High Street Fund gives Brixton and Herne Hill a boost

Small businesses and community groups in Lambeth are set receive a share of £9 million funding from the Mayor of London. 

The allocation of the High Street Fund was announced today and will be invested in 42 high streets across London, including 25 larger borough-led projects and 17 community-led projects, with around £20 million of match funding from local authorities and private sector partners. 

As part of the larger borough-led projects, £869,000 has been pledged to support the Lambeth Council’s long-term plan for Brixton.

The plan involves investment in POP Brixton, free-wifi zones in the market and “renewal of the public realm in Electric Avenue.”

One of the projects to receive funding was South London Makerspace, a non-profit members run workshop in Herne Hill.

South London Makerspace provides space and support for people who want to develop a creative businesses, pursue a project that’s too big for their own home or meet like-minded people.

The money will help improve the work space under the Herne Hill arches and provide the community group with woodworking hand tools, electronics equipment, screen printing equipment, overlocking and embroidery sewing machines.

At an event at Makerspace to announce the funding, Daniel Moylan, chair the Mayor’s Design Advisory Group, said: “The idea is to help our high streets thrive, we to have successful economic activity throughout London and have more jobs, more opportunities for people – often in lower cost spaces where people might have a better chance of starting a business.

“We’re trying to get out as many grants as possible, like here in Makerspace, and giving them support to extend what they are doing.

“We’re also giving support to Brixton Market and we’ll try and help develop a strategy there with the council, getting more opportunities and attracting more people to it.”