Peckham Palms: The Afro hair and beauty destination in Peckham

Peckham Palms Afro hair and beauty hub

A row of disused garages down Bournemouth Close in Peckham has been converted into Peckham Palms - a large arcade which will be opened its doors in 2018 as the Afro hair & beauty destination in Peckham.

The Palms Peckham will be the ‘go to’ destination for Afro-Caribbean hair and beauty

It was decided in 2016 that Southwark Council would relocate a number of existing Afro hair and beauty businesses from Blenheim Grove to Bournemouth Close due to the on-going Peckham station redevelopment, which will see a new public square built outside Peckham Rye station.

Southwark Council has worked with a design company called Something & Son to manage the site and support the independent businesses to make Peckham Palms the ‘go to’ destination for Afro-Caribbean hair and beauty in London.

In the early stages of this proposal, the planned moved caused a bit of controversy amongst local traders and stylists who have been working in Peckham for many years. The initial concerns suggested that the move to the backstreets of Rye Lane was a sign of gentrification to come, fuelling the ever growing discussion about the changes happening in Peckham.

However, the concept behind the centre, which has been created for Afro hair & beauty start up companies and individuals is to focus on female entrepreneurial ventures and to support traders from BAME backgrounds to help their businesses to develop. The organisation is keen to provide an environment for black female business owners to grow and to ensure that the black hair industry will continue to flourish in Peckham.

There will be focus on female entrepreneurs and support for traders from BAME backgrounds

As well as hair and beauty salons Peckham Palms has a cafe (Mae J’s) serving Caribbean treats, a rum bar, a social space, workshops and it will even have its very own hair academy, designed to train a new generation of Afro-Caribbean hair and beauty stylists.

The Palms also aims to address the issue of under-represented black female ownership of the Black hair industry in the UK. The current owners of Peckham Palms - Something & Son, have agreed that the organisation will transition to majority black ownership within 5 years of opening. Once this is the case, The Palms will be the first hair, beauty and shopping hub in London run by the black community - something we believe Peckham would be immensely proud of.

To find out more about Peckham Palms visit their site or Peckham Palms Instagram.

Unit 1-10 Palms Arcade, Bournemouth Close, SE15 4PB