Southbury

Through the Shaping Southbury programme, we’re working with partners to strengthen the local economy, support entrepreneurs and create opportunities for businesses to connect and grow.

We are working with Ponders End Community Development Trust to deliver two upcoming events aimed at supporting and promoting local businesses in Southbury. Held at The Qube on Ponders End High Street, both events are free to attend.

Skills Exchange & Networking:

Thursday 26 February, 6–8pm

Designed for adults aged 18+, the event is open to anyone interested in starting, growing, or supporting a local business. The session offers a relaxed and welcoming environment to connect with other local businesses, share ideas, and build new relationships.

The programme includes guest speakers Malcolm Sleath from 12boxes.com and Jo Sealy, Business Advisor from Enterprise Enfield, who will discuss topics including starting up a business and marketing. Attendees will also have the opportunity to exchange skills, share experiences, and network with fellow business owners.

Celebrating Local Businesses:

Saturday 28 February, 12–4pm

Aimed at adults aged 18+ and open to everyone, the event offers an opportunity to celebrate and support local enterprise. The daytime programme features a business fair where a range of local businesses will showcase their work, share what they do, and engage with residents and fellow business owners.

Visitors can explore the diversity of businesses in the area, make new connections, and learn more about the local business community.

For more information and to RSVP for either event, please contact info@pondersend.org.uk

Last week, we were pleased to welcome Sabri Ozaydin, Cabinet Member for Environment and Placemaking, and Mohammad Islam, Ward Councillor for Ponders End, for a site visit to view progress on the Shaping Southbury programme.

The visit followed the 1km route of public realm improvements, stretching from Southbury Road along Kingsway and through to Queensway. The works are focused on enhancing the local environment, creating greener streets, and improving the overall experience for residents, businesses and visitors.

A key focus of the visit was the installation of new rain gardens at the junction of Kingsway and Queensway. These sustainable features are now being implemented as part of the wider works and are designed to help manage surface water, improve biodiversity, and add attractive planting to the streetscape.

The programme also includes traffic calming measures to help reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Further along Queensway, additional rain gardens are also being delivered, helping to create new consistent greening along the route.

The councillors were able to see first-hand how the works are progressing on site and discuss the next stages of delivery with the project team.

The Shaping Southbury improvements aim to:

• Enhance the look and feel of the area

• Support safer and more accessible pedestrian routes

• Introduce more greenery and climate-resilient features

• Deliver traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds

• Strengthen the identity of Southbury

It was a positive and productive visit, highlighting the continued investment in Southbury and the steady progress being made on the ground.

We look forward to sharing further updates as the programme continues to progress and improvements take shape across the area!

DYSPLA, a London-based arts studio dedicated to supporting and platforming neurodivergent voices, is the artist for a new public arts project, This is Southbury Art Trail.

As part of the wider Shaping Southbury Programme, and funded by UKSPF, DYSPLA is delivering a series of four collaborative workshops with students from Kingsmead School and Sixth Form. These workshops form a key part of the creation of a new art trail that will celebrate Southbury’s identity, community, and the richness of the people who live and work here.

The 1km art trail will be installed across 19 lampposts, starting on Southbury Road, continuing along Kingsway, and finishing in Queensway. It will feature 17 striking 3D portraits of Southbury community members, alongside original poetry written by Kingsmead students, as well as digital artworks and augmented reality experiences.

During the workshops, students are given transcripts from interviews between DYSPLA and the featured community members. The young people explore these stories creatively - highlighting words, themes, and moments that resonate with them most - and transform them into powerful, thoughtful poetry. Each poem is co-created in response to a person’s lived experience and will sit alongside the community member's portrait on the trail.

The project aims to meaningfully connect young people with their local community, giving space to younger voices while amplifying underrepresented stories. By combining visual art, poetry, and digital experiences, This Is Southbury Art Trail supports young people to build creative confidence and capacity in the area, offering an inclusive, community-led celebration of Southbury - told by the people who live, learn, and grow here.

As part of the Shaping Southbury programme, the Journeys & Places team has published a notice setting out a series of proposed public realm improvements for Southbury.

These changes will provide increased safety for all road users and include a new zebra crossing on Southbury Road at Southbury Station, alongside the installation of speed humps and public realm improvements on Queensway and Kingsway.

You can find the notice and statement of reasons by following this link.

If you would like to make an objection or representation to the proposals, you can send comments in writing, quoting reference TG52/1605 and giving reasons for any objection, by email to JourneysandPlaces@enfield.gov.uk or by post to Journeys and Places Team, Enfield Council, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XA, to be received by Wednesday 4 February 2026.

