Campaigner Aron Shabir talks about initiative to recognise pivotal Black British Sitcom ‘Desmond’s’ with a blue plaque

Renowned for championing art that often challenges expectations, Channel 4 for decades has brought to the fore stories that are often sidelined, launching many a career. Debuting nearly 40 years ago now, Trix Worrell’s BAFTA nominated, British Comedy Award and Royal Television Society Programme Award winning Desmond’s has earned its place within Black British sitcom history as a show with heart, character and plenty of wit. Leading a campaign to acknowledge the barbershop based show, Aron Shabir is aiming to raise £5000 to install a blue plaque in honour of its real life location at 204 Bellenden Road, Peckham. Ahead of the prospective unveiling of the blue plaque on Friday 31st October 2026 – to coincide with the show’s lead, the late Norman Beaton’s birthday, Aron tells us more about his inspiration to create the campaign, collaborating with the Nubian Jak Community Trust to help realise the vision of the blue plaque and the support he’s received from the Desmond’s cast and creative team.

Hi Aron, you’re currently leading a campaign to install a blue plaque at 204 Bellenden Road in Peckham – the iconic location in pivotal Black British sitcom Desmond’s. What inspired this campaign?

The idea really came from my own connection with Desmond’s. My dad introduced me to the show and I started watching it on 4oD. I became a big fan of it and naturally started researching the history of the show, which is how I came across 204 Bellenden Road and discovered that it was the location used for Desmond’s barbershop.

That got me thinking about how significant the building is and how there wasn’t anything there to permanently recognise that history. That’s when I thought a blue plaque would be a fitting way to celebrate Desmond’s, preserve the history and make sure its importance to British television is remembered.

You’re working with the Nubian Jak Community Trust, a charitable organisation founded over 30 years ago renowned for honouring the achievements of historical figures within black history. How have you worked with the trust to realise the blue plaque vision?

Once I had the idea, I got in touch with the Nubian Jak Community Trust because of the work they do commemorating Black history across Britain. They immediately understood the significance of Desmond’s and why the location deserved recognition.

Since then, I’ve been working closely with Dr Jak Beula and the team. They’ve helped with everything from the research and design of the plaque to liaising over permissions, manufacturing, installation and planning the unveiling itself. It’s been a real collaborative effort to turn what started as an idea into something that can permanently preserve the history of Desmond’s.

To install the plaque will cost £5000 in total, with £1000 already pledged by the property’s landlord – leaving the total at £4000 to be raised. You’ve raised quite a bit of that total already, how have you found this part of the process?

The fundraising has probably been one of the most challenging parts, but also one of the most rewarding because of the support people have shown. We’ve now raised over £3,000 of the £4,000 public fundraising target, which is incredible.

A lot of that has come from people who genuinely love Desmond’s and understand what the show represented. I’ve been promoting the campaign through TikTok, social media and reaching out to organisations and individuals who may want to support it. There have naturally been quieter periods with donations, but every time someone donates or shares the campaign it helps push us a little bit closer.

You’ve received approval and support from the show’s creator and writer Trix Worrell and his brother Sean Worrell, as well as two of the show’s cast members, Dominic Keating and Matilda Thorpe. How important has their support been to the campaign?

Their support has meant a lot because these are people who were actually part of Desmond’s and its history. Trix Worrell has given his approval and is well aware of the campaign, and I’ve also been in contact with his brother Sean about the fundraiser.

We’ve also received brilliant video messages from Dominic Keating and Matilda Thorpe showing their support. Having people who were involved with the programme backing what we’re trying to achieve gives the campaign that extra significance. It shows that this isn’t just about remembering a television programme; it’s about recognising the people, the place and the legacy that Desmond’s created.

The plaque is planned to be unveiled on Saturday 31 October. What would it mean to you to finally see it installed at 204 Bellenden Road?

It would be an incredibly proud moment. This started simply as an idea after discovering the history of the building, so to actually stand outside 204 Bellenden Road and see a permanent plaque there recognising Desmond’s would mean a lot.

More than anything, I want people walking past that building in the future to know what happened there and why it matters. Desmond’s made an important contribution to British television and Black British cultural history, and hopefully the plaque will make sure that connection with Bellenden Road is never forgotten.

Questions by Lucy Basaba.

To find out more about the fundraising campaign, visit here…