A few months ago we were delighted to receive a grant from the Heritage Fund, which allows us to drive forward Becoming Neighbours, a project centred around Pembroke House’s Residency. 

Becoming Neighbours is an exciting opportunity to delve into Pembroke House’s rich history and legacy of Residency. In 1885 a group of students from Pembroke College, Cambridge came to make Walworth their home. Interested in tackling inequality and impoverishment in the area, they committed to bridging societal divides, establishing the concept of ‘Residency’ that remains at the heart of Pembroke House to this day. Over the years groups of young volunteers who have come to share their skills, time and lives with the local community. 

As we celebrate the 140th year anniversary of Pembroke House, Becoming Neighbours is an occasion to reconnect with the residential volunteers who lived in our building next door, and the Walworth residents they built relationships with over the years. As we look backwards, we also aim to move forward: delving into our history propels us to reimagine the future of the residency and a new model of neighbourhood housing. 

We want the whole community to be involved in the process! We’re searching for Walworth residents with an interest in gathering stories to work with us to weave an oral and collective history of the residency. You’ll receive training on how to connect with residents and record these memories, as well as the chance to shape how we share these stories with the rest of the community. 

If you’re interested in joining the journey of Becoming Neighbours, we’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch with Juliette if so.