News, Events and Activities
Windmill Gardens – Beer & Bread Festival
This will be the next major event in Windmill Gardens, open between 1 pm and 5 pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 6 May.
Brixton Windmill itself will now be open for tours one weekend a month until October – for dates and bookings, see the Friends website, www.brixtonwindmill.org
Events at Impact Brixton
The Hub at the back of Pop Brixton has an ongoing programme of training sessions and workshops, mainly to support those getting small enterprises underway. Free or discounted rates for those who are already members of the Hub. Two notable sessions are coming up on Thursday 25 April:
Overcoming barriers on the way to success, 2 pm to 3-30 pm, non-members £5, free to members, workshop led by Vegard Olsen as part of the Business Helpdesk series.
The Mom Test – How to talk to customers and learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you,6-30 to 8 pm, non-members £15, members £5, a talk based on Rob Fitzpatrick’s bestseller. Register athttps://themomtest.eventbrite.co.uk
For more events, see their website, www.brixtonimpacthub.net or enquiries to Tamara Amarquaye on (020) 7926 3032 or e-mail tamara@impactbrixton.com
Creative Community Placemakers Network
A network covering Creatives, Artists, Performers, Designers, Placemakers and Community groups is being developed by Jacqueline Bleicher of Global Urban Design. She has organised a meeting to explore the idea on Tuesday 30 April, 6 pm to 7 pm at the Basement level of Lambeth Town Hall, 1 Brixton Hill SW2. If interested, please register via Eventbrite on www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-community-placemakers-network-tickets-59300768194
or e-mail to enquiries@globalurbandesign.org or call 07 570 438 977.
Brixton Community Base
Under the banner of Common Ground, Brixton Community Base has launched a new series of classes for over 55s. All Classes are free and held at Brixton Community Base in Talma Road, SW2 1AS. To sign up, contact Jane on 07 941 624 247 or e-mail to brixtoncommunitybase@gmail.com
Topics include:
Drama Workshop, Saturdays 20 & 27 April, 10-30 am to 12-30 pm, Arts & Crafts, Thursdays from 2nd May, 2 pm to 3 pm;
Yoga, Thursdays from 30 May, 2 pm to 3 pm.
Youth Connect Careers Event
A reminder that We Rise is holding monthly careers events, each focussing on a different field of work, in conjunction with Business Launchpad. Each is at International House, Popes Road, SW9, between 5 pm and 7 pm. These are aimed at Lambeth-based 16-18 year-olds, to help them explore different careers and build conections with professionals in those fields. Enquiries to: hello@werise.org.uk
Next up are:
– Tuesday 14 May – Health & Sport,
– Tuesday 4 June – Finance & Tech.
Support the Remakery!
A familiar story around Brixton these days is of landlords jacking up rents and thereby pricing out familiar traders and community organisations. More disappointing though when it’s Lambeth Council adopting the greedy landlord approach. The Remakery, below Council flats on the corner of Lilford Road and Paulet Road, is facing a rent review in July, with the threat of its annual rent increasing from £6,000 to £40,000 a year – hardly realistic when the whole turnover of the organisation is only £28,000 a year. It looks unlikely that a commercial business would want to take over this remote location.
The Remakery – or Lambeth Re-use Centre – was set up a few years ago, with Council support, to encourage recycling of unwanted objects into resaleable goods, and to help people learn practical skills. Once again a grassroots project appears to be the victim of the Council losing interest once the novelty wears off.
Were you around back in 1971?
An unusual request from a documentary film company, On The Corner Films: They are producing a documentary series focussed on the music, culture and politics of the year 1971. They are particularly keen to track down home movie footage, particularly of people playing or listening to music, or at music festivals or carnivals. See also their website, www.onthecorner.tv
If you (or your granny!) have anything to share, contact Natalie Fiennes on 07 986 559 115 or e-mail to natalie@onthecorner.tv
Community Business Weekend – 16/19 May
Do you run a Community Business? Want to find new customers, volunteers or members? This event can showcase your impact and provide free marketing support (and some bunting). Word came to us via Locality but the event is organised by Power to Change – more details at their website, www.powertochange.org.uk
Your Views on Events in Parks and open spaces – reminder
We discussed this at our last meeting on 1st April, and the main concerns expressed were:
– Large areas of public open space are being taken out of use for long periods so commercial events can be staged on them.
– Although this is supposed to be to raise money, finances are not transparent about how much comes back to that park, or to Lambeth parks generally.
– These events cause damage to grass and paving from heavy vehicles, concentrated footfall and temporary structures. There is not enough time between events for the ground to recover.
– Noise disturbance to people living around the park, particularly from entertainment events.
– Community-based events are discouraged by the demand from commercial events, and by cumbersome booking arrangements designed for bigger events.
Have we missed anything? We encourage you to respond directly to the Council – see www.lambeth.gov.uk and follow the links to the Consultations page. The closing date for comments is Sunday 5 May.
