A pensioner who is helping local Peckham people write their life stories is now walking ten miles over 13 London Bridges on Friday October 10 to help keep his sessions alive.
Michael Holland, 70, runs a weekly Life Writing class at the Copleston Community Centre, teaching locals of all ages how to put memorable moments down on paper.
However, despite support from local grants, the Centre is experiencing funding shortages. To help keep his sessions and the centre alive, Michael will be walking over 13 London bridges on Friday 10 October, starting at Battersea Bridge at 10am and finishing at Tower Bridge.
Michael’s sessions aim to record memories like your first day at school, first kiss, first job, weddings, birthdays, and holidays, that can be passed down through generations.
He said: “My group ranges from 40 years old to 96 and I’ve heard some great stories, you never know what will be revealed.
“Recently, we heard about the time Yoko Ono dropped by to see Stella, Maureen’s journey from growing up in rural Ireland to building a life in Peckham, Ekins’s 40 years as a London bus driver, and Diane’s memories of being asked out by Prince Charles and losing a role to Judi Dench”
As the Arts Correspondent at Southwark News, Michael recognises the importance of writing and recording. He videos the members reading out their memories, which are uploaded onto a private website for the writers and their families and friends to enjoy.
“Together we are building up a legacy that is there far longer than any of us will be around,” he claims candidly. “In my four years here we have already lost a couple of members and the families said that having access to their loved ones’ videos is a great help.”
The Copleston Centre, which relies on a team of dedicated volunteers, has been working with local communities for over 40 years, with more than 500 people using the centre per week. The charity has consistently focused on supporting people facing economic hardship, older people and those with mental health challenges.
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Michael, who grew up in Rotherhithe, noticed the demands of funding a year ago, when he was asked to cut the hours of the class. However, he recognised the importance of the class for participants and instead decided to reduce his fee. He contributed four hours a week for the price of one hour, which covers his petrol and expenses.
When one member of his Life Writing class suggested a fundraising walk across London’s bridges, Michael dived head first into training.
He said: “I might be 70 but I’m already in training to do this ten-mile hike. It would be a crime if people lost out on this or any of the other activities that bring much needed connections for older people.
“If the centre can find the money for the lighting and heating, I’ll carry on working cheaply and raising as much as I can to keep those memories coming alive.”
The Copleston Centre also provides a meal on Mondays and Wednesdays for a donation of £4 or £5, depending on the budget of attendees, cooked by some of Camberwell and Peckham’s best-loved chefs, who take time out from their restaurants and businesses to share their skills.
There are a wide range of affordable activities on offer at the centre, including African and Caribbean dance fitness sessions, dominoes, chair yoga, tai chi. They also run a range of community gatherings, including Black History Month and Pride events, seasonal celebrations, public talks and discussions, and film screenings.
Participants describe the centre as “a very warm and welcoming place” and somewhere to go “for the wide variety of activities and the community vibe.”
The Life Writing group is keen to continue, so came together to write about the importance of the weekly gathering. Leo, who attends the Life Writing Class says: “It gives me the chance to express myself and maintain my mental health in a friendly, therapeutic atmosphere.”
Ekins said: “I’ve met a lot of beautiful people who have convinced me that every person has a book in them. Each week I get the desire to keep coming because recording our memories for posterity is important for the next generation.”
“I love coming because we can talk freely in very good company,” Maureen reflected. “I’m sure that dredging up memories from the past helps our memory now.”
Karen said: “The writing can be therapeutic, cathartic or just happy memories. We can bare our souls, we don’t seek validation, we can just be ourselves without fear of judgement.”
The Copleston director, Julia Honess, said: “We are so grateful to all the people who go above and beyond to keep our much-needed programme running. I am so taken with the idea of the walk that I am going to join Michael on the fundraising walk.
“The Crossing Bridges Walk will take place on October 10th at 10am and we’d really appreciate your donations, however big or small. All you need to do is click on the link.”
Full details and programme: https://www.coplestoncentre.org.uk/copleston-weekly-programme-2025
To donate to the fundraising walk: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/coplestoncentre?utm_medium=CR&utm_source=CL
Copleston Centre, Copleston Road, Peckham, SE15 4AN.
