Lambeth Building Better Futures Report

There are many obstacles that stand between Lambeth’s young people and a bright future.

43% of the borough’s young people live in poverty. Affordable and wellmaintained housing is lacking. Hospitalisation rates from mental ill health are the highest in London, and experiences of racism are common. Lambeth’s young people perform worse in their GCSEs than their counterparts from across London. Almost 40% of 19-year-olds do not have a level three qualification.

Our Building Better Futures action plan sets out to improve this situation.

In 2018, King’s College London and Lambeth Citizens set out to create a social mobility action plan with the local community. We conducted listening sessions with 792 parents, pupils and teachers in which Lambeth residents shared stories about their educational experiences and the impact of the pandemic.

Our listening campaign revealed the community’s key barriers to social mobility. They include insights on how prepared and confident young people feel to pursue their future goals, race and discrimination in education and workplace settings, the ability of parents to provide education support for their children, and experiences of mental ill health in both young people and their parents.

We published the Building Better Future action plan to address these issues. The plan encourages Lambeth Council to support schools and colleges to offer effective careers guidance and promote a diverse range of progression opportunities. It also asks Lambeth Council to set up a working group to tackle Islamophobia, increase support for parents whose first language is not English, and help establish mental health hubs in schools.

Over the coming years, we will work with Lambeth Council and the local community to fulfil the recommendations the action plan. Together, we will support Lambeth’s young people to thrive.