Living Bankside  (formerly known as Bankside Residents' Forum) is committed to improving air quality in central London, where residents face some of the worst levels of air pollution in Europe. Our Air Quality Report in May 2018 found that air pollution leads to an estimated 9,416 Londoners to die prematurely every year. Bankside and Borough are among the worst affected areas in London; In 2017, Borough High Street had the highest annual concentration of NO 2 in Southwark. A study from King’s College London found these levels of NO 2 to exceed the legal limits set by the EU and WHO.

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Air pollution disproportionately affects children and young people. Children’s lungs are not fully developed. As such, children breathe in more air far more quickly than adults do. This results in them breathing in far greater quantities of air pollutants than any adult.

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Beyond the amount of air children breathe in, they are less able to fight off the effects of air pollution than an adult. Their immune system is not  strong enough to fight off  infections, meaning that they’re more likely to develop respiratory issues related to air pollution.

 

As a result, air pollution has a greater effect on a child’s overall health. That effect is also more likely to be detrimental, since what would inconvenience an adult could become a developmental issue for a child. 

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Nearly all of the schools in inner London are in areas of dangerously high air pollution. this needs to be addressed urgently. 

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"Children are society's future. But they are also its most vulnerable members. The immense threat posed to their health by air pollution demands urgent action". 

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Amir Eden

 

Executive Chair of Living Bankside 

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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan is taking bold action through the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone for Inner London. This will help reduce levels of Nitrogen Dioxide in Bankside. Living Bankside hopes to build on this measure to help reduce Nitrogen Dioxide further but also to address the issue of Particulate Matter which requires additional measures. 

 

Accordingly Living Bankside is launching the #YoungLungs Campaign, one of many measures Living Bankside is taking to reduce Air Pollution in the Bankside, Borough and surrounding areas. For more information on our Air Quality work click here

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On Monday 25th March 2019 Living Bankside will be formally launching the #YoungLungs Campaign at Charles Dickens Primary School. (Toulmin St, London SE1 1AF) For more details contact us on info@livingbankside.org 

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The aim of Living Bankside's #YoungLungs Campaign is to:

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1) Mobillise children and young people (focusing on those aged between 5 and 18) to call on adults (parents and others)  through different forms of media to reduce the use of cars and other activities to reduce levels of air pollution so that thier lungs are not negatively impacted and deformed.

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2) Mobillise children and young people to get involved in/organise and raise funds for Living Bankside's initiatives which aim to reduce air pollution. Examples of initiatives:  Gardening in and around schools, anti-idling, promoting cycling and walking and a number of other measures.
 

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