NEW free Feel Good Festival brings health, art, music and food experts to Camberwell Green this summer
Free workshops covering all areas of physical & mental wellbeing for children and adults
Every Saturday from 25th June to 30th July at SE5 Forum’s stall at Camberwell Green market, from 10am to 1pm
SE5 Forum’s Feel Good Festival brings together 35 health professionals to run free health and wellbeing sessions for the community on Camberwell Green over 6 weeks this summer.
The sessions include exercise, yoga, tai chi, skating and cycling classes, art, music, creative writing, nutrition and food pantries. Partnership Southwark’s health and wellbeing tent will also be there to provide mini health checks alongside Covid-19 vaccination for all the family. The aim is to help local residents improve their physical and mental health and to signpost people to services.
The programme is the brainchild of local parent Shazna Choudhry. She was moved by the impact of COVID on her community. Shazna says: “When lockdown hit, I saw the loneliness of my elderly neighbours, the isolation of our children, the difficulty of accessing health care. Now post-COVID, it is wonderful to see the community coming together in our Feel Good Festival to improve everyone’s wellbeing."
Shazna joined the board of community organisation SE5 Forum, who backed the Feel Good Festival as did Partnership Southwark, MIND and the Bethlem Gallery at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Shazna’s own employer Eversholt Rail, generously provided funding, while local health practitioners are providing their services for free. Local dad Pete Lewis, who runs creative design agency Curious Ways, has designed all the marketing for the event free of charge.
Shazna says: "It is so special to have all these experts provide their skills and services for free to the community for our Feel Good Festival.”
Feel Good Festival programme
Week 1 - Saturday 25th June: BODY with face and henna painting, mini health checks and Covid-19 vaccination at the health and wellbeing tent from Partnership Southwark, Osteopathy from Osteopathy on the Green, Pulse diagnosis, Women’s cycling for beginners with Joyriders, Salsation with Rebeca Italiani, a guided tree walk with The Camberwell Society and Tai chi with Wu Style Brixton.
Week 2 - Saturday 2nd July: ART with creative workshops by Izzy Parker and Bethlem Gallery, Restore Your Calm with Arts by Kola, Wor(l)d building writing with Mary Paterson,
#joinmycanvas with Ange Mukeza, Yoga with Oshala Livity.
Week 3 - Saturday 9th JULY: MIND with the MIND charity, My Emotions activity book workshop with Laura H Brown, Mindfulness through photography and play with South London & Maudsley CAMHS, Creative Writing with Camberwell Scribes, Music performance with Lyndhurst Primary School Choirs, and Healthcheck and fitness advice with Pure Gym.
Week 4 - Saturday 16th July: MUSIC with drop-in sessions for parents with child psychologist Dr Jen Wills Lamacq, Margaret’s Music - Kids' singing workshop with South London Songsters, EasyGym fitness class and free gym passes, Salsation with Rebeca Italiani, Skating for beginners with Landshark.
Week 5 - Saturday 23rd July: FOOD with Nutrition & Caribbean fermentation workshop with Jasmine Carbon, Pop up Pantry and Food Workshop with Healthy Living Platform, West African Feast with Spring Community Hub, Fitness with BizzyIzzy, Get Fit & Do Good with GoodGym Southwark, Nikcarl Mckenzie's comic drawing workshop.
Week 6 - Saturday 30th July: EXERCISE with Yoga with Mistercollieman, Self-defence with Vegan Special Forces, Whole Body Workout with Alex Naylor, Salsation with Rebeca Italiani, Nikcarl Mckenzie's kids' skate workshop, Mini health checks and Covid-19 vaccination at the Partnership Southwark health and wellbeing tent.
About SE5 Forum for Camberwell
SE5 Forum for Camberwell works to improve Camberwell for the benefit of all members of our diverse community. It is a voluntary group of 18 board members working closely with supporters and the community. Founded in 2006, SE5 Forum has supported the formation of Camberwell Community Choir and Camberwell Farmer’s Market. It runs a weekly community stall at Camberwell market. In 2022, it is focusing on increasing trees and green space; transport, including more cycle facilities and hire, saving bus routes and reopening Camberwell train station; community events including a community kitchen and Feel Good Festival. It works with the Camberwell Identity Group to develop Camberwell’s identity and support Camberwell’s independent businesses.
About the Camberwell Identity Group: The SE5 Forum, Camberwell Society and Camberwell Arts working with the community and businesses, consulted widely to develop a visual identity for the area. The ‘Camberwell Brick’, in the logo above, created by local design consultancy, Studio Sutherland, was inspired by the well which features in its name, history and coat of arms. The well acts as a metaphor for Camberwell’s diverse and vibrant community, with each brick able to symbolise different characteristics that come together to make a cohesive whole. The bricks also form the C for Camberwell. The identity is reflected in 20 street banners, 4 murals, a Camberwell map and the Love Local campaign which promotes Camberwell businesses.