Borough and Bankside
Borough and Bankside is a special place to live, with incredible local communities alongside some of the biggest pressures that come with being right in the heart of London. It deserves councillors who are visible, responsive, and prepared to stand up for residents when the council or big developers get it wrong.
Hellen Benavides is a journalist turned digital marketing strategist. She has lived in Borough and Bankside for several years and is a former Vice-Chair of Living Bankside, where she championed initiatives to strengthen local collaboration and support young people in developing professional skills. Hellen is focused on practical action—improving street cleanliness, strengthening community safety, and making sure residents feel heard and represented. She brings people together to deliver real, visible change in the neighbourhood. David has been a councillor since May 2022 and has helped secure housing for vulnerable people, stood up for residents against developer schemes, and worked with local campaigners to make sure £4 million of community infrastructure funding is spent locally on facilities that benefit residents. In his day job he works with charities and think tanks on strategic communications. Victor has been a councillor since 2018 and has lived in Borough for 12 years. He is Chair and co-founder of Pride in Southwark, helped secure LGBTQ+ safe spaces locally, and as a trained planner has worked professionally on delivering affordable housing and new health facilities.
We are proud of what local Liberal Democrats have achieved in Borough and Bankside, including leading the campaign to save London Bridge Post Office, and securing more investment to improve local parks and neighbourhood projects. Next, we will keep pushing the council to fix the roads around Borough Market, particularly getting Red Cross Way resurfaced.
Cllr Victor Chamberlain
Victor has lived in Borough since 2014 and has been your local councillor since 2018.
During his time as a councillor Victor has led the campaign to save the RV1 bus, fought for better air quality, has represented residents' concerns in the planning system, secured a permanent memorial to the Borough Market and London Bridge attacks.
He is chair and cofounder of Pride in Southwark and helped secure a new LGBTQ+ space at Bankside yards. He is a trained planner and has a professional background delivering affordable housing and new health facilities.
Contact Victor:
Email - victor.chamberlain@southwark.gov.uk
Phone - 07783 153 082
Cllr. Hellen Benavides
Hellen Benavides is a journalist turned digital marketing strategist. She has lived in Borough and Bankside for several years and is a former Vice-Chair of Living Bankside, where she championed initiatives to strengthen local collaboration and support young people in developing professional skills.
Hellen is focused on practical action—improving street cleanliness, strengthening community safety, and making sure residents feel heard and represented. She brings people together to deliver real, visible change in the neighbourhood.
Contact Hellen:
Email - cllr.hellen.benavides@southwark.gov.uk
Phone - 07889 144 403
Cllr David Watson
David has been a councillor since May 2022 and has helped secure housing for vulnerable people, stood up for residents against developer schemes, and worked with local campaigners to make sure £4 million of community infrastructure funding is spent locally on facilities that benefit residents. In his day job he works with charities and think tanks on strategic communications.
David first moved to the borough in 2006 and has worked locally in SE1 since 2015.
David has worked in the public and charitable sectors on policy development, partnerships and negotiations. He is currently director of communications at a global affairs think tank and a trustee for a charity combating bullying in schools.
Contact Hellen:
Email - cllr.david.watson@southwark.gov.uk
Phone - 07522 215 340
Borough and Bankside Lib Dems Email Updates
Hellen, David and Victor are the Liberal Democrat Councillors for Borough and Bermondsey. They send out regular emails to local residents about what they're doing for our area. Sign up to receive their newsletter.
Ward Surgery Details
Your Borough & Bankside councillors can be contacted at any time by email for residents to raise issues of concern. They will hold mobile (roving) surgeries at different locations across Borough and Bankside and provide a regular email newsletter highlighting local issues to residents. Please contact the councillors by email if you wish to arrange an appointment to meet in person, speak on the phone or by Zoom, or sign up to the regular email newsletter.