Health and well-being gurus will lead free workshops on Camberwell Green every Saturday throughout the rest of June and July.
The sessions, run by 35 health professionals, include yoga, tai chi, skating and cycling classes, art, music, creative writing, nutrition and food pantries.
Feel Good Festival is the brainchild of local parent Shazna Choudhry, who was devastated by the impact Covid-19 had on the mental and physical well-being of her community.
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Shazna said: “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.”
Mind, body and soul are all covered with the breathtaking array of sessions on offer, some of which people have probably never tried before.
Why not try ‘mindfulness through photography’, ‘skating for beginners’, comic book drawing or even a ‘guided tree walk’?
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As well as the wellbeing sessions, Partnership Southwark is pitching up a health and wellbeing tent where people can get mini health checks. There will also be a Covid-19 vaccination hub.
The festival is being organised by community organisation SE5 Forum with help from Partnership Southwark, MIND and Bethlem Gallery at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Shazna’s own employer Eversholt Rail is also providing funding while local dad Pete Lewis, partner of creative agency ‘Curious Ways’, has done the marketing for free.
The full schedule of events is available here:
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.
The sessions will run every Saturday from 25 June to 30 July at SE5 Forum’s stall at Camberwell Green market, from 10am to 1pm.
For further information, and images, please contact Marie Staunton on 07831-539630 or Marika Thorogood by email: admin@se5 Forum.org.uk.