Transforming lives through Kindness, Belief and Hope
Welcome to our January Newsletter.
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the first newsletter of 2023. In the spirit of New Year renewal and change, here at Pecan we are also making some changes:
We are launching Together at Pecan, a community hub that will replace our HOurBank and Employment Support services. Together aims to become a one-stop-shop for our community, providing a range of services from a warm space serving soup and a roll, warm drinks and snacks with games, arts and crafts and support filling in forms, to a variety of social activities. You can also find employment and life skills support, courses, workshops, and information as well as access to advocacy and partner organisations. In addition, the service will provide signposting and information about what is happening around the borough.
In line with this change, we will also be overhauling our website, to ensure it has all the up-to-date information and resources you need. This newsletter will also be getting a new look, so watch this space … and please let us know what you think.
Our Christmas Campaign will be running until 31 January 2023, so there is still time to donate if you wish to. So far, we have raised around £25,000.
Finally, we have some fantastic volunteer opportunities, so if your New Year’s Resolution involved meeting new people, helping the community, or trying something new, why not look and see if we have a volunteer role that’s right for you.
> Fundraising for Pecan
Ride London 2023
‘The world’s greatest festival of cycling will partner with Essex County Council for a second year.
RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling, will return in 2023. It will be the 10th anniversary of the hugely popular event, which was established by the Mayor of London in 2013 as an Olympic legacy event from the 2012 London Games.’
If you are a keen cyclist, want to be part RideLondon 2023 and to support Pecan, then contact us at: fundraising@pecan.org.uk for further information and to join #TeamPecan
> FOOD SERVICES AT PECAN
Southwark Foodbank
As the New Year starts, we are thankful for the support we received in December. Ranging from a Christmas Carol concert performed by Dulwich Choral and St. Joseph’s Primary School at St Barnabas Church to the London Bridge bucket collection – which raised just over £2.5K with London Oriana Choir, our largest amount raised so far! Plus, corporate volunteer days to generous monetary donations. Thank You!
Now we are back, Southwark Foodbank has been off to a busy start, and we are looking forward to advice agencies joining us in our foodbank sessions, offering clients support with welfare benefits, housing and much more. We are excited about the extra provision that clients will receive and the enormous impact the support and intervention will make.
January Foodbank Wednesday Bucket Collection
The next foodbank bucket collection at London Bridge Station will be on Wednesday 25 January, 7am-10am.
Southwark Foodbank Shopping List
Urgently required items:
- Tinned Meat
- Tinned Potatoes
- Tinned Tomatoes
- Tinned Fruit
- Tinned Rice Pudding
- Tinned Custard
- Tinned Vegetarian Options
- Jam
- UHT Milk (Semi skimmed & whole)
- Toilet Rolls
We have plenty of:
- Baked beans
- Cereal
- Pasta
Please ensure donated food has a long shelf life & is well within its Best Before End date.
A Southwark where everyone can afford the essentials
We are currently working closely with members of our community who have used our foodbank and Peckham Pantry to develop a local campaign for a Southwark where everyone can afford the essentials. To get involved with our community organising activities, please contact Flora, Community Engagement Officer.
Get help with the cost of living crisis
Find out what support you might be eligible for and where to get help.
Peckham Pantry
Veganuary at the Pantry
At our membership based Peckham Pantry – part of the nationwide Your Local Pantry – our aim is to make sure customers have a variety foods. As we are now in the new year, some customers maybe be joining in Veganuary. Peckham Pantry supplies a variety of delicious vegan products to help you join in.
Why not try out a recipe with one of their plant-based products, such as the vegan sausages or bacon.
> COMMUNITY AT PECAN
Together at Pecan
Community Information, Events, Workshops and Activities
Voting System Change
Important Notice: This year the Election Act (2022) brings into law some Voting System Changes including the introduction of photo Voter ID and the changes to the voting rights of some EU Londoners. These changes could have significant equality impacts on under-registered and under-represented Londoners.
To vote in the May 2024 elections, every voter will now require a suitable form of photo identification, whether you vote in person, by post or proxy. If you cannot afford or cannot apply for photo Voter ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. There will support for people to find out more and get suitable ID coming across London, funded by the GLA. Please check our website, social media and newsletters for more information coming soon.
Oyster Day Out: Trip to Horniman Museum | Friday 27 January 2023
Our monthly Oyster days out continue in 2023, for January we will be visiting Horniman Museum, a South London treasure which has extensive and fascinating taxidermy and instrument collections. Admission is free.
Read our prior newsletters to find out about our past Oyster Day Outs!
Please send an email to viola.etienne@pecan.org.uk or peter.aleksin@pecan.org.uk or phone 0207 732 0007 for any queries and to book your place.
New Workshop
Creative Expressions is a new series of workshops and will include sessions on public presentation and performance. It will run on Friday mornings 10.30am-12.30pm, from 20 January to 24 February 2023.