Another Successful Pop-Up Engagement Event on Queensway!

We recently held another successful pop-up engagement event, this time at the much-loved Giovanni’s Italian Deli on Queensway. On Friday 5 December, the Journeys and Places team hosted a two-hour drop-in session as part of the Shaping Southbury project, inviting residents, local businesses, and visitors to learn more about the the public realm interventions and improvements being delivered as part of the programme.

Attendees had the opportunity to meet DYSPLA, the artists behind the upcoming 'This is Southbury Art Trail'. DYSPLA shared early prototypes of the portrait artworks that will be installed on 19 lampposts along a 1km route connecting Southbury Road to Kingsway and Queensway. These portraits will be accompanied by poetry co-created with students Kingsmead School, helping to tell each featured individual’s story in greater depth. The public artworks will also include QR codes linked to interactive augmented-reality portraits and audio content, providing multi-sensory and accessible experiences.

A member of the design and construction team was also available to speak in detail about the public realm improvements planned for Kingsway and Queensway. Meanwhile, Pencil + Brick, who are designing and delivering some attractive new wayfinding and signage for Queensway, continued their community engagement by gathering ideas, feedback, and aspirations for how the new signs should look and what they should communicate.

Despite the chilly afternoon, festive Italian snacks and warm drinks helped create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Many residents and business owners stopped by throughout the session to learn more about the interventions coming to Southbury, ask questions, and share their thoughts on the emerging plans.

Overall, it was a highly successful engagement event, with meaningful exchanges and strong community interest. We look forward to continuing the conversation with residents, businesses, and local organisations as these exciting improvements progress.

Journeys and Places are delighted to announce that we have commissioned DYSPLA, an award-winning local arts studio, to create a bold new public arts project: 'This Is Southbury Art Trail'.

As part of the wider Shaping Southbury regeneration programme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the art trail will celebrate the identity, resilience and creativity of the Southbury community. Stretching approximately 1km across Southbury Road, Kingsway and Queensway, the trail will showcase 3D portraits, collaboratively written poetry by local school children, digital art and augmented-reality experiences.

About DYSPLA?

DYSPLA is a London-based arts studio dedicated to supporting and platforming Neurodivergent Creatives. Their work spans film, poetry, digital art and installation, with a strong focus on amplifying underrepresented voices and championing innovative, community-led storytelling.

Journeys and Places selected DYSPLA for this commission due to their innovative creative approach, their commitment to inclusion and representation, their experience in delivering impactful public art, and their strong track record of working closely with local residents, students and artists.

About the Project

‘This Is Southbury Art Trail’ will feature 19 local “Kings and Queens” - everyday heroes who live, work or study in the Southbury, Kingsway or Queensway area. Selected participants will have their stories transformed into:

• A 3D-printed sculptural portrait mounted on a local lamppost
• A poem co-written with local students inspired by their personal story
• A QR-activated digital and AR experience, offering an interactive layer to the trail

The project aims to celebrate Southbury’s rich identity, manufacturing heritage and the idea of the “Third Place” - the communal spaces between home, work and school where connection thrives.

How the Community Will Be Involved

The project will be shaped through interviews, workshops and public events. DYSPLA will also work closely with a local school, where students will collaborate with selected participants to transform their personal stories into original poems that will accompany each 3D portrait along the trail. The call-out for participants is now open, and DYSPLA is looking for distinctive personalities - makers, mentors, workers, caregivers and anyone whose story forms part of the fabric of Southbury.

Key Dates:

• Call-Out Deadline: 20 December 2025
• Selection Interviews: December 2025 – January 2026
• Public Launch: March 2026

Are You a Local Resident on Queensway or Nearby?

Do You Know Someone Who Should Be Part of the Trail?

If you or someone you know reflects the spirit of Southbury, DYSPLA would love to hear from you.

To nominate a local King or Queen and help shape the future of the Southbury Art Trail, please get in touch here.

Successful Pop-Up Engagement Event at Southbury Laundrette!

On Saturday, 8th November, the much-loved Southbury Laundrette welcomed a fantastic turnout for a pop-up engagement event hosted by Fisher Cheng and the Journeys and Places team as part of the Shop Front Improvements for the Shaping Southbury project. The event provided a wonderful opportunity to inform local residents about the exciting upcoming improvements planned for the area.