Funding, Support and Training opportunitiesLambeth Wellbeing Fund projects
Last year we published details of this grant programme, and it’s good to see several local projects now being supported from Round 3, including Brixton Community Base, Community Education Foundation/ Lyncx, Moorlands Community Development Project, The Remakery and Ubele. A few examples are mentioned in this bulletin, or the previous one. More recently, Friends of Brixton Tate Library were awarded funding for a series of Tai Chi sessions at the Library on Saturday mornings, starting in May.
Introduction to Computer Skills Course
Just about to start at Mosaic Clubhouse, 65 Effra Road, SW2 – assessment session on Wednesday 24 April, 11 am to 1 pm. Course will run from Wednesday 1 May until 10 July, 11 am to 1 pm at Mosaic Clubhouse. The course will cover key computer skills including e-mail, web search and basic Microsoft programs Word and Excel. You will gain a City & Guilds Functional ICT qualification. This course is free to Lambeth residents on benefits. Enquiries to Sinead on (020) 7924 9657 or s.obrien@mosaic-clubhouse.org
Tech Mates at Pop Brixton
For older residents, Pop Brixtonhosts introductory sessions on computers, smartphones and IT on Thursday mornings, 10 to 11 am. Equipment is provided but feel free to bring your own phone, laptop or tablet – particularly if you are struggling with how to make it work! This free class is led by Pop member, KHK Technology, who supply refurbished IT equipment to schools and other organisations. NB – limited to 6 places per session, sign up through the Pop Brixton website or enquiries toinfo@popbrixton.org
First Aid Skills Day for over 50s
Another event at Pop Brixton in Brixton Station Road – St. John’s Ambulanceare holding a free First Aid Skills session (with lunch!) on Thursday 23 May, 11 am to 2-30 pm. The aim is to build up a network of first aid champions among local community groups. For enquiries or bookings, contact Rosie on 07 896 969 869 or e-mail to rosie.mcgloughlin@sja.org.uk
Achieving Life Balance Workshop
Wise Women Wellness presents a free self-development programme, Sista Self-care Coaching Circle, for a small group of women to learn the 6 life domains, set goals and boost confidence in a supportive coaching group. Sessions over 7 weeks at the Eurolink Centre, Effra Road, SW2, the first on Saturday 27 April, 9-30 am to 4 pm, then on Tuesday evenings. Supported by the Ubele Initiative and funded via LCF. To book, call Sharon Brooks on 07 973 825 255 or e-mail toinfo@wisewomenwellness.org.uk
Lambeth Larder Resources Directory
Lambeth Larder started with a church-based group in Kennington in 2015, trying to map community food resources. When the pilot scheme ended, they decided their online map was too useful a resource to let go, so they managed to find more funding to expand the project and also publish paper copies of their Directory, a 20-page free guide to food banks, advice centres and other support groups. Lambeth Larder now works in partnership with Brixton Advice Centre, and last year its resources reached 35,000 people around the borough. Enquiries to info@lambethlarder.org or to download the directory, go to the web pages below.
In fact there are several strands of information about health services, advice and community contacts to be found by exploring the revamped Public Health web pages within the Lambeth Council website: Start from www.lambeth.gov.uk/adult-social-care-and-health/your-health
Volunteers Wanted!
Loughborough Farm (on Loughborough Road, opposite Wyck Gardens) is hosting a Welcome session for new and prospective volunteers on Saturday 27 April from 1-15 pm. This will include a tour of the space and an introduction to how it is run. The session will last about an hour, but you are welcome to stay for the tea-break afterwards. Regular volunteering is an opportunity to pick up or refresh basic gardening skills, such as sowing, transplanting, composting and harvesting. Please book your place by e-mail to Emily at loughboroughfarm@gmail.com
If your project needs volunteers for certain tasks, why not advertise your needs in our next bulletin?
Measnwhile, national charities are not hesitating to ask. News just in from Keep Britain Tidy that they are seeking volunteers (over 18) for their Litter Heroes Ambassador Programme, for people who want to get their communities involved in litter-picking and improving public spaces for all. Applications are open until Monday 6 May. For more information contact LHAmbassador@keepbritaintidy.org
Directory of Social Change
We continue to receive occasional updates from the Directory of Social Change about their funding directories, charity management handbooks and training courses. For more details about all of these, see their website at www.dsc.org.uk
Keeping in Touch
Forum Meetings
We are currently trying to firm up a couple of informal meetings to plan Forum activities through 2019. You are all welcome to attend the next General Meeting of the Forum – it has been booked for Thursday 27 June, 6-45 pmat the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 (facing onto Windrush Square).
Future Bulletins
We aim to issue these bulletins each month, so if you want to include something in our next issue, please send it to us before11 May.We are often short of time, so earlier is better – and after allowing for editing and distribution, there’s not much point in telling us about events happening much before the 18/19 May weekend. Please send direct to apiperbrix@aol.com
Stay Connected!
It looks impressive if we build up a long list of contacts, but we much prefer if the information is reaching people who are still active and in a position to make use of some of it.
Please respond to this e-mail to tell us if:
– You have moved away or are no longer interested in Brixton affairs;
– You want to add a colleague or a related group to the contact list;
– You want to change your contact details so you get these bulletins sooner or more reliably.