Peckham Platform is a public arts space next to Peckham Library that aims to increase local public involvement in the arts by working closely with community partners and established artists in Peckham. It works especially with young people and local schools including Harris Academy. This morning I met the Director, Emily Druiff and Richard Watts, Chair of the Trustees, to discuss how to widen local participation in the arts.

This morning over 20 local child care providers from Camberwell & Peckham and representatives from Southwark Council attended a roundtable in the House of Commons to discuss the cost and availability of childcare in the constituency. A number of important issues were raised including the rising costs of childcare and the impact this is having on working parents especially those on low incomes; the recruitment, training and retention of staff; and the difficulties these small businesses face finding funding for overheads and investment.

One of the things parents are most concerned about is secondary school choice. I met with the Schools Minister, David Laws MP, together with Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle, Southwark Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services, to raise my concerns. We discussed ways of improving the performance and perception of schools in the constituency and he offered to arrange further meetings including with Ofsted.

More people end up going to Accident and Emergency (A&E) during the winter - because there's more illnesses and accidents when it’s cold.  Most of us have experienced first-hand the excellent care given by Kings College Hospital A&E - or seen it on TV in "24 hours in A&E".  But with A&E’s already stretched with increased demand, this winter could be really tough and not just because of the weather.

For most people Christmas is a great time to get together and just enjoy spending time with your family. But for people who suffer from dementia and for their families, Christmas offers little respite.

Cllr Fiona Colley and Stephen Platts, Director for Regeneration, from Southwark Council came to discuss progress on the regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate. The Aylesbury redevelopment programme is a long term and ambitious programme to replace the existing estate with a high quality, mixed-tenure neighbourhood with new infrastructure, parks, open spaces, and community facilities.

The Dementia Memory Cafe is run by the Alzheimer Society in partnership with Southwark Council. I visited this morning to talk to the people who use their services, family members and carers, and the staff and volunteers.