Camberwell sets the table for another global feast! After the success of last year’s festival, which attracted 6000 people to the green, Eat Around The World on Camberwell Green invites everyone to another delicious taste expedition as diverse as the vibrant neighbourhood it celebrates. 

Visitors can take a culinary world tour as Camberwell’s food festival showcases the spirit and flavours that make Camberwell a true foodie destination. From the fiery spices of Asia and the hearty, soulful dishes of Africa, to the zestful flavours of Latin America, the heat of the Caribbean and the aromatic cuisine of the Middle East and Mediterranean – all on vibrant Camberwell Green. 

With more than 80 stalls, this year’s global flavour fest also hosts four bars, live music, free family fun and games, art & crafts stalls & workshops, as well as a farmers’ market, herbs and plants, and a free community lunch.

Why this is an unmissable event in your calendar:

– Diverse global flavours: food that breaks boundaries and unites us in diversity and passion. With food stalls from Brazil to Venezuela by way of Madasgascar, Tanzania and the Caribbean, not forgetting British roast beef! 

– Hyper local food – honey, jam, cakes, mead and more – all made a stone’s throw from Camberwell Green.

– Four thirst-quenching bars from local businesses – with craft ales from a local brewery, cider, bubble tea, wine tastings, freshly-squeezed juices and Pimms. 

– Farm-to-fork local produce at the Camberwell Green farmers’ market – including fresh ingredients from Farmer John or Herbal Haven, our ever-popular herb and plant stall. 

– A chance to sign up for our bestselling Camberwell Food Walks, which explore Camberwell’s exciting food destinations, sample dishes and hear stories behind traditional family recipes.

– Free Camberwell Food Map for all visitors, featuring SE5’s fantastic food scene, with 90 eateries serving up flavours from around the globe.

– Support Local, Taste Global – an opportunity for visitors to support Camberwell’s independent food businesses and multicultural community through a feast for all senses. 

– Live music and free family fun – Live Scottish music and sound system, 2 bouncy castles, Zorbs and penalty shoot-outs from Amuru children’s charity, face painting and art and crafts. 

– Art & crafts stalls & workshops – from heavenly lavender to handmade gifts. Free arts and crafts activities – from making a Camberwell butterfly, to cake decorating.

– Camberwell community comes together – a free community lunch from Spring Community Hub food charity, bike marking from the local Met Police and a range of community stalls. 

Follow the festival on Instagram: @camberwellfoodfestival 

This collaborative event is brought to life by Urban Farmers’ Market and supported by SE5 Forum, Camberwell Arts, Camberwell Society, Spring Community Hub and Amuru, with community activities supported by Southwark Council. It not only celebrates Camberwell’s rich culinary offer, but also champions the local businesses and community organisations at the heart of this vibrant community.

Head to Camberwell Green for Camberwell’s annual Food Festival: Eat Around the World on Camberwell Green on Saturday, 17^th May – an unforgettable journey of joy, tastes, sounds, and sights, celebrating a diverse, culinary adventure. A perfect day out for everyone!

With special thanks to:

Urban Farmers’ Market, SE5 Forum, Camberwell Arts and Camberwell Society

Spring Community Hub and Amuru

Southwark Council’s Neighbourhoods Fund

Artwork & Design: Peter Roden & Jasia Warren

Publicity photography: Julia Hawkins and Halena Hucker

Camberwell Green is wheelchair accessible 

• Part-time, approx. 25 hours per month @ £20 per hour • Remote & Local Working.
• Deadline extended to Monday 14 April 5pm

Are you passionate about community development? Do you have strong administrative and communication skills? SE5 Forum for Camberwell is looking for a Freelance Coordinator to help us make a Camberwell we can all be proud of.

About SE5 Forum
SE5 Forum is a volunteer-led community organisation working to improve Camberwell for all members of our diverse community. Funded by grants and income from our community  market stall, we engage with residents, businesses and local authorities to drive positive change.

