Southwark Skills

Focusing on issues relating to employment and skills training.

Thursday 21 January - 1.30 to 3.30pm,

Salvation Army, 1 Princess Street, SE1 6HH

Tola Sulu / 50 Plus Employment Link
Cliff Docherty / Blackfriars Settlement
Dotun Alade-Odumosu / Aylesbury IAG
Tim Reith / Peckham Settlement
Gerald Moynihan / SRA
Sunny Lambe / Black Business Initiative
Javier Paredes / SCCD Training Centre
Geors Richards / VSO
Maggie Cramb / St Giles Trust
Julia McGerty / London South Bank University
Sylvia Wachuku-King / Blackfriars Settlement
Salena Johnson / Family Mosaic
Yinka Opedere / South London and Maudsley
Maggie Burke / Camden Society
Andrew Bindi / Peabody Trust
Scott Kriebel / Guys and St Thomas Trust
Kevin Moore / Walworth Garden Farm
Paris Petgrave / Kaleidoscope
Amparo Rendon / Latin American Multicultural Group
Jamal Ettetuani / Community Action Southwark
Chris Sanford / Community Action Southwark
Mark Drinkwater / Community Action Southwark
Andy Boaden / Community Action Southwark
Lisa-Marie Bowles / LB Southwark
  1. Introduction to meeting – setting the context

All present introduced themselves. JE set the context to the meeting and introduced the five subgroups, of which this is one. JE explained how these related to other structures in the borough. JE highlighted the priorities that were established in the previous subgroup meetings and showed these on the boards on display in the hall.

  1. Guest Speaker / Q&A – Lisa-Marie Bowles, Southwark Council, European Funding

LB discussed the different types of European Funding available to Skills members and the range of support offered by her. These are:

•European Social Fund (ESF)

•PROGRESS – Community Initiative

•LEONARDO Vocational Training

•GRUNDTVIG

The most relevant to the sector, ESF, focuses on:

•Increasing adaptability of workers and enterprises

•Enhancing access to employment and participation in the labour market

•Reinforcing social inclusion by combating discrimination and facilitating access to the labour market for disadvantaged people

LB discussed any barriers organisations had to accessing funding and any support needs that groups had. It was noted that CAS will be providing further fundraising workshop on European funding in March. LB’s full presentation is available at:

  1. Basecamp

JE discussed the work that Community Action Southwark (CAS) had done in recent weeks on communication, including a pilot of the Basecamp project management system. JE explained that this is a web-based project management tool for collaboration.

A series of clips showcasing the Basecamp utilities was shown. CS noted that it was a potentially revolutionary way of working. Files and documents can be uploaded. Each subgroup could have a section and conversations could be had on each theme.

Members discussed the potential benefits of Basecamp.

Details of Basecamp is at: CAS’s Basecamp presentation is available at:

  1. Items for discussion –

Southwark Forum

JE explained the terms of reference for Southwark Forum and the subgroups has been agreed by Southwark Infrastructure Group. JE said that he was working on a Code of Conduct for the subgroups and Southwark Forum.

Southwark Voice

JE explained that Southwark Infrastructure Group will be superseded by Southwark Voice, which will hold its first meeting in March.

Subgroup Representatives

JE explained the roles of the representatives for each of the subgroups. TR introduced himself as the representative for Skills and outlined his hopes for the role and the subgroup. TR explained that one of the benefits of the subgroup is the potential to discuss collaborative working.

  1. Next Steps

JE said that CAS would be working with the new reps to ensure that subgroups are working efficiently and are addressing the concerns of the sector.

It was suggested that at the next meeting projects are given an opportunity to discuss their work on contributing to the Skills agenda.

Further information: