Have you heard about The Girl Effect? An inspiring collaboration between the Nike Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, United Nations Foundation and the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, The Girl Effect aims to leverage the potential of adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves, their families, their communities, their countries and, ultimately, the world.

The thinking behind The Girl Effect is that the 250 million adolescent girls who live in poverty are the most powerful force for change on the planet. When girls are included in education, health and economic investment we have a better chance of preventing issues such as child marriage, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and breaking the generation-on-generation cycle of poverty.

This Sunday afternoon The Girl Effect comes to life at The Girl Effect Live, a day of celebration, creation and conversation about about the power of girls to break the cycle of global poverty. It’s happening across four venues in East London and there are some very cool things going on.

There’ll be creative workshops hosted by Slambassadors UK, comedy, spoken word performances, live graffiti, nail art courtesy of Wah nails, an art exhibition, an immersive experience created by Punchdrunk (the people behind the sold out The Drowned Man) bringing to life the realities faced by girls living in poverty and, in the evening, a live performance from Jessie J plus a limited edition necklace from Tatty Devine.

More things to do in London this weekend…

Riverside Feast

The people behind street food fest, Street Feast, are taking over Battersea Power Station every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening throughout the summer until 31 August with a 1000-capacity bar area, including a prosecco and oyster Bar and food from the likes of Breddo’s Tacos, Dosa Deli and Voodoo Ray’s (there’s lots of other food vendors involved but I’ve tried, tested and can heartily recommend the ones I mentioned!). This is the time we’ll (as in the general public) will have access to Battersea Power Station before redevelopment commences and I definitely plan to pop down one sunny summer evening.
For more information go here

Roof East

A formerly empty rooftop carpark in Stratford has been transformed into a bar, restaurant and outdoor cinema for the summer. One of my favourite local restaurants The Hackney Pearl is in charge of the food and drink and the cinema is part of the Rooftop Film Club (which also includes the cinemas at The Queen Of Hoxton and the Bussey Building in Peckham. I haven’t been yet but True Romance, one of my all-time favourite movies, is on this Saturday. Do you think it would be too much to turn up dressed as Alabama Worley?!
For more information go here

Carnaby Street Eat

Also on Sunday, you can eat your way through taster dishes priced at a fiver each from over 30 of the area’s restaurants, bars and cafés including Wright Brothers Soho (Prosecco and oysters), Rum Kitchen (roast pumpkin and chickpea curry and jerk chicken wings) Cha Cha Moon (Singapore noodles) and healthy options from The Detox Kitchen and Retreat Café. Plus there will be cooking demonstrations, live music, Lomography fish-eye camera workshops, rollerskating and face painting for younger visitors.
You can find out more here

What are you up to this weekend? Do share!