Two new young creatives, Mamusu and Shanice, have joined the Shaping Southbury Shopfront Improvements initiative and are working alongside Fisher Cheng. Together, they shared a series of boards showcasing ideas and aspirations for enhancing the shopfronts along Southbury Road. Residents actively participated, sharing their feedback and helping to shape the project with their feedback.

As part of the engagement, a colour wheel was introduced, allowing residents to directly contribute by selecting their preferred and most fitting colour schemes for the shopfront improvements.

Project Centre, a leading design, engineering, and landscape architecture consultancy overseeing the creation of a new pedestrian-friendly crossing on Southbury Road, also shared initial illustrations of the proposed crossing, giving residents an exciting glimpse of future enhancements to the area’s infrastructure.

The event was a great success, drawing many local residents in attendance. It was an inspiring afternoon, witnessing the enthusiasm and hearing the voices of those helping to shape the Southbury programme. This meaningful engagement ensures the project will have a direct and positive impact on the community, driven by the authentic voices of Southbury.

Join us for the next engagement event on 5th December at Giovanni’s Italian Deli, from 12pm to 2pm. Come along to learn more about the public realm improvements being delivered, hear about the exciting new art trail currently being co-curated with students from Heron Hall School, and help shape new signage being developed to promote local businesses. For more details, please click here.

As part of the Shaping Southbury programme, which is committed to enhancing the vitality of our town centres, supporting local businesses, and improving the quality of our public spaces to create a more vibrant, greener, and healthier Enfield, local business owners, makers, and traders gathered at The Qube on Thursday 23 October. They came together for an inspiring and productive evening on visual merchandising led by industry expert Katy Trodd.

Katy, a freelance retail consultant specialising in visual merchandising and styling, shared her wealth of industry experience and creative insight to help attendees understand how different methods can transform customer engagement and drive sales.

The free session attracted a great turnout, with a wide mix of local business owners, sole traders, and independent makers keen to learn how to elevate their displays.

Katy’s talk and practical tips encouraged participants to exchange ideas, expand their thinking, and engage in valuable conversations about how visual merchandising can shape their retail presence.

The event was not only an opportunity for learning but also for networking and community building, reflecting Shaping Southbury’s ongoing mission to support and empower both emerging and established businesses, helping to strengthen Enfield’s local economy and town centres.

Slides from the talk are available here.

As part of Shaping Southbury, join a free visual merchandising talk by industry expert Katy Trodd on Thursday 23 October from 6.30pm – 8pm at The Qube, High Street, Ponders End.

The event will offer expert tips on visual merchandising to maximise sales and elevate your business performance. Open to all, including makers, sole traders, and shop or business owners.

Katy Trodd is a freelance retail consultant specialising in visual merchandising and styling, leveraging her industry experience and creative insight to help brands craft compelling in-store experiences.

To secure your free place, contact safia.banharally@enfield.gov.uk

Safia's Urban Place Shaping Research

As part of the Revealing Southbury public art and community engagement initiative, Enfield Council’s Journeys and Places team partnered with Fisher Cheng Architects to undertake urban place-shaping research. They commissioned locally embedded Place Champion Safia Banharally to lead an independent, community-focused investigation. This project is part of the wider Curate Enfield programme, which supports residents in bringing creativity into public spaces and reimagining high streets and town centres.

Alongside the creation of new vibrant artworks, the project explored how people experience Southbury today and its distinct identity. Safia led this research, gathering reflections on identity, heritage, and everyday life in the area.

Using a blend of ethnographic methods, including general public observation and informal conversations, Safia uncovered the often subtle and overlooked rhythms of daily life. Her research focused especially on exploring the role of 'third spaces' - informal community hubs that foster connection, familiarity, and a sense of belonging. These included well-used and much-loved spots such as the Southbury Launderette, Krispy Kreme, and other everyday places where people naturally gather, pause, and interact.

The research is helping to reveal new perspectives on Southbury’s character, values, and potential. These insights continue to inform the wider place-shaping process, offering inspiration for how public spaces and artworks can reflect the lived experiences and shared histories of the local community. Safia’s findings highlight Southbury’s layered identity, shaped by its heritage and the emotional texture of everyday life. They also draw attention to pockets of community energy and ambition, especially along busy routes like Southbury Road, where there is a clear desire for connection, visibility, and opportunity.

Read Safia's full report here. (External link)

Journeys and Places is proud to share her work, a thoughtful and detailed portrait of life in Southbury that brings forward local voices, hidden stories, and the everyday places that shape the unique character of this neighbourhood.