Peckham, south-east London, is changing. The same way Dalston, Brixton and Lewisham is. But if there’s one community that has shown resilience through this, it’s the hairdressers who work tirelessly into the night at the few Afro salons left in Peckham Rye. Many of these salons could be found by Peckham Rye station, on the infamous Blenheim Grove. But with redevelopment top of the agenda, the salons, churches and surrounding businesses are being displaced, leaving a sense of uncertainty.
Monique Tomlinson is determined to work with, not against the change. “I saw an opportunity to help my community to stay within an area we call home, and for their businesses to be sustainable within that area,'“ she shares. Together with Southwark Council and architecture company Something & Sons, Monique has created Peckham Palms, co-working space which houses hairstylists, barbers, nail technicians and massage therapists, all under one roof.
