Better Lewisham Celebrates a Month of Community Impact Across the Borough
October has been another busy and successful month for Better in Lewisham, with new community programmes launching, local partnerships strengthening and residents of all ages benefiting from increased opportunities to be active, healthy and connected.
From supporting disability sport and older adult activity programmes to helping young people access swimming lessons and celebrating success at the Club Games, our teams have continued to work alongside partners across the borough to make physical activity more accessible for everyone.
Supporting Inclusive Sport and Physical Activity
The Lewisham Disability Sports Network met twice during October to plan future activities and strengthen collaboration between organisations supporting disabled residents across the borough. Discussions included plans to develop new after-school sporting opportunities for SEND families at Alex Yee Ladywell Arena, helping more young people access regular physical activity.
The network also joined colleagues from Access Sport and partner boroughs including Bexley, Ealing, Southwark and Westminster to share ideas and best practice, helping to shape future inclusive sport programmes.
Building strong local partnerships
Throughout the month, Better continued discussions with Lewisham Local to explore future collaboration opportunities, including work linked to the upcoming Physical Activity Inclusion Fund. These partnerships help ensure local residents can access support, activities and services that improve health and wellbeing.
Promoting Health and Wellbeing
Better attended the Healthy Hearts Fair at The Sommerville, organised by Red Ribbon Living Well and the North Lewisham Primary Care Network. The event provided an opportunity to talk to local residents about the Healthwise programme, Give It A Go offer, the Lewisham Residents Card and the wider range of activities available across Better's leisure centres.
Celebrating success at the Better Club Games
Teams from Lewisham proudly represented the borough at the 20th anniversary Better Club Games, competing against participants from across London and surrounding areas in badminton, table tennis, dominoes and other activities. Lewisham finished 11th overall from 23 boroughs, with the Lewisham dominoes team winning their competition and adding to the borough's recent success following a Walking Netball victory last month.
Inspiring future careers
Better attended the Lewisham College Apprenticeship and University Jobs Fair, speaking to students about career opportunities within the leisure industry, including apprenticeships, graduate programmes and progression routes across the organisation.
Successful Community Programmes continue to grow
Our partnership with Amuru continues to thrive, with popular weekly indoor cycling sessions for older adults attracting strong attendance and delivering positive health outcomes. Plans are now being developed to expand the programme with a new junior after-school offer expected to launch in the new year.
In another positive development, Better and Lewisham Council Youth Services have agreed to provide a 12-week swimming lesson programme for young people attending Woodpecker Youth Club and Riverside Youth Club, helping more young residents gain confidence in and around water.
Bringing activity into the heart of Communities
October also saw the launch of Better's Active Communities programme in Lewisham. Sessions are now taking place at leisure centres, community venues and care homes across the borough, including activities for older Caribbean residents and members of the Vietnamese community. The programme has already achieved 133 attendances across its first few weeks, demonstrating strong demand for locally delivered activity opportunities.
Supporting Life-Saving NHS Services
As part of a London-wide partnership with the NHS Blood Donation Service, Bellingham Leisure & Lifestyle Centre hosted its first blood donation van visit in October. The initiative proved so popular that additional appointments have already been scheduled for November.
Better celebrates successful Lewisham businesses
The month concluded with Better acting as a Gold Sponsor of the Mayor of Lewisham Business Awards 2026, where the team presented the award for Best Online Business and joined local organisations in celebrating the borough's thriving business community. The event also provided an opportunity to showcase recent improvements across Better's Lewisham facilities and highlight the upgraded Better UK app.
As we head towards the end of the year, Better remains committed to working with local partners, supporting community wellbeing and ensuring residents across Lewisham have opportunities to be active, healthy and connected.