Lewisham and Southwark Colleges plan to merge

Lewisham College and Southwark College have begun a public consultation on a plan to merge the two institutions.

Lewisham College says:

Lewisham and Southwark Colleges firmly believe that by working together we will be able to get more local people into work and support the businesses that are transforming our communities.

Lewisham is an outstanding college in good financial health with a national reputation for quality and a strong track record of meeting community and employer needs.

Southwark College has faced a difficult time and its achievements fall some way short of its potential. It has, however, developed some excellent links with major employers in the local area and with the right resources this potential could be realised.

We believe that by combining the resources and strengths of both colleges we can plan for growth. To do this we will work closely with employers, local authorities and schools to ensure that our offer makes a direct contribution to improving job prospects and increasing prosperity for the local community.

We are determined that the new College inherits our passion and commitment to providing local provision for local people. We will continue to operate in both boroughs and our proposals for governance and management set out how we will build on our existing community links and strengthen our involvement at local level.

Lewisham and Southwark are neighbouring London Boroughs where you can find both opportunity and disadvantage. Close at hand lie the City, West End and South Bank.

For more information about the merger and how it will affect you visit our microsite.

The consultation site's FAQs section adds:

A key part of our proposal is to retain a presence in both boroughs. A detailed estates strategy will be developed to support the curriculum. The campuses will continue to provide resources for the local communities including access to meeting space and recreational facilities. There are no current plans for closure of sites.

Lewisham College's plans to relocate the Lewisham Way campus to Deptford fell through due to a national funding crisis in 2009.