CTVT has been reflecting on our future activities: over the years we have engaged with mental health service users, special needs education for 11-16 year olds, and the adult disability sector with which we busily continue. Ex-offenders too have come our way for both documentary and drama work, all of which was very rewarding. We have explored international dimensions too.
CTVT’s documentary work producing formal fifty minute and half hour films includes productions for Bede House, for the Shame/Violence Intervention practice with ex-offenders, for Freewheelers Theatre Company members whom we have supported, as well as at Cavendish School where we have made formal documentary alongside students’ film drama projects – all of which encourages us as we move forward.
Local broadcast TV is now relatively established and across the UK assumes vastly different character and personality. Here at Community TV Trust we had high hopes for the London channel (Freeview channel 8) but they have focused on ‘entertainment’ rather than tapping down into true local voices raising true local issues, whether celebratory or other.
Look under CTVT Projects to see what we have been up to with Cavendish School in Bermondsey – we are just completing our latest film project with them, and Freewheelers Theatre & Media Company in Leatherhead.
We are now well established with both and enjoying a rich seam of creative work with students and members alike.
Funding has been raised to support more filmmaking at Southwark’s Cavendish School in Bermondsey. We are delighted to continue our work with this wonderful school and its excellent young people. The current project is scheduled to run till the end of January 2017.
The national platform that is the Community Channel via crowdfunding has found a way forward, not least due to Sky giving 50% of the target figure of £300,000. Congratulations to Caroline Diehl and her team!
A Community Channel owned by the community offers a tantalising prospect: local media organisations together with local radio/TV stations could create a network across the country that feed a national platform as well as their own individual outlet. Campaigning anyone?
When you consider the disconnect shown by the Labour Party’s current difficulties over working with a leader whose popular mandate is not mirrored by the Parliamentary Labour Party, social media plus local broadcasting becomes a real player for change.
NEWS: After 25 years as a charity and more than 22 years producing and facilitating the production of short films, videos, local screenings, educational DVDs on subjects such as Healthy Eating, Islam in Southwark, knife crime, plus full-length documentaries, two local media festivals, a ten-part series of TV programmes for a cable channel, and most recently a podcast series, the Board of Community TV Trust has decided to close the book on its wonderful time engaging with the peoples, young and old, of Southwark and south London. This became effective from 1st September 2025.
Southwark.TV was our breakthrough project in 2003 and as a well-funded, borough-wide web-based project, pre-Facebook and -YouTube, was ground breaking. Partner groups and schools had their own space under their own password, received media training and unlimited support. This came free to the community. To visit this archived site, look lower down on the Home Page.
LET’S TALK Knife Crime was a four-year project, 2019-2022, designed to listen to young people in schools and youth clubs. Covid meant a change of direction early in the second year but led to other great things, such as “CHANGE of THOUGHT”, a documentary about three local boys who narrowly avoided permanent exclusion and began to make their way in the world.
As of 21 May 2025 the charity’s final podcast, with Lord Biggar CBE, became available. His book “Colonialism – A Moral Reckoning” made an impact, some of it negative for him. Biggar, Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral & Pastoral Theology at Oxford University has become a champion of free speech in universities as well as in life in general. He sits in the House of Lords on the Conservative benches.
Cllr Naima Ali, recent Mayor of Southwark, is a warm, courageous woman and shows there is a way to make multiculturalism work.
Louise Dickinson of Alchemise Theatre showed “The Power of Daring to Hope” as she described her journey back from Long Covid, bed-ridden, wheelchair bound, learning to walk again … you name it. A young woman of courage and character. Here is Louise.
Jo Berry of Building Bridges for Peace is a remarkable campaigner and has been for decades, following the IRA’s bombing of a hotel in Brighton in 1984. Here is the link to Jo on PECKHAM PODCAST in March 2025:
Meanwhile here are some of the PECKHAM PODCAST 2024 stories –
Nick Dunne is a man of Faith and determination who became a pilgrim. You’d need that if you’re going to walk to Italy! There’s a marked trend towards this form of undertaking, in contrast to falling church attendance.
The edition released on 11th December with guest Charlotte Prendergast:
Charlotte Prendergast is CEO of Southside Young Leaders Academy in Peckham. Its focus is solely on Black boys who under-achieve in local schools. “What a wonderful discussion about how a different school curriculum could change the world.” (James of Peckham)
Michelle Baharier FRSA is an artist and campaigner for mental health and disability rights. She lives in south London, used to run CoolTan Arts and is our latest guest on PECKHAM PODCAST, tackling dyslexia and the Assisted Dying Bill, among other things.
Wallee & Errol This edition of PECKHAM PODCAST is lots of fun, has film clips(!) and features two guests – Errol McGlashan, ex-offender turned poet and performer, and Wallee McDonnell, Artistic Director of Celebrate Life and producer of “POWER to CHANGE”, a film in which both men feature. Episode link.
Stephen Bourne is PECKHAM PODCAST’s sixth guest, a Black British History writer for Black History Month:
Not taught history at school, no agent, & still published (not self published) more than 20 books
PECKHAM PODCAST offered as its fifth edition – Ben Sturge, a businessman and entrepreneur, a deep thinking man who rebuilt life after time in prison. He has a lot to give.
Ben can be viewed here:
Probably PECKHAM PODCAST’s most unusual guest to date is Fernando Carrillo, Peckham’s newest vicar. He was born in a Miami prison and ordained in St Paul’s Cathedral! Joining the breadcrumbs is amazing.
Fernando Carrillo
Community TV Trust [CTVT] was incorporated 25 years ago and offers media training & filmmaking in schools and PRUs and in workshops for the disabled and marginalised. Engaging young people in open-ended creative work, links Community to Education.
In addition we produce documentary films, in the past educational DVDs and a large web-based local media venture called “Southwark.TV”.
CTVT has worked with schools, PRUs, local authorities, community groups, companies and corporations, with mental health, disability, ex-offenders and the marginalised.
