more about activities at Black Prince Trust’s Community Living Room.

Find out more about the Lambeth Together approach to working in partnership in our five-year plan, Our Health, Our Lambeth.