The site of Lady Well in Killyon is typical of the sites of holy wells in the Boyne valley. There is a tumulus nearby which shows that the place was of importance in pagan times. The site of Lady Well in Killyon had probably been an important chief’s residence at the time of St Patrick, and was donated to Liadhán, a young kinswoman of the chief, who founded a convent there and built a church.…

Lewisham & Ladywell Street Art

Everyday of March I walked 10,000 steps to raise money for Marie Curie UK, if you'd like to sponsor me please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3b6KCxN

Ladywell Baths (Ladywell Playtower), Lewisham.

“Public baths, consisting of first and second class swimming pools constructed in 1884. Designed in the Gothic style by Wilson and Son and Thomas Aldwinkle. The building is unused and the second class pool hall was badly damaged by fire in 2005. In 2011 urgent works to the roof and dry rot stabilised the building although in isolated areas some water ingress persists. The Local Authority successfully secured a restoration partner in 2017 and discussions are in progress regarding funding options for the full repair of the building, its long term use and interim repairs.

Lewisham Youth Theatre is a lifeline for young people in the borough – but as funding cuts continue, it needs more support

WORDS BY DANI MOSELEY

Theatre can help tackle knife crime. You might doubt me – but hear me out. According to the Evening Standard, 40 knife offences are reported to the police every day. But all we hear about is the need for more police on the streets; the need to contain the problems we face; the gangs these young people must have been part of for it to happen to them.

Well, I’m here to tell you a different story. I’m an actress and writer – that’s my job. Being part of Lewisham Youth Theatre (LYT) as a teenager and now as a trustee has shown me another way. I’m not talking West End glamour here – I’m talking Catford, south-east London, and working with budgets that seem to get tighter by the project.

Every year more than 700 kids from Lewisham borough come through our doors. Over 70% are from deprived backgrounds. Some have mental health conditions, some have been excluded from school, some have just lost their way. Come what may, we take them in. LYT is free and all we ask for is commitment and respect.

Life as a teenager can be hard. I always hear people say, “Kids should be at home, not on the streets” – but maybe that’s easier if your parents have a big house or can pay for you to go to nice after-school clubs. At LYT kids know they are safe, they know they are valued. They know we believe in them and that goes a long way.

Drama can be transformative. It’s about being in a place where you feel you belong – a “safe haven”, as some of the kids call it – where you can be yourself and try new things without fear.

I’ve seen loud and disruptive kids become thoughtful; quiet kids find their voice; and teenagers struggling with self-worth find their inner value, all through creating and playing different characters and working together on a piece of theatre.

I was born and raised in the heart of Catford. From the age of eight I already knew I wanted to be a world-renowned actress. But before I’d even hit my teenage years I had accepted that this was a pipe dream.

Growing up in the borough of Lewisham was always eventful and more times than not, in a negative way. McDonald’s in Lewisham was always the hangout spot, for the person you fancied or the school rival you wanted to settle the score with.

Your day would start off happy, safe and family or community orientated, but you knew, no matter what the security checks or police presence, that by a certain time you’d need to leave because something was always guaranteed to kick off.

There weren’t any youth clubs I can think of, but there were dance, drama and sports clubs in and around the area. These were great because it would allow young people from different schools to mix and get to know each other.

This would create a connection and then when it came to school rivalry, sometimes it could be easily diffused because it would be like, “Nah, I know him, I did dance with him a couple of months back, he’s cool.”

But these were four-week programmes, which, although effective, were only short-lived. LYT is a pillar, because it has been running consistently for more than 30 years, changing the lives of young people for the better.

When I was 14, Helen Stanley from LYT came to my secondary school and did a drama workshop. She let us know that if we had enjoyed it, we could explore acting further by joining LYT. I was there.

My first production through LYT was a National Youth Theatre “connections” festival, in which I played a captain at war. I marvelled at how professional yet nurturing the company and its directors were.

I had already accepted that I was never going to drama school and would never be on a TV or film set. I was resigned to this being as close as I would get. But LYT kept the dream alive for me, pushing me and others to be more and do better.

They took us to theatres we couldn’t afford to go to, allowed us to explore devised and scripted work, gave us bigger roles so we stepped up and supported those who struggled to read or weren’t fully confident yet. How many organisations do this in our borough for free? Other than chicken shops and fast food restaurants, where can young people with little money go to hang out?

LYT helped me hone my craft and build my confidence and compassion. I met so many different people, with different needs and backgrounds. As I grew up through LYT, my ability and belief in myself as a creative grew and I watched others experience the same.

Not everyone who attends LYT wants to be an actor – some have gone on to work as stage managers, IT consultants, teachers and more. Others who previously might have struggled to find work are now in employment.

As for me, I’ve been in TV shows on Sky and the BBC, modelled for MAC and won a script-writing award with Channel 4 and the British Urban Film Festival for a co-written feature film.

I do voiceovers for commercials and radio and facilitate workshops in schools around social-based issues. It’s a far cry from the nine-to-five office job that was expected of me.

Organisations like LYT are not the entire solution to keeping young people off the streets, but they are a major tool in getting them motivated and thinking more positively and productively about life and their place in the community.

You get to play different characters, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, so you can see people differently and gain a better understanding of why people do the things they do. Growing up, where else truly allows you to explore this for free outside of school?

LYT believes so much in the voice of its young people that it created a young members’ committee, where young people get to have a say in new projects and help run events throughout the year.

Recently our young people have been sharing their experiences with representatives from the mayor’s team at City Hall, where more connections were made as funding cuts continue to rise.

The GLA understands why places like LYT are vital to tackling the violence on our streets – and it’s time that central government starts to listen to these young voices too.

If we do not see more support for services like ours then we really will be failing a generation. When we invest in our future by investing in our young people, that’s when we’ll see change.