The first ever Soho Arts Fair has been a great success. Held in Kingly Court off Regent's Street, the Soho Arts Fair was the brainchild of artist Lanre Olagoke who came to Cllr Roberts with the idea of teaching the disadvantaged and homeless in the West End how to draw, paint, dance and take photographs.

Cllr Roberts presented achievement certificates to the first of Centrepoint’s graduates in Soho's Greek Street last Christmas, setting a ball rolling which culminated in the summer fair. She arranged sponsorship by the Council as part of the ward budget and the project was quickly supported by Soho's prominent landlords Soho Estates and Shaftesbury plc. as well as the homeless charity the House of St Barnabas.

A summer programme of popular workshops ended in a weekend of wonderful performances during which the young people showed visitors everything they had learned. It was Soho at its best: positive, creative and diverse and Lanre even arranged a very cheering gospel choir to celebrate a groundbreaking event. Soho is changing for the better, guided by the Soho Steering Group of residents, businesses and landowners that Cllr Roberts has been chairing for several years.

West End News