Issue 17 / Winter 2020 TRUNK CALL PALADAR ELEPHANT SAYS HI Kayode Ewumi tells The award winning The new community THIS us about Enterprice, restaurant creating a project that wants his BBC show set in fusion of the best in you to say hello! ISSUE Elephant and Castle Latin American cooking 2 The Elephant The Elephant 3 Published by Southwark Council Editor Richard Wells Additional copy THIS IS THE Nikki Spencer Garth Cartwright Noella Pio Kivlehan Main Photography Hannah ELEPHANT Maule-ffinch Cover photo Kayode Ewumi, And this is the Elephant Magazine. Enterprice Designer Nathan Heins, he Elephant Magazine is the publication dedicated to Westco Creative all things Elephant and Castle. We want to celebrate all Tthat is fabulous about our neighbourhood and our Printed by community. We want to look back with fondness on the Swiss Post area’s past and look forward with optimism to the future. Enquiries The Elephant is changing and the Elephant Magazine will councilnews@ be following every step of the way. southwark.gov.uk We welcome your ideas, comments and contributions, so please get in touch. Photography from left to right: Ruth and Lily, Be Enriched; young dancer, Superarts; Imperial War Museum; East Street sign; School of Historical Dress; spy camera, Escape Plan; dessert at the Castle Canteen; Luisa, Draper Together; The Cinema Museum; food at Mercato Metropolitano; House of Magic; volunteer, Castle Canteen; Simon Drake; drama at Draper Hall; Castle Centre sign; Keep in touch Beehive pub; Remember: you can find St Mary’s Churchyard regular updates about the Park; Elephant statue regeneration of Elephant and Castle on our website at www.elephantandcastle.org.uk 4 The Elephant The Elephant 5 James, 16: Level 2 Highways and Maintenance Straight after leaving school, I did the now I’m in the second month of an course for my CSCS (Construction Skills 18-month apprenticeship. BUILDING A Certification Scheme) card. The course I’d recommend other young people was at Compass school in Bermondsey to give it a try. Whether you want to but for three days out of the two weeks be on site or in the office – there's I came here. I actually failed the course, something for everyone. No one judges but they rang me back and said ‘we have each other and it doesn’t matter what some work experience for you and if you qualifications you have, everyone is come on time, that will help.’ And I do. welcome. My long-term goal is to get BETTER FUTURE I came here every day – on time – and a black CSCS card. For more than three years the Southwark Construction Skills Centre has been helping local people get into work and helping the wider community in the process. he figure 8,020 makes John White do better still. Just over half of those scheme, Muro Court, and is tended pause for a moment then shake who attend their initial screening events by residents with help from the Skills This head in disbelief. go on to get a job or an apprenticeship. Centre apprentices and Bankside Open Standing before the brass plaque – “This still isn’t good enough” he says, Spaces Trust (BOST). unveiled by the Mayor of London, Sadiq “but it’s better than a lot of other John, who was awarded an MBE in the Khan to commemorate the opening providers. There’s lots more work to do. New Year Honours list, believes that of the Southwark Construction Skills projects like this can give something Centre in 2016 – John says “When we back to the community during the started, we were quoted as saying we’ll John White MBE disruption caused by regeneration. train thousands of people. I remember But they also provide a good thinking ‘that’s going to be difficult.’ training opportunity. But now, three years on, we’ve actually “It’s a good way to address how our trained more than 8,000. I didn’t realise trainees conduct themselves” he says. we’d be so successful.” “When you’re working in a place like It’s a cold winter morning at the Skills the Diversity Garden you need to Centre, based at Lendlease’s Elephant understand that people are living all Park development. To the left of the For me, it’s about the ones that don’t around you. You need to be quiet. You’re entrance stands the training yard, where achieve. The ones that don’t get jobs. not going to come down there with your a group of young, unemployed locals How do we re-engage them?” music blaring. It’s about respect and are being taught the art of scaffolding. Helping people get into work isn’t the education. It sounds obvious but these It’s just one of the skills taught at only way in which the centre helps the are important things to remember, they the centre, which focuses on helping local community. make you employable.” local Southwark residents (and those “Lots of people say they’re community- The Skills Centre will move from its Apprentices working on the Diversity Garden Molly Gadenz, BOST and Matt Strutt, SCSC from further afield) to undertake based, but you wonder what they current base at Elephant Park later this apprenticeships, pre-employment actually do?” says John. “We have year. It’s due to relocate to Canada Water courses, short-term construction apprenticeships, we have this and that (another major regeneration area). But George, 19: Level 2 Drylining qualifications and National Vocational but we ask ‘what else can we do to the exact location isn’t critical for John. As work is going to fill a large part of to interview for Stortford Interiors Qualifications (NVQs). help, locally?’” It’s what they do when they get there my life, the only way to be satisfied and doing drylining. Despite passing the 8,000 mark, John One example is a project on nearby that counts. “No matter when or where happy is to do the best I can and to love Today, I really enjoy my job. I’ve worked isn’t satisfied. He believes the centre can King James Street, where apprentices we move, I want 2020 to be the year we what I do. across various sites in London and no have been working on a community really up our game” says John, before I chose construction because I was two days are the same. It’s all about garden. The Diversity Garden is part of returning to one of the centre’s bright never good, academically, at school. working as a team. I’ve made some good the award-winning affordable housing orange porta-cabins to address a group I was always more craft orientated and friends and the supervisors are always of new arrivals. so I didn't want to work in an office on hand to help and offer advice. I have environment. I was going to college a sense of pride and joy in what I do, and was asked by a mentor if I’d like especially when I see the end results. Find out more at www.southwarkconstructionskillscentre.com 6 The Elephant The Elephant 7 Enterprice, Kayode Ewumi’s hit show, returns to the A LOVE LETTER TO BBC for a second series later this year. ayode Ewumi grew up in things happening. I got into trouble The BBC commissioned a pilot which Wolverton House on the Aylesbury sometimes and maybe I wasn’t the led to the first series. Kestate and describes his TV smartest – but I did OK.” “Originally, we looked at filming it comedy-drama series, Enterprice, as He also spent a lot of time at Inspire in Tottenham but my producer, Phil “a love letter to Elephant and Castle.” youth club which is run from St Peter’s Gilbert, said ‘why don’t you film it where “You don’t see stuff on TV about this in Liverpool Grove. you’re from?’ It made so much sense” ELEPHANT area that’s nice and positive, so I wanted “I probably went there once or twice says Kayode. AND to show people what I knew and saw” a week from age 11 until 17” he says. “It was lovely to film where I grew up. says the 26-year-old writer and actor. Damien Brown, who was a youth Knowing people locally made it so much “It was tough at times but growing up worker there, did all sorts of great easier and it meant all my family could here I had a lot of fun too and I wanted stuff for kids on the estate. It was a come and watch.” to highlight that.” safe haven for us where we did In the opening scene of the first “I also wanted to show how people everything from cooking classes to episode, Kayode is seen walking through CASTLE of different races and cultures can all drumming and playing video games.” East Street Market, eating a pattie, and live together” he adds. At home, Kayode loved East Street is still very much a part of The TV series follows two friends watching videos. his life. Kazim (Kayode) and Jeremiah “We didn’t have that many so we The Aylesbury estate is being (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge) as they watched the same ones over and over regenerated, block by block, and all attempt to get their small business – again. I remember seeing Jim Carey the council tenants have been given the a delivery service named Speedi-Kazz – in The Mask where he plays a bank option to be rehoused nearby.