Time & Talents Summer Party 2025: A celebration of community in Rotherhithe

Our mission is to create a world where everyone feels part of a community. The Time & Talents Summer Party 2025, held at The Old Mortuary in Rotherhithe, was a vibrant example of this vision, bringing together over 200 people from across Southwark for a day of connection and ageless fun. From young children to older people, families to volunteers, the event was a celebration of what makes our local community so special.

All the fun from the Time & Talents Summer Party 2025

The sun shone brightly as The Old Mortuary and Wisteria Terrace came alive with activities for all on Friday, 25 July 2025. Kids and families dived into the excitement with face painting, glitter tattoos, hoopla games, and the ever-popular cress seed planting. The scent of lavender from our Secret Garden filled the air as attendees crafted beautiful lavender bags and crafted hand prints for our Communitree community art project.

And who could resist the lure of free candy floss, pizza, hot dogs, and snow cones? These treats were a hit, sparking smiles and shared moments across generations. One of our young attendees shared that, “This is the best day ever! I got a butterfly on my face and candyfloss is my favourite.”

A range of wooden games crafted by the members of our Rotherhithe Shed brought young and old together, as they tried to land cuddly toys in wooden buckets and played together.

Music for everybody

The energy was electric, thanks to our incredible entertainer, Emmy Vince, whose singing and infectious enthusiasm had everyone, older folks, families, and children, dancing and singing along. She took the guests on a journey of music through the ages, from classics like Girls Just Wanna Have Fun to modern hits and a medley of Disney tunes that had everyone on their feet. It was a perfect example of Time & Talents’ mission to create spaces where joy crosses age lines, uniting the Rotherhithe community in shared celebration.

The grand finale

The event culminated in a raffle prize draw, with a fantastic selection of prizes. These included:

• Honey donated by British Land
• Body massages donated by Body Tonic
• A Hug in a Mug donated by The Brunel Museum
• An afternoon tea experience donated by Brigit’s Bakery Bus
• Beauty Treatments donated by Rachel’s Beauty Treatments

13 guests took home these prizes, and all of the money raised from the raffle has been put towards ensuring that free spaces at activities such as Tai Chi, Yoga, and Beginners’ Tennis are available for all who need them.

Our amazing volunteers

The day would not have been possible without our energetic corporate volunteers. A huge thank you to the 11 amazing summer interns from Amwins Global Risks, whose energy and dedication helped make the day unforgettable.

We also had some volunteers join us to help set up the day with decorations, so a big thanks to HandsOn London for helping us to get connected with them. Our Time & Talents volunteers were equally brilliant, creating a warm and welcoming tea party for our older community members, ensuring everyone felt included and valued.

Thanks to our partners

We’re also deeply grateful to our partners who share our commitment to building a stronger Southwark community: Bede House Southwark, Blackfriars Settlement, Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities, and our Southwark commissioning partners. Their support helped transform this event into a true community effort.

A special shoutout goes to the Mayor of Southwark, Sunny Lambe, Neil Coyle MP, and Councillor Kath Whittam for joining us and celebrating the spirit of SE16. Your presence meant so much to everyone who attended.

And of course, a huge thanks to the whole staff team at Time & Talents whose time and dedication made for such a memorable event for all ages.

If you couldn’t make it, not to worry. We will be having another community get together around Christmas time, be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date or join our WhatsApp Community for all the latest updates.

All Photo Credits: Tess Seymour

Read more:

• We recently were awarded some funding from Tideway’s Chambers Wharf Community Enhancement Fund
• Find out about the Rose Vouchers scheme, where we distribute vouchers for families who qualify for low-cost fruit and vegetables.