The building has undergone a major refurbishment, which began in 2018, made possible by funding from Peabody, the Mayor of London and the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP).
Over the past three years a dedicated group of local residents has worked closely with Peabody to ensure that the new space best meets the needs of the community. They’ve been involved in every stage of the refurbishment, giving input into aspects of the design, helping to shape the activity programme, and sharing ideas for how the space will be run, managed and maintained.
Their efforts have helped to create a warm and welcoming environment where people can socialise, work and learn, access vital support services and take part in fun activities for the whole family.
Sitting in the heart of the Moorings neighbourhood, the name of the building has been painted on its rooftop, which will act as a signpost for anyone trying to locate it. The club’s facilities include: a large performance space, a training room, a shared workspace, local business displays, an alcove museum, a community café and an IT suite.
The club will also offer a range of quality services to support local people with issues including: housing, jobs and training, immigration and money management. Those who want to make use of the club’s IT services can do so with the support of skilled digital champions. Services will be run by Peabody’s expert team, alongside partners including the London Refugee and Migrant Network, Greenwich Housing Rights, and the Her Centre.
The reopening of the Moorings Sociable Club coincided with the anniversary of an honorary membership card being issued to the building’s original architect, Stephen Mooring, whose family were in attendance.
Y DATES:
- the club café will be open from 21 March
- the rest of the building will be open from 23 March
Kate Batchelor, Peabody’s Head of Landscape & Placemaking in Thamesmead, said: “Three years of hard work has been poured into the new Moorings Sociable Club so it’s brilliant to finally open the doors to residents with all that the refurbished space has to offer them. The club is a place that locals can call their own, created for the community by the community, who will shape the way it’s used now and for many years into the future.
“We wanted to provide a multi-use space that covers all bases. So while people can pop in for a coffee and a chat with a friend, or use it as a place to work and learn, we’re also on hand to offer vital support and advice to those who need it.
“None of this would have been possible without the input we’ve had from the local community since 2018. Their dedication to ensuring we offer the best facilities and services to the neighbourhood has been the driving force behind this project.”
Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, said: “I’m delighted to attend the grand opening of the newly refurbished Thamesmead Moorings Sociable Club. It is great that this community asset has been restored so that local people can once again make use of it. I look forward to seeing all the exciting projects that will take place here in the years to come.”
Deborah Frimpong, chair of the Moorings Neighbourhood Forum, said: “We are so proud to be a part of the development of the Moorings Sociable Club. I took my sons on several of the tours that Peabody offered for us to see other buildings and architectural structures in order for us to get some ideas and envision what we’d like to see for the building in Thamesmead.
“It was amazing to walk into the club and see a lot of the things that we’d hoped for become a reality. The community now has something that they can hold onto that represents the past, present and future of Thamesmead because the club includes all of these features. On top of that, we finally have a cafe in the moorings!”
Have questions about the facilities and services available at the Moorings Sociable Club? Email us: ThamesmeadNow@peabody.org.uk
Want to learn about the work happening in the local area? Find out more about Peabody's plan for Thamesmead.
