The Giving Lab Summer Festival Wrapped Up
By Tamara Jacobs
It was the last day of August and things were heating up at the Jack Hobbs Community Centre. Music was playing, pinatas were breaking, and people were queuing for falafels, hummus, slushies and more. It was The Giving Lab’s Summer Festival and the best of Southwark had come out to support the inspiring leaders who are putting everything they have into making their community a better and healthier place to live.
I had the privilege to meet some of them and was eager to learn what they do and what makes their work so rewarding.
Victoria Balogun is a third year medical student at King’s College London. She and her two business partners, Fay, an economist, and Esther, also a med student, have recently launched Nurtured, a health promotion hub that provides and signposts Southwark’s Black community to accessible and actionable resources that can enhance their well-being and foster personal growth. Victoria’s mother, who is also at the Summer Festival, recently qualified as a nurse. She tells me that she now understands more than ever the importance of being your own health advocate, something she and her daughter are clearly aligned on. She regularly checks her children’s blood pressure and glucose levels with a home kit and encourages her friends and family to do the same.
While having my own ‘mini health check-up’ Victoria tells me about Nurtured’s upcoming event, My Health and My Career, which will take place in London Bridge, Saturday, September 30th. “Career and health are not mutually exclusive - each impacts and is impacted by the other. Our event will include workshops and discussions on how to strive for professional advancement whilst continuing to prioritise your physical and mental well-being.” Give their socials a follow to learn more!
Next, I meet Betty Efemini who teaches me how to make hand cream. Betty has been an active member in the communities of Southwark, Lewisham, and Lambeth for over 10 years. She founded Holistic Well Women, an initiative that tackles loneliness, improves health and wellbeing, and offers peer support. Betty tells me that she loves her work because it enables her to meet incredible people, some of whom are amongst society’s most vulnerable. At her workshops they can meet and connect, and feel empowered to share their skills with others, helping build their confidence and giving them a sense of ownership.
After I finished making my lavender and lemongrass infused cream, I spot Jocelyne N’Guessan cooling herself down with a gorgeous fan. She has them made in the Ivory Coast and some are available to buy. As I open each one up to see its pattern, we start to talk. Jocelyne is one of The Giving Lab’s Facilitators and Community Learner’s and was integral in bringing a few of its initiatives to life.
When I ask her what she has learned most from working with The Giving Lab, she tells me that before joining, she had been admitted to ICU for twelve days due to COVID-19, which left her with a long-term health condition, and sadly during the same period, her father passed away. This sequence of events really affected her mental health and made her lose confidence - she felt like she had lost it all and might never have a normal life again.
The opportunity to train as a TGL Facilitator was life changing. It has allowed her to grow and expand her interpersonal skills, which has boosted her confidence and made her feel appreciated and valued. She says she feels supported by such a friendly team and acknowledges that the nature of the work and the flexibility that comes with it, is ideal for her lifestyle post-Covid.
Outside of her work with TGL, Jocelyne is a wellbeing group lead and provides support to members of the community who have experienced traumatic life changes. She also runs her own catering and desserts business, Jocey Divine Enterprise, and has the most fabulous cupcakes on display – I can’t resist, yum!
I manage to grab a few minutes with Selina Boshorin who has worked her whole life in employability – first with the community in Croydon, where she grew up, and later with charities. When I ask her what she enjoys most about her work, she replies “seeing people transition from having almost no confidence at all, to feeling confident and able to speak well of themselves and their work.” Selina now runs her own programme, Caterpillar 2 Butterfly, and offers career guidance, coaching, and personal development to adults.
Next to me children are giggling away at what looks like an arts and crafts station but is actually the booth of Latin Age UK. Latin Age UK is a Bolivian and Latin community group in Southwark where over 50s can meet, make new friends, and have fun while reducing loneliness and improving mental wellbeing. Patricia, the Founder, moved to London from Bolivia many years ago and still feels overjoyed to see different communities integrate and support one another.
Before heading home, I stop by MiniPT. They’re an AI-enabled app that is like having a personal trainer in your phone. Portia, who works for them, tells me that too often people don’t know what they’re doing at the gym or where to start. But personal training can be expensive. That’s why MiniPT is on a mission to make great fitness accessible to everyone. I squat for the camera to test my form – not bad, but there’s room for improvement!
As I make my way to the tube, I feel completely moved by the women I met. Each one is dedicated to making the lives of others better, healthier, and more purposeful. It makes me wonder, do others know who the pillars of their communities are?
Since 2018 The Giving Lab, in partnership with Impact on Urban Health and the Wellcome Trust, has brought together people, organisations, and businesses in Southwark to share and develop ideas for improving community health. For information on how to get involved visit www.tsip.co.uk/the-giving-lab.