March 28, 2026
Community voices driving change in Lewisham and Greenwich
It’s been a busy and inspiring few weeks for LRMN, filled with meaningful conversations, shared learning, and collective action alongside our partners and local residents.
In early March, we brought together Lewisham residents living in temporary accommodation for a meaningful listening group. The aim was to introduce the Five Basics campaign and, more importantly, to hear directly from people about their experiences. Residents spoke openly about the challenges they face, from unclear complaints processes to unsafe living conditions, especially for families with children. There was a strong sense of frustration around not knowing whether to approach the council or private agencies when things go wrong.
The Five Basics focus on essentials like cooking facilities, laundry access, Wi-Fi, secure storage, and clear information. Hearing that some of these are still missing reminds us why this campaign is so important for our local community. These conversations will help us shape our work so it reflects real needs and keeps community voices at the centre.
We also had the opportunity to attend the Greenwich and Lewisham Citizens Delegates Assembly, where institutions from across both boroughs came together to make collective decisions. With 12 institutions in Lewisham and 8 in Greenwich, the assemblies are a collaborative space for encouraging shared priorities and participation.
It was exciting to connect with partners and start building on the key issues we want local election candidates to address. Discussions covered a range of priorities including housing, living wage, NRPF, ESOL, and more. These assemblies help us prepare for the upcoming Elections Assemblies in April, where our collective voice will be even stronger!
Alongside this, we were proud to host a stall at the South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Strategy Event. It was a great chance to contribute to conversations about future priorities, including equity, inclusion, and improving care experiences. We attended with our Community Embedded Practitioner, who builds trust and supports refugee, migrant, and diaspora communities as part of the South London Listens programme in partnership with SLAM NHS Foundation Trust and South London Citizens.
We’ll have many more events to come, so please keep an eye out on our social media accounts to find out where we’ll be next!