Berkeley : Southall Waterside residents enjoy first summer street party

On Saturday 24 August residents from the first new homes at Southall Waterside came together for a summer street party. The event, organised by Catalyst and Berkeley, was full of fun and laughter as residents got to know their neighbours as well as local businesses and community groups who turned out in force.

With the sun shining over the bank holiday weekend, over 150 residents were able to participate in a range of sporting activities from badminton and archery to canoeing, with equipment provided by Decathlon and local canoeing club, The Sharks.

Southall Community Alliance, Everyone Active and Sterling Dental promoted healthy eating, getting active and dental health through quizzes and competitions. There was also a gaming party bus to help keep everyone entertained and refreshments were provided by Ealing Youth Engagement Programme.

This street party is the first of many residents' events set to take place at Southall Waterside to help people mix, meet and find out about all the great things Southall has to offer.

Catalyst, the housing association that manages the first phase of affordable homes, and Berkeley, the developer transforming the site, were also on hand to chat to local people and explain plans for a new linear park.

Sahil Khan, Head of Catalyst Gateway, said:'It is important for all new residents to feel as though they are part of the wider community. The event has provided a great opportunity for the residents of Southall Waterside to not only get to know each other, but also see what Southall has to offer from sporting activities to support groups. It will be great to watch this community continue to grow as more people move into homes at Southall Waterside.'

Southall Waterside is set to transform a disused industrial site into an open landscape for the whole community to enjoy, including biodiverse parkland, a community hub, 3,750 mixed tenure homes and a commercial district with plans for new shops, a cinema and restaurants.

The development recently held a consultation for a 500m-long park, to be designed in partnership with London Wildlife Trust, which will provide space to relax, socialise and play. This would be the first part of a much larger network of green open spaces to be created at Southall Waterside.