Diverse Lewisham projects – from beauty salons to clothes recycling – win grants that will aid sustainability

Twenty three local businesses and community groups in Lewisham have been awarded grants of up to £1,000 to kickstart environmental and cost-saving projects.

The council has dubbed them Repair, Reuse, Recycle grants – with the winning bids all coming up with schemes which benefit the environment and climate and save money on bills by being less wasteful.

A wide range of worthy causes have been identified – from investing in sustainable materials such as reusable coffee cups to repurposing clothing and from building community gardens to buying a more energy efficient system such as a heat pump.

Among the winners is On The Hoof, a cafe and bistro with a mission to cut down on disposable coffee cups. The Sydenham bistro will use the grant to invest in reusable coffee cups for their customers, alongside better washing facilities and the development of a cup deposit scheme and incentives.

Also gained a cash boost are Make Mee Studio – a sewing school based in Crofton Park Library. They will be hosting free mending and recycling workshops in store at the Lewisham branch of Circle Collective, with the aim of encouraging customers to think about the climate impacts of their clothing choices.

Other projects include the Rastafari Movement UK Wellbeing CIC – providing culturally relevant food, wellbeing support and unique doorstep befriending to struggling households and individuals. 

Buro is a dedicated co-working space in Brockley, providing high-quality workspace within walking distance for local freelancers and remote workers. Buro will be using the grant to go towards buying a new air source heat pump to save ion energy bills.

Winning Post is a project aimed at increasing residents and local children’s knowledge of planting, garden maintenance, growing vegetables and recycling.

Latin Hub UK is a social enterprise promoting healthy living and support to members of the Latin American diaspora in Lewisham. The grant will go towards trialing a new beehive within the allotment where they grow healthy organic produce for their clients.

hARTslane is a community arts space in New Cross. With their grant, they will be launching The Hatcham Community Street market which will offer up to 40 affordable spaces for locals to easily sell second-hand clothes and books, supporting the circular economy.

Mimi’s Studio is a beauty salon offering bespoke eyelashes and extensions for purchase in store or online. They will be using the grant to create a return scheme for their packaging, including sterilising equipment to ensure it can be reused.

Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and cabinet member for environment, transport and climate action, councillor Louise Krupski, said: “We are proud to be moving towards a more circular economy in Lewisham, one that helps us meet our climate and environmental goals while also prioritising better spending, so savings can be reinvested into other areas.

“Repairing, recycling, and reusing is not just about fixing day-to-day items but more broadly it is about improving the way we live, work and act, so we function as a more thoughtful, efficient and resilient community.”

Councillor Ese Erheriene, cabinet member for business, jobs and skills said: “In Lewisham, we are committed to building an ambitious and inclusive local economy. To achieve this, we are encouraging businesses to adopt sustainable practices — we’re also unlocking a range of opportunities to help our businesses reach their potential.

“I am proud that our small business leaders and community groups are leading the way with Lewisham’s circular economy. These grants will provide a strong foundation for working towards practices that are more efficient and more environmentally conscious.”

Pictured top: A hive of activity at the Make Mee Studio – one of the recipients of the grants (Picture: Make Mee Studio)