The Role
We need a motivated and well-organised individual to manage administration, communications and coordination for SE5 Forum. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a flexible, freelance capacity and is comfortable using digital tools such as Google Drive, Mailchimp, Social Media platforms, Canva, and WordPress.

Key Responsibilities

• Meetings & Admin: Prepare agendas, set up meetings (Zoom), and manage documents.
• Communications: Write and distribute newsletters, update website, and handle social media.
• Social Media & PR: Create social media posts, draft press releases, and engage with the local press.
• Event Support: Promote activities, assist with funding applications, and manage publicity.
• Volunteer Coordination: Support and supervise volunteers.

About You

✅ Previous experience in administration and communications
✅ Strong organisational and interpersonal skills
✅ Self-motivated with a can-do attitude
✅ Familiarity with social media and digital platforms
✅ Experience working with volunteers or community groups (desirable)

How to Apply
If you’re interested in this freelance role and want to help shape the future of Camberwell:
DOWNLOAD THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION HERE 
and send your CV and a short cover letter to: admin@se5forum.org.uk. 
Application deadline: Monday 14 April 2025, 5pm.

• SE5 Forum joined a King’s College Hospital wellbeing event to showcase our wonderful range of businesses and community organisations to hospital staff as part of our Love Local campaign.

Staff were treated to tasty giveaways and could browse local shopping merchandise on display. Along with Camberwell Society and Camberwell Arts, we also gave out free local resources such as our Health & Wellbeing & Food maps, and Camberwell Travel Guide. You can download these for free on Camberwell.life.  Watch the reel here on Instagram

• SE5 Forum on Southwark Climate Collective panel
SE5 Forum Secretary Marie Staunton joined a panel to celebrate the Southwark Climate Collective, and discuss challenges for local businesses. Chaired by Cllr John Batteson, who leads Southwark’s work on climate and business, the panel celebrated Southwark businesses and organisations that have cut emissions. 

See our Climate Champion banners on Camberwell Green and Denmark Hill station featuring Theatre Peckham, Burgess Park Sports, Southwark Pensioners Centre and Easy Gym, who have all made a major increase in their recycling and saved emissions. 

• Camberwell Town Centre Action Plan: Give your views
Southwark Council has published its Camberwell Town Centre Action Plan – you can read it here.

Finally changes are on the horizon for our  town centre. The plan is aimed at making our streets greener, safer, and more vibrant.

Improvements to Camberwell Station Road can already be seen with planters, eight new trees, street drainage, traffic calming and a cycle lane. Here is what to expect next:

What’s Changing?
The plan focuses on revitalising our town centre by:
✅ Improving safety through increased wardens, patrols, CCTV, and anti-crime initiatives.

✅ Tackling graffiti, flytipping and litter to create a cleaner, more welcoming environment. Starting with a pilot project to stop flyposting and graffiti on shops on Camberwell Church Street and flytipping on Vicarage Grove.

 ✅ Improving bus journey times and road safety on Camberwell Road, Denmark Hill and Camberwell Church Street.

✅ Supporting local businesses with grants and funding (four local businesses have received grants so far).

Will this help you?
Whether you’re a resident, a business owner, or a visitor – do you think these changes will improve your experience of the town centre? Let SE5 Forum know and also fill in the feedback form on Southwark Council website. The action plan will be published every 6 months.

Make Camberwell a place we can all be proud of: 
• Report issues such as graffiti, flytipping or anti-social behaviour via Southwark Council’s website. The links are below and in the Action Plan.
• Stay updated by signing up for the council’s community safety and business newsletters.

Safety

Report a crime: If someone is in immediate danger call 999. If it’s in the past report online. 
Report ASB and noise nuisance: Southwark Council 020 7525 5777.

Sign up to the council’s community safety newsletter or email CommunitySafety@southwark.gov.uk.

Town Centre and Environment

Report a problem in the town centre (like graffiti, flytipping, broken paving slabs, or street lighting)

A free graffiti removal service is available for private residents and businesses.

Support for Businesses

Find out about support and advice for businesses

Sign up to the council’s business newsletter

Celebrate Earth Hour in Camberwell with a unique candlelit concert by Orchestra for the Earth at St Giles’ Church, Saturday 22 March, 8.30-9.30pm.

