Salmon Saturday

Just up the road from the scene of today's military commemoration, also in Old Jamaica Rd, is the Salmon Youth Centre and today was their community open day and AGM.

The public got a chance to see Salmon's wonderful facilities and the equally wonderful staff, volunteers, and young people that make this youth centre the wonderful place it is, open to all, with a warm Christian heart.

Ever since its foundation as the Cambridge University Mission by Pa Salmon in 1906, CUM, and latterly the Salmon Youth Centre, has been a crucial part of the Bermondsey landscape.

Today's meeting was chaired by St James Reader, Adrian Greenwood, Chair of the Trustees, with input from the newly elected President of the 10-13s (seated next to Adrian in the picture on the left), and from former Member of the Year, and Harry, who spoke with great eloquence of all that Salmon and a growing personal Christian faith have meant to him, before bringing us the bible reading for today's meeting.

Harry

Every year funding for youth work gets tighter, but Salmon made ends meet this year, thanks to some generous last minute donations, a wonderful provision by God and an answer to prayer.

When you see all that has been achieved, this investment in the lives of Bermondsey's young people is clearly money well spent.

So, long live Salmon!

MEANWHILE at the other end of Bermondsey, it was the Bermondsey Street Festival, and our friends from St Mary Magdalen were out in force, serving delicious Jerk Chicken and Hamburgers in the St Mary's churchyard, with a wonderful concert from the children at St Mary's church school, Boutcher, taking place in the church as we arrived.

The sun was shining and Bermondsey Street was thronged with people in a great community event in this rapidly changing corner of London.