Discussion Group
We will be running Discussion Group on Tuesday mornings in the new Together Space from Tuesday, 24 January for 8 weeks starting at 11:00 am. Discussions should last about an hour. The group has worked very well online but is now going to try meeting ‘in person’. The topics will be fun and lightweight.
Techy Tea Party: February (Date TBC)
Hill Group will be hosting a free Tea and Tech workshop to help residents in the local area who are struggling to get online or use their devices.
We will provide the tea and cake, just drop in on the day and bring your device with you for a range of support to include:
- How to use your smart phone
- Accessing and sending emails
- Using online council services
- Staying safe online
- Using social media
- Online shopping
Not only will this session be a great way to socialise and enjoy a cuppa, but you can learn something new too
Cost-of-Living Fund Application Support
We will be providing in-person support only to apply for the Southwark Council’s Cost of Living Fund: Monday – Thursday at Pecan 121a Peckham High Street, 11am-12pm, from Monday 9 January 2023.
We are a referral partner helping people apply for a one-off payment through the Council’s fund. The Council will make decisions based on their eligibility criteria and will contact individuals directly. To follow up on the status of your referral, please contact Southwark Council directly.
Please note: We are unable to see anyone outside of these timeslots and cannot respond to individual emails or phone calls regarding this.
Employment Support
At Pecan we work in the heart of Peckham and the surrounding area, and we offer our clients guidance to create their CV, support writing covering letters, and assistance completing job applications. There are also group and 1-2-1 sessions for how to job search, interview skills and training. From Monday 19 January 2023, we will be hosting weekly Employment Clinics from 2-4pm, which will cover:
- How to be job ready
- Support with interview skills
- How to make your CV to attract employers
- The difference between a cover letter and a statement
Our employment service is free for all Pecan clients, but you will need to register with us to access support.
Together Café and Warm Space
Opening Times: Mondays and Tuesdays from 1-3pm (closed on Bank Holidays)
Venue: Pecan, 121a Peckham High Street SE15 5SE
Together Café, 1-3pm Monday and Tuesdays: Enjoy warm soup and a bread roll, hot drinks, and snacks. Join in with arts and crafts, board games and group discussions or pick a book or magazine to read.
> Women's Service
Activities and Support continue in 2023
Women’s Service saw the year end with their annual Christmas party. There was fabulous entertainment, food, advice and stalls.
Women’s Service will continue in 2023 to offer a safe space and support to women affected by the criminal justice system, those needing advocacy and support finding information or just a community.
Drop-Ins: Women’s Service weekly coffee morning drop-ins have restarted: Every Tuesday (with themed crafts) and Thursday from 10.30am-12.30pm, and the last Thursday of the month is our regular lunch.
New Class Alert: We have a new online movement class, with a focus on mental and physical well-being, starting on Thursday 12 January. This class will run for four weeks.
Coming up over the next few months: We will have singing workshops with Clean Break, and we plan to run another set of comedy workshops after the success of the previous course.
All events take place at the Peckham Hub.
Vacancies
Events and useful links for January 2023
- Free Part Time Horticultural Training course | 12 January- 13 April 2023 every Thursday and Friday 9am-4pm | Run by Future Gardeners, this 14-week course is a chance to learn the key horticultural skills needed for entry into the horticultural industry. It’s a great opportunity for anyone who might want to consider this career path. The course can also be attended as a full-time 2-week work placement. At the end of the course participants will leave with a City and Guilds qualification as well as having been introduced to key employers in the sector.
Apply via the form on this webpage: Future Gardeners Application Form
Or contact louisa@bost.org.uk to find out more.
Dulwich Picture Gallery Event: Make your own puppet out of fabric and recycled materials | 14, 21 and 28 January 2023 | This creative workshop is in partnership with Dulwich Picture Gallery and is run in three different libraries across South East London. It is free and fun for all the family.
Location: Canada Water Library, Dulwich Library and Camberwell Library. For more details and to book contact: nell.cooper@southwark.gov.uk
Pocomania | 31 January- 5 February 7:30pm/4pm on Saturday 4 February | Decolonising the Archive’s Connie Bell has revived this seminal play written by Una Marson in the 1930s. The play is set in Post-Emancipation Caribbean and explores the dramatic social change which occurred at this time.
Location: Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil Street, SE5 7SB. For more details and to book visit: Pocomania – Theatre Peckham
Poetic Relief Foundation | This youth employment scheme is designed to help young people find employment in creative industries. The various activities it runs continue into 2023.
Find out more at: Poetic Relief – Theatre Peckham
Conversation Café | Continues from 12 January every Thursday 11am-12:30pm | Run by Camberwell Library for Spanish and Portuguese speakers seeking to improve their English.
Location: Camberwell Library, 48 Camberwell Green. For more details visit: Conversation Café – Southwark Council
