CALLING VERSES — Chapter 8. “Black women are arguably the most creative and resourceful people on the planet”.
Written by Cyndi Anafo. Peckham Palms. 11 January 2024.
“Black women are arguably the most creative and resourceful people on the planet.”- Cyndi Anafo
I am the daughter of a first-gen Ghanaian mother who did a string of retail hustles, from selling fashion from our living room to becoming the first Ghanaian foodstuffs seller in what is now known as Brixton Village.
I caught the bug for selling things in my teens and later in my 20s began selling music with my husband across several marketplaces including Portobello, Camden and Brick Lane, eventually co-owning a lifestyle store and bar in Brixton Village.
So you see, sitting in the intersecting spaces of community and commercialism is my passion. Looking back on my journey to becoming the Co-Director of Peckham Palms I can see this was always my calling.
The specific event that led to my involvement was a chance community meeting in Peckham I attended, where I met fellow Co-Director of The Palms — Paul Smyth. He prepositioned the idea of creating a space for Black women primarily from the local hairdressing business community. Southwark Council did not want to make the same mistakes as Lambeth Council and be seen to be ahead of the inevitable changes that were scheduled to take place in the area that would see smaller businesses adversely affected. The building would be built by Southwark but the concept and management of how the space would be run and paid for would be down to the winning bid tender.
I loved the idea of being involved in a genuine regeneration concept. First of all, we were not replacing any existing space, we built a new space in an unused part of the area. Secondly, it was clear that Network Rail’s planned refurbishment of Peckham Rye Station was going to create unaffordable shop rents for many of the traders currently surrounding the station.
It’s also really worth pointing out that to me, even though Black women are the least likely to receive loans and investments, they are arguably some of the most resourceful, creative people on the planet. Almost all the Black women in my life have some form of side hustle and are equally exceptional when it comes to supporting each other. If we could get it right, we thought, it wouldn’t be hard to garner interest.
Like any new idea, the journey has not been plain sailing. There was understandable cynicism from many of the Black hairdressing community, and it could certainly be argued that this new location off of Rye Lane was just a palm off by the council to tick some quota boxes. I am pleased to say that having opened our doors in 2019, dealing with the deep challenges that COVID and the lockdown brought several steep learning curves operating as a landlord with social interests, The Palms is really in as good a place as any today.
Over the years we have had many tenants. Alongside the hair and beauty sector, we have had an FGM charity hosting weekly meets in our Palms during lockdown for food drop-offs with NHS health visitors advising the community. We have also homed a podcast company and a charity for teen girls to name a few. We have seen several tenants at The Palms collaborate and expand their enterprises as a result of trading next to one another. Listening to the needs of small business owners, this year we have created smaller units which have attracted new tenants and we also have just landed our first artist tenancy with new studio units. We also have a critically acclaimed Nigerian street food restaurant — The Flygerians owned by Peckham-born and raised siblings.
The support that we have received and have been able to foster from the Black community in general and wider allies has been very gratifying. Creating a hub for a specific demographic in the community has encouraged many more to consider the possibility of entrepreneurship via less worn paths. We are also proudly intergenerational — we recognise a strong need to not only assist young people in business but also recognise an often ignored older demographic who often have a stronger ability to self-start and succeed if given an opportunity.
Our Palms tenants are fiercely assured and independent but incredibly supportive of one another and our team. For most of us, we have already been a part of a hidden backbone of the Peckham community and consumers in the area, the difference is that we can now be a part of a space that has been created unapologetically by us and for us.
We pride a 100% Black female tenancy and a majority Black sharehold of the business. I am incredibly proud of what Peckham Palms has achieved and everyone who has contributed to the space.
— Cyndi Anafo
Cyndi Anafo - Co-Director of Peckham Palms, a space for Black women to own and grow their businesses within beauty, hair, wellness and food industries. Check out Peckham Palms here.
