

THE TEAM

Jo Blawat
Festival Chair
Hi. I am the sort of person that can never say no, so through my life I have ended up doing all sorts of things that I had never planned to do, that’s how I came about being the Chair of the Streatham Festival!
Read more
It never crossed my mind to take on such a role, but I thought, why not. I have a lot of experience working in events, fundraising, marketing and PR.
I also grew up just down the road in Tooting Bec so used to come to Streatham regularly. I still remember Cats Whiskers nightclub, Che Guevara clothing store, the ABC cinema and everyone’s favourite, Pratts. I have now lived in Streatham for the last 13 years.
Robert Doyle
Treasurer
Robert is the Treasurer of Streatham Action – the local community forum campaigning on transport, planning and the environment – and a trustee of the Streatham Society – which promotes talks, walks and events on Streatham local history and wider issues.
Read more
He is a former Chair of Streatham Town Centre Partnership Board. His day job is working on financial reporting in Whitehall.
He has lived in Streatham since before the closure of Pratts department store. and hopes all copies of the 1990 video of his much younger self wearing Jarvis Cocker glasses and holding aloft a “Save Our Pratts” banner have been wiped.In his spare time he enjoys listening to music, gardening (both the ordinary and guerilla varieties) and fails to swim as often as he should at Tooting Bec Lido.
Robert has been involved with the Streatham Festival since it started, and has been on the Festival committee in a range of roles since. (He thinks they probably only keep him on as he is the only person who can still remember how all the bits of tents and gazebos fit together.) He tweets at @rjdoylesw2
Jane Wroe-Wright
Festival Guide & Connector
Jane has lived in Streatham for 13 years, and has four grown-up children. She has volunteered with Streatham Festival for six years.
Read more
Jane’s background is in advertising & media, and publishes ❤️Streatham magazine, a monthly mag all about Streatham distributed to 17,000 local homes and businesses. She enjoys connecting local people and businesses with the Festival, co-ordinates and publishes the Festival Guide, and is part of the publicity and sponsorship team.
Jane also volunteers with Streatham Action Transport Group and the Business Improvement District. She loves Streatham’s huge trove of hidden gems and it’s wonderful community vibe.

Stephen Whitaker
Company Secretary
Stephen Whitaker is a Solicitor and the Senior Partner at the Streatham Office of Anthony Gold. Anthony Gold is a multi- discipline Top 150 Law Firm founded in Streatham over 50 years ago and now with offices also in London Bridge and Elephant & Castle.
Read more
The Firm has had an involvement with Streatham Festival from the very beginning. It became a key sponsor some 10 years ago and Stephen joined the Board of Streatham Festival Association ,the Company that runs the Festival ,as Company Secretary in 2011.
Stephen has a long personal history of involvement in the Charity and Community Service Sector largely through membership of Round Table and its associated Clubs.

Helen Bird
Blue Hoarding Project Manager
Helen coordinates the Blue Hoarding Project, and enjoys getting to know participating local schools and community groups.
Read more
In 2018, she helped to stage The Book Wrecker at Occasional Books, and Emma’s Estate Agents host their Christmas Crafternoon fundraising event.
Helen volunteers with Museum of Brands and supports their community outreach programme, ‘Brand Memories’ for people living with Dementia and their carers.
Helen says she is looking forward to this year’s festival events, including Streatham Schools’ Art Exhibition, Doggie Splash Day, Be Scene in Streatham and hearing the bells ringing at St Leonard’s Church.
Her Astonishing Streatham Fact: My Dad once lived on Sunnyhill Road.
Beth Howe
Social Media
Beth coordinates Streatham Festival’s family events and takes care of our social media (if you DM us, it’s probably her you’re talking to!).
Read more
When she’s not instagramming about the Streatham Strut you’ll find her working as a freelance journalist and media consultant as well as looking after her growing family and French bulldog in Streatham Vale.
Beth’s current favourite thing about living in Streatham is Dave including the bus crash just up the road from her in one of his songs.
Héloïse Anderson
Event Support
Héloïse, known as Ellie, has lived in Streatham since 2008 when she moved to London to pursue a career in Higher Education Administration.
Read more
In 2013, she found Streatham Choral Society and rediscovered the joys of part singing. Ellie joined the committee four months later. Now Chair of Streatham Choral, Ellie has seen the choir and Streatham blossom in recent years and loves its village feel.
New to the Festival Committee in 2019, Ellie is most excited about the Hoarding Project. “I pass it every day – it’s such an amazing blank canvas and I can’t wait to see what it will turn into!”
Lou Abbotts
As the Manager of InStreatham, the local Business Improvement District, we are proud to sponsor Streatham Festival and I am proud to be a member of the festival committee.
Read more
I first volunteered for Streatham Festival in 2003 and have lived locally since the late 1990’s. As the BID Manager I am blessed to live and work in the area I love leading a programme of improvements for the longest high street in Europe, engaging with a cross-section of stakeholders including statutory bodies, businesses and residents.
Streatham Festival is a great festival to be part of it as it really activates our high street, champions local venues and creates great community spirit for residents to enjoy.
Check out InStreatham webpage.
Ann-Marie Lugay
StreatArt Coordinator
Ann-Marie is manager/editor and co-owner of photography studio LDN Photography/MAAN Studios based in Empire Arches, Streatham and she has lived in SW16 with Mark her partner/co-owner/photographer for the past 15 years.
Read more
For the past three years they have been participants in the Streatham Festival offering free portraits and studio open days, raising money for charities and local schools, product photography/personal branding to local businesses as well as offering everyday family photography services.
MAAN Studios encourages local talent by running regular photography workshops and renting out their affordable studio to creatives for their projects which in the past has included X-Factor stars El’tee and Shan Ako who filmed their music videos there.
Our fun Streatham fact is hosting Rick Astley for his recent album cover photoshoot by local photographer Peter Neil (@shootthesound) and three years of begging Naomi Campbell to come back home to Streatham for a photoshoot!
David Wright
Streatham Strut Coordinator
David had an extensive background in Fleet Street with local, regional and national Daily and Sunday newspapers. Subsequently running his own national sales and marketing company with clients within the consumer and business to business markets.
Read more
This was combined with an international business, in collaboration with US and European media companies, representing their interests across the MEA, the Far East and Europe, with a network of Associate companies.
He now contributes to Heart Streatham magazine, with a distribution of 17,000 copies, the only monthly title serving the interests of Streatham and Furzedown areas. The printed word lives on!
Lucy Maddison
Web design and branding
Lucy designed the new logo, branding and website for Streatham Festival in 2018. She now provides technical support and web design updates when needed.
Read more
She runs a small business based in Streatham offering web and graphic design to local businesses and organizations.
Lucy has lived in Streatham for 18 years has brought up two children in the area and been involved locally as a PTA secretary , School governor and most importantly as a member of Streatham Strikers football team. This was until she broke her ankle. She now prefers walking as there is less chance of being tackled to the ground.
Phil Moran
Web Content & Photography
Phil’s primary responsibility is to look after the content on the Festival website. For any assistance in uploading events or amendments to the website then he is the person to contact.
Read more
As a keen independent photographer he first got involved with the Festival in 2016 providing support to photograph their events. To view Phil’s portfolio of work please check out his website philm.photography
He has been a resident of Streatham for 13 years and lives on the Vale with his wife and their cat. Rather unusually, he had once been admitted to Luton Hospital with a shark bite.