NHS South East London joins renewed civic partnership in Lewisham
NHS South East London has joined a renewed local partnership agreement that brings together health, education, local government, culture and community organisations to support people and communities in Lewisham.
The refreshed Civic University Agreement is led by Goldsmiths, University of London, and builds on an agreement first launched in 2021 with local “anchor institutions”, including Lewisham Council and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
NHS South East London Integrated Care Board and Future Arts Centres have joined as new partners. Future Arts Centres is a network of more than 180 arts organisations across the UK, including founding member the Albany in Deptford.
The agreement sets out how partners will continue to work together on shared priorities, including education and skills, culture, inclusion, local places and community wellbeing.
For NHS South East London, the partnership is an opportunity to work more closely with local organisations on issues that affect people’s health and wellbeing, including access to support, opportunities for young people and adults, and the wider factors that shape people’s lives.
One example of this work is Intercultural Therapy at Goldsmiths, a free therapeutic service for people in Lewisham. The service is run by Goldsmiths in partnership with NHS South East London and Lewisham Integrated Care Board, with support delivered at no cost by Goldsmiths postgraduate therapy students on placement.
The renewed agreement will focus on:
- strengthening education, training and skills pathways
- supporting places and high streets, including work linked to Catford
- using research and creativity to respond to local needs
- helping local organisations work together on shared challenges.
Professor David Oswell, Interim Vice-Chancellor at Goldsmiths, University of London, said:
“I am delighted that we are refreshing and renewing our Civic University Agreement for 2026. Goldsmiths has a proud history as an anchor institution for Lewisham and South East London, and now more than ever it is vital that we work with our partners to ensure that we are focused on addressing ever-evolving social challenges. In challenging political times, collaboration is key to driving positive social change in our local area and beyond”.