The Orchestra for the Earth presents a thrilling Ruskin-inspired candlelit concert to mark WWF’s Earth Hour. Join them for a special way to experience this global lights-out event showing support for the planet. 

They’ll be playing under the magnificent backlit East Window of St Giles’ Church in Camberwell, designed by South London hero and pioneering environmental campaigner, John Ruskin. 

Share Ruskin’s love of nature and the Alps with a soaring and more intimate programme of music by Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, who also took inspiration from the mountains. Special guest Andrew Hill, Financial Times journalist and author of ‘Ruskinland: How John Ruskin Shapes Our World’, will also read words from Ruskin.

The concert is sponsored by The Camberwell Society and The Herne Hill Society, with support from our Trees & Green Spaces Group (an SE5 Forum/Camberwell Society joint initiative).

When & where: St Giles’ Church, Camberwell, SE5 8RB. Saturday 22 March, 8.30–9.30pm/ Tickets (£12, concessions £5). BOOK TICKETS HERE.

For each ticket bought, a tree is planted with the Eden Reforestation Projects.

Discover your inner child on Camberwell Green this Christmas!
Free Camberwell Community Christmas • Sat 7 December • 12-3pm.

This December our free Camberwell Community Christmas is truly young at heart! Everyone will be delighted as Camberwell Community Choir and Lyndhurst School Choir fills the air with carols to welcome Mr & Mrs Santa, who arrive at 12 on the Green in a Pedal Me cargo bike sleigh!

They’re joined by the talented young company of PAN! Peter’s Come Out to Play – Theatre Peckham’s festive show – bringing a youthful spirit to the event.

SE5 Forum for Camberwell has teamed up with Theatre Peckham, local charities and groups – and lots of volunteers – to put on another fantastic free festive event for all the community.

We hope you will come and play!

The FREE fun & activities on Camberwell Green include:

●    Mr & Mrs Santa grotto with free gifts for young children

●    Magical Gingerbread house – decorating gingerbread

●    Festive arts & crafts, creating seasonal collages, cards & gifts 

●   Live music & children’s games 

●   Baby activities & face painting 

●    Free warming soup from food charity Spring Community Hub

●    Community support stalls – free hygiene products & clothes bank, energy saving & cost-of-living advice 

●    Local charity stalls

On their way to the Camberwell Community Christmas, Mr and Mrs Santa and the young company from PAN!will make a stop on their Pedal Me sleigh by the Camberwell Arts Indoor Winter Market at Camberwell’s St Giles’ Church. Running from 10am-5pm, it’s a great place to buy festive gifts and support local makers and artists. 

And to round off the day, you can book to watch the  evening performance at 5pm,  of PAN! at Theatre Peckham.

Camberwell Community Christmas is organised by SE5 Forum, funded by Southwark Council’s Neighbourhoods Fund and in partnership with: Theatre Peckham, Pedal Me, Spring Community Hub, Amuru, Excel Beyond Barriers, Black Stock Media, Salvation Army, Camberwell Community Choir, Conveenie, Camberwell Society, Camberwell Arts, Southwark Pensioners Centre, Camberwell Leisure Centre, Lyndhurst School Choir, Camberwell Players

Camberwell Advent Calendar: festive treats and prizes every day in December!

Photo: The Nunhead Gardener
Watch out for our launch of the Camberwell Advent Calendar – from 1st to 24th December, the high street will come alive with daily unveilings of special activities and promotions. Residents and visitors can enjoy in-store discounts, treasure hunts with exciting prizes, discounted tickets for local events, charity raffles, freebies, festive treats, special dishes, and quizzes.

Follow the event to reveal the daily surprises and gifts at 8am every day on Instagram @camberwell.life or Camberwell.life. The calendar is funded by Southwark Council’s Thriving High Street Fund as part of the Camberwell Life Love Local campaign. Support local businesses and experience some Camberwell festive magic!

