Peckham Settlement, once a major force in the Victorian settlement movement, now uses the money made from the sale of its former building to support a wide range of community initiatives.
Today, they provide money to a wide range of local programmes in the Peckham and Nunhead community and are seeking volunteer trustees to get involved to help shape the future of the organisation and choose where this money goes.
The organisation first opened as a settlement in 1896 and was a community centre until its closure in 2012.
They have supported a range of initiatives, from circus activities for people with special educational needs to Paws and Pause, a social enterprise that uses dogs to help people build confidence and move back into employment.
Their charity was made possible from the proceeds gathered from selling their large building on the corner of Goldsmith Road and Staffordshire Street.
Before 2012, there was a nursery in the building and many sectors of the community used out the space, including Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers, until the centre went into administration in 2012.
The sale of the building produces between £20,0000 and £25,000 per year based on the market, which is split into a general fund for larger projects and a small grants scheme built for activities that don’t require a large sum, but would still make a difference to community life.
In the general fund, not-for-profits can apply for grants between £501 and £3,000 to put towards large projects. For the small grants scheme, organisations can apply for anything under £500.
They operate exclusively within the SE15 community, in Peckham and Nunhead, and have invested £120,000 since starting as a grant maker ten years ago.
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A Peckham resident for over 40 years, David Reid has been the Chairperson at Peckham Settlement for four years and on the board of trustees for nine years.
Alongside his day job in the charity sector, where he supports black and minority communities to tackle inequalities and injustices faced by their communities, David spearheads the group’s mission and is keen to introduce new perspectives to the team of trustees.
He said: “Since closing our building in 2012, we’ve wanted to help the community in a different way, not through bricks and mortar, but through targeted funding for good causes.
“We didn’t want to limit ourselves to a single focus. By staying flexible, we can support initiatives for older people, younger people – anyone – as long as it meets the needs of Peckham and Nunhead.”
What was the settlement movement?
The settlement movement began in the 1880s as a reformist social movement to bridge the gap between rich and the poor neighbourhoods.
Settlement houses were effectively community centres ran by privileged young people, who were sent by their schools to urban communities to broaden their horizons.
In Southwark, settlements were set up specifically to meet women’s needs, as many educated Victorian women were confined to their home, when their urban counterparts lived in dire conditions.
Peckham Settlement began life as The Union of Girls’ Schools Settlement in 1896, first operating from Calmington Road in Camberwell, before moving to the corner of Goldsmith Road and Staffordshire Street, in Peckham.
Another local settlement is the The Rotherhithe charity Time and Talents, which remains vibrant today. It began life as a settlement and moved to Bermondsey Street in 1899, offering classes in arts, crafts, cooking, reading and writing.
Time and Talents was founded in 1887 by a group of women led by Mina Gollack, to help young educated women use their ‘Time and Talents’ to help others. It is now based in Rotherhithe.
What did Peckham Settlement do?
Girls schools from across the country sent their young female students to Peckham Settlement, where they would provide educational and youth services and ultimately recognise that their privilege wasn’t shared by everyone.
They also sent these young women out into homes within the area for house visits and the building was developed to house the women and provide accommodation for people who needed it in the area.
The new site was opened by Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, in the 1930s and was supported by Princess Margaret until her death in 2002 and the Countess of Wessex until 2012.
Peckham Settlement allowed female students to provide educational and youth services to one of the poorest neighbourhoods in London.
They were also the first to open a nursery school in London in 1935 and a government sponsored job club for the unemployed in 1987.
Who have they given grants to?
Paws and Pause:
Located just off Peckham High Street, Paws for Paws describe themselves as ‘South London’s Social Enterprise Doggy Day Care’, they look after the community’s dogs whilst operating therapeutic services.
Through their traineeships, people with a history of mental health or substance abuse issues are able to spend time with the dogs, promoting long term recovery and access to employment.
Open Aeriel:
Open Aerial provides circus-based activities for those with special educational needs and has been supported by Peckham Settlement a few times.
They provide aerial skills in a safe space and teach students, making it fully accessible in a safe and supportive environment.
Copleston Centre:
Peckham Settlement helped to refurbish the Copleston community centre’s kitchen, a well-used space by groups who attend the centre and as a spot to hold social celebrations.
COVID Emergency Fund:
During the pandemic, Peckham Settlement set up an Emergency Grant fund to provide resources for local groups struggling during lockdown. They helped Peckham Rights!, a group supporting Peckham’s Black African and immigrant population through the pandemic.
How can you apply for a grant?
Peckham Settlement have simplified their application form, to make it easier for not-for-profits to get in touch and chat with their team about their ideas.
Their applications for Winter. Grants have just closed, but they will be announcing their schemes for 2026 shortly.
Get involved:
The team at Peckham Settlement are currently looking for new trustees to bring in new perspectives.
They are seeking a voluntary treasurer to maintain and report on accounts, ideally for someone with a finance background.
Three trustees are also needed, who will help set the future direction of the settlement and make decisions on grant making.
No experience as a trustee is needed for any of the positions, but you must be able to commit to six two-hour meetings and one general meeting per year.
They are particularly seeking younger voices (18-25) or those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic background who are able to share their concerns and priorities to help make Peckham and Nunhead better.
David said: “We want to change Peckham and get equal access to opportunities- why should one person not have the same opportunity as everyone else?”
If you are interested in getting involved, you can have an initial chat with David about the settlement’s new vision by emailing [email protected].
