Where we work

Walworth is one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Southwark, with a rich cultural heritage.

It is also an area of deprivation and stark inequality.

Our neighbourhood is within the 20% most deprived in England, with almost half of local children (43.1%) living in poverty according to End Child Poverty (2021). We are also among the top areas in London at risk of social isolation among the elderly. Meanwhile, multi-million pound penthouses tower over the estates surrounding Pembroke House, with commercial developments that are often unaffordable and inaccessible to long-standing residents.

Different government interventions have tried to address these challenges. In the last 140 years we’ve seen the creation of the welfare state, large-scale ‘slum clearances’, the erection of new housing estates (and their subsequent demolition), and targeted local reforms – often with huge budgets and long timescales.

As well-intentioned as some of these policies have been, they have struggled to bring long-lasting and meaningful change to Walworth. Just as the students who founded Pembroke House demanded a radical approach to tackling inequality, we need to find ways of working together that puts people first.

Sometimes this means going back to basics.

Rather than let the problems that impact our daily lives separate us, at Pembroke House, we find ways to connect with one another. We can’t fix the problems in our neighbourhood without coming together. By gathering and acting collectively, we can work towards building a better, thriving and more just Walworth.