Camberwell Christmas Card – buy at our Saturday stall

Why not send a Camberwell Christmas Card this year? Drop down to our Saturday market stall between 10am and 3pm and you can pick up our very first Camberwell Christmas Card featuring a ‘vintage’ photo of Camberwell Green in the snow’ by SE5 Forum co-founder J Mark Dodds. All proceeds will go to supporting SE5 Forum’s activities. 

Festive Shows in Camberwell
Theatre Peckham: A Pan-tastic festive show – view the world with childlike wonder and rediscover the magic of play with Theatre Peckham’s modern retelling of Peter Pan brings to life the boy who never grew up. Running 6-23 December. Tickets at Theatre Peckham.

Blue Elephant Theatre: Join a Gala Performance of Mrs Claus’ List on Saturday 7 December at 8pm and support the Blue Elephant Theatre’s future. It’s a chance for grown-ups to enjoy their sell-out Christmas show & funds raised will help the theatre  to stay open. Book tickets here

Longfield Hall: check out the range of festive activities at Longfield Hall – from A Christmas Carol to singing carols, from dance and chamber orchestra to raves for little ones.

Thanks to everyone who attended our recent AGM in person and on Zoom. There was a fruitful discussion and lots to take forward on: community safety & policing; supporting older people and the new pensioners centre; helping small music venues and the high street, and community groups working collaboratively to support Camberwell. Also the issue of the empty, neglected Charles Edwards Brooke building near Myatt’s Fields.

Photo left to right: Florence Eshalomi MP for Vauxhall & Camberwell Green, Marie Staunton, SE5 Forum Secretary (chairing) and our community panel of Tyreece Asamoah, Southwark Black Parents’ Forum, Cathy Deplessis, Southwark Pensioners Centre, Stephen Bourne, Chair, Camberwell Green Safer Neighbourhood Panel, and Russell Occomore, Jazzlive at the Crypt.

Camberwell is now divided into 3 constituencies. Florence confirmed she will be working closely with Helen Hayes MP and Miatta Fahnbulleh to champion Camberwell. Find out who your Camberwell MP is here. Florence posted on X: “Lots of discussions about how we can all work together to address issues in and around Camberwell – really looking forward to more opportunities and collaborative working.”

SE5 Forum was also pleased the AGM voted to re-elect six board members: Sophy Tayler, Marie Staunton, Andy Murray, Gill Henderson, Barbara Pattinson and Berni Powley-Baker and four new board members: Petra Handoca, Karen Robertson, Daniel Aarons and Oliver Birrell. 

Thanks to United Reformed Church Camberwell for hosting us on 17 October.

Read the full Minutes here. You can also watch our video reel on our website at: se5forum.org.uk. And read our Annual Report.

You can also read our AGM Minutes and Annual Report here:
Annual Report
AGM 2024 Minutes

WATCH OUR AGM ANNUAL REPORT VIDEO REEL: CLICK HERE

Join the discussion with our Community Panel and put your questions to our new MP for Vauxhall & Camberwell Green.

Thursday 17 October, 6.45-8.30pm United Reformed Church, Love Walk, Camberwell, London SE5 8AE:

• Hear from Florence Eshalomi MP and our community panel of local charities, businesses and a community safety representative on how we can create a better Camberwell for all of our diverse community.

• Have your say on improvements to SE5

• Find out what SE5 Forum achieved last year – from free wellbeing events to supporting local businesses and Camberwell’s first food festival

Everyone Welcome!
To attend the AGM, please register on eventbrite.co.uk for in-person or Zoom.
Join in-person, please click here to register.
Join by Zoom, please click here to register.

You can also email: admin@se5forum.org.uk

WATCH OUR AGM ANNUAL REPORT VIDEO REEL: CLICK HERE

You can also download the AGM papers here:
Agenda
Annual Report
AGM Minutes 2023
Board Member Nominations
Poster

Would you like to Join SE5 Forum as a board member?
We’re looking for new board members to help us improve our local area and take forward new initiatives. If you’re interested, please download our flyer below and get in touch by Friday 11 October: admin@se5forum.org.uk.