SUNNY LAMBE
Unbroken, Unshaken, Unstoppable: Sunny Lambe’s Journey to Lead Southwark into a New Era
“Empowerment begins when we stop asking permission to lead and start shaping the future from the inside out.” – Sunny Lambe
Sunny Lambe’s journey from arrival in the UK in 1986 to becoming the Mayor of Southwark is a powerful testament to the strength of vision, voice and values. For nearly four decades, Sunny has quietly and consistently built a reputation as one of South London’s most respected community leaders, grounded not in grandstanding, but in grassroots commitment.
A long-serving Labour and Cooperative Councillor for South Bermondsey Ward since 2014, Sunny’s impact stretches far beyond politics. His work spans business and enterprise development, mentoring, youth and women empowerment and deep engagement in self-employment and economic justice programmes. He has worked across local, regional and national government initiatives, seamlessly navigating public, private and voluntary sectors to create meaningful, lasting change.
His passion for fairness and community didn’t start in a council chamber, it began on the frontlines. Between 1989 and 1994, Sunny made history as the first elected union leader for part-time postal workers, where he fought for improved working conditions, many of which became law years later. It was a defining moment that revealed both his courage and his capacity to challenge systems with intelligence and integrity.
Sunny’s leadership grew from the streets of Southwark to the halls of Oxford, where he completed the OBV Pathways to Leadership programme at the prestigious Blavatnik School of Government. In March 2024, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Management by the International University of Information Management, recognising over 30 years of leadership in social enterprise and business mentorship.
But Sunny’s work is as heart-led as it is head-led. In 2022, he published his biographical book “UNBROKEN – A Dream for My Sister”, a poignant exploration of personal resilience, family legacy and healing. More than a memoir, it’s a leadership text in disguise, showing how personal pain can be transformed into public purpose.
He has held numerous voluntary roles, from Tenants and Residents’ Associations to school and college governing boards, corporate advisory panels and civic committees. He’s also the founder of multiple community-building platforms, including:
• Black Labour Movement UK
• Peckham Supplementary School
• Southwark Youth Enterprise Project
• Confederation of African Professionals UK
• Black Business Club
• Ethno News
• Achievement Recognition Awards
• and the Building Blocks Initiative
Through these platforms, he has mentored emerging leaders, empowered young people to dream boldly and fostered inclusive entrepreneurship from the grassroots up.
Sunny’s dedication has earned him numerous civic and professional accolades, including the Southwark Council’s Civic Award, Liberty of the Old Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell (2006), among others. Yet for him, recognition has never been the goal, it’s always been about the ripple effect of impact.
Whether he's mentoring a young entrepreneur, advocating for working-class families, or forging inclusive policy at the council level, Sunny leads with conviction. He believes true leadership is about elevating others and ensuring no community or individual is left behind.Sunny’s message remains constant, real change begins when every voice matters and every community is equipped to thrive.
All information and links were correct at the date of original publication on
25 Jun 2025
Your leadership journey began long before politics. How did your early experiences as a union leader and community organiser shape your view on justice and equality today?
All my life I’ve always fought unfairness and injustices wherever I found it.
I used to get into trouble when I was a kid by defending the weaker person who is being unfairly treated. But sadly, the victim and the perpetrator would then unite to fight me. So, it was natural for me to stop and fight injustices wherever I find them. As the former US President Ronald Reagan once said: “…..
So, becoming the Union of Communication Workers Associate Grade Representative became very natural for me. I was just about three years old in the UK. I met unfair practices in the Post Office where the working conditions were terrible because of the history of the introduction of the grade as a result of constant industrial disputes between the Post Office management and full time postal workers and the UCW.
The Associate Grade workers became the cannon fodders using a pawn every time there was an industrial dispute between the union and the post office management. One typical example was the fact that we were never paid unsocial hours, holiday or weekend/public holidays allowance.
We were paid just the minimum rate because we were not in the union nor allowed to join until I had the privilege of speaking with the then National General Secretary of UCW, Alan Tuffin, who led the UCW before Alan Johnson took over after his retirement. That was how the union fought for my Associate Grade members to enable us receive a pro rate levels of benefits comparable to the full time postpersons.
I was privileged to have played Leadership roles in my primary, secondary and community levels, learning from everyone that I came across in the university of life. And I am still learning like everybody else. Learning is a continuum. We must never stop learning.
In your book UNBROKEN, you share a deeply personal story about your sister. How has that narrative influenced your leadership values and community vision?
My older sister and I had a very rough upbringing due to family breakup issues and extended family upbringing. Both of us had to grow up separately and very quickly. My sister’s situation was relatively stable because we lived with my aunt, my late dad’s older sister.
