Young Lives in Seven Cities—A scoping study for the CYCLES project

ambeth is an inner-city area in the south of London
that reflects both the challenges of inequality
and opportunities for promoting wellbeing that many
established post-industrial cities experience. Lambeth
has a young population with an ethnically diverse profile
and a mix of deprived and affluent neighbourhoods
side by side. One of the most densely populated boroughs
in the United Kingdom, its 320,000 residents are
predominantly young, with 44 percent of its residents
aged 20-39 years, compared to 35 percent in Greater
London and 27 percent in England. 67
Lambeth has areas where high rates of deprivation
are prevalent, especially among young people, and it
is amongst the 20 percent most deprived neighbourhoods
in the country. An estimated 34 percent of children
in Lambeth live in poverty, compared with 26
percent in the rest of England. 68 Government cuts to
funding for social services and infrastructure have contributed
to the financial pressures facing young people
in the borough. In Lambeth, 58 percent of young people
under the age of 19 currently live in families receiving
some form of tax credit, which is given to people on
low incomes who are responsible for children or for
those who are disabled. 69
Decent and affordable housing is a particular challenge
for young people in Lambeth. There is currently
a severe housing crisis in London as a whole, with
younger residents in particular struggling to find suitable
housing. As traditionally poorer parts of Lambeth
have become increasingly gentrified, poorer people
have had to move out. In one area of Lambeth, Brixton,
gentrification is particularly evident and has sparked
protests. 70 Younger people have also been impacted by
cuts to housing benefits and are more vulnerable to
eviction and homelessness. 71 Compared with other rich
countries, young people in the United Kingdom also
have low levels of wellbeing, and suicide is the second
most common cause of death in those aged 15-19
years, accounting for more than 25 percent of deaths.
Food
Increasing levels of poverty in the United Kingdom
have contributed to an increase in the establishment
of local foodbanks, and the number of people accessing
them for emergency food supplies is higher than
ever before. In 2014/2015, Lambeth recorded the
highest number of people accessing foodbanks of all
the London boroughs. 72
Image © Carpe Diem - London / Alamy Stock Photo