Whereas, mine was all over the place-a bit of time with my dad, then reunited with my older sister and then my grandad and then back and forward to my dad. But my dad and granddad instilled Yoruba Omoluabiself disciplines and principles (honesty, integrity, accountability, empathy, diligence, openness, public service), in me at a very early age which has helped me to fight temptations and personal challenges of many kinds.
These Yoruba Omoluabi values have shaped me into the man I am today by believe in myself, hard work, focus and determination to succeed in anything I put my mind to. It was through that determination that I started primary school at the age of 13/14 to lay the foundation for all my academic and professional achievements to-date
It has not been easy, but through ‘God, Family and Community’ support and guidance, I can count my blessings today
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You’ve led several initiatives from the Black Labour Movement to the Building Blocks Initiative (BBI). What does real empowerment look like in 2025 and where are we still falling short and explain more about the BBI Awards?
The real empowerment is through capacity building and equipping individuals and communities with the necessary tools to navigate through social, economic and political challenges and come out well at the end.
Teach people how to fish and they will come out to become fish farmers and eater, not just fish eaters. Let’s remove all known barriers to personal advancement and create a fairer and inclusive society where family connections do not matter. And where we all succeed through personal efforts and hardwork. Education and training must be accessible to everyone at the early stages of their lives.
Southwark is one of the most diverse boroughs in London. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for inclusive leadership in such a dynamic space?
Our diversity is our strength. It can also become a burden if there is strategic vision of what we mean by diversity and how it can shape policies for the benefit of everyone so that no community feels left behind. Equality, diversity and inclusion must never stand as a slogan shrouded in deceit for political expediency. Seeing and feeling a real life living experience will determine how effective our EDI policies are.
As Mayor, how do you plan to bridge the gap between politics and the people, especially in underserved or disengaged communities?
As Mayor and Ambassador of the historical borough of Southwark, it is about making people feel valued, welcome and respected. I have the opportunity to unite our diverse communities for civic service with a sense of purpose and belonging.
One Love, One Southwark, One People United to Serve our diverse communities.
What role do you believe entrepreneurship and enterprise play in tackling social inequalities and how can councils better support grassroots innovation?
Entrepreneurship has the ability to empower and transform communities by giving them the confidence to be creative and productive economically, socially and politically. There are many transferable skills that can be gained from entrepreneurial experience.
I advocated for entrepreneurship to become part of the educational curriculum in 2001 which led to the formation of Black Business Initiative in 2001 because I recognised the power of entrepreneurship to transform the lives of people from the low income backgrounds to be creative in exploring the works and the opportunities that entrepreneurship could provideself-economic empowerment.
I first touched this subject very briefly in my MBA thesis entitled, “African Common Market By the Year 2000” which I did in 1993. By the way, I got a distinction for my efforts!
Finally, what advice would you give to the next generation of changemakers, especially young people of colour who feel excluded from traditional systems of power?
Firstly, I don’t identify with that definition of ‘people of colour’ or ‘coloured people’. We have now passed that stage. I don’t like being called ‘person of e’. I’m an African. And I’m Black and Proud. Now to your question. Have a vision, self-belief, hard work, perseverance and determination to succeed.
As Muhammad Ali once said;
“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something deep inside them-desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last mini minute stamina. They have to be a bit faster. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
My journeys in life have not been easy. I fell a few time but I got up, dusted myself, kept walking, jogging and running whenever necessary. Look at where it has taken me so far. I strongly believe that I still have some life left in me to continue to grow and contribute to the world. But only time will tell. However, I like to enjoy the moment because tomorrow is yet for us to see.
A Legacy in Motion
Sunny Lambe’s story is not one of arrival, it’s one of evolution. A journey marked not just by the titles he’s earned or the initiatives he’s led, but by the people he’s uplifted and the barriers he’s dismantled along the way. From the dusty classroom floors of rural Nigeria to the policy rooms of Southwark and the academic halls of Oxford, Sunny has never wavered in his commitment to justice, dignity and opportunity for all.
He does not speak in slogans or chase applause. Instead, he invites us to look deeper, to consider leadership not as a destination, but a discipline shaped by service, sacrifice and soul. His lived experience, fighting for union rights, navigating family fragmentation, advocating for entrepreneurship in education and bridging generational gaps, has taught him that change is never quick, but always possible.
As Southwark enters a new era, Sunny is not promising miracles. He is promising movement. He is offering every resident, every youth, every overlooked dreamer, a seat at the table. He is challenging the borough and the wider nation, to redefine what power looks like when it is wielded with purpose and humility.
He is unbroken. He is unshaken. And above all, he is unstoppable, not because he hasn’t known hardship, but because he chose to turn pain into purpose and setbacks into stepping stones.
In a world increasingly shaped by noise, division and image, Sunny Lambe reminds us that true leadership is quiet strength in motion. The kind that doesn’t just speak for the people, but walks with them.
If you would like more information, contact Sunny as follows:-
Web:
Social:
• @sunnylambe (on all major platforms)