Don’t miss out on Covid vaccinations!
If you hesitated when first offered a vaccination – or if nobody even asked you – there are still opportunities to get the jab. If you are aged over 40 OR in one of the “At Risk” groups, you can get vaccinated by:
– Walk-in Vaccination Clinic at Streatham Place Surgery, on the far side of the South Circular Road at the top of Brixton Hill: Wednesdays 9am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 4-45 pm.
– Contact your own GP practice to ask if they are running any clinic sessions themselves.
– Check www.selondonccg.nhs.uk for other clinic dates and locations coming up.
Zoom chats with Councillor
Councillor Donatus Anyanwu, Lambeth’s lead member for Voluntary and Community organisations, is holding a series of on-line meetings to discuss issues with such groups. What was your experience during Covid-19? What does the “new normal” look like in terms of restarting face-to-face activities or continuing on-line services?
To book, contact Eoin Heffernan at Integrate, eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk
Health & Social Care – Tuesday 18 May at 2pm;
Youth Services – Wednesday 19 May at 3 pm;
Employment – Tuesday 25 May, 4 pm;
Sports – Wednesday 26 May at 4 pm.
Each session is scheduled for one hour.
We’ll Meet Again
Our thanks to everyone who joined in our on-line Forum meeting last month – 37 people in total is the best turnout for a couple of years. It’s likely there will be another Forum meeting on Zoom before we attempt a live meeting again, but what would suit you best?
Following our discussions of the Hondo Tower plans, and the Council’s plans for Pop Brixton and International House, we are continuing to develop an on-line briefing on the Town Planning system with our friends at the Brixton Society, to help community groups influence other planning applications that come along. More news to follow.
Happening Soon
Free Bike Checks in Brixton
Free sessions with the Dr Bike team are being held in Windrush Square next month, sponsored by Lambeth Council:
Wednesday 2 June, 4 pm to 7 pm,
Saturday 5 June, 12 noon to 3 pm.
Black Culture Market, 5 & 6 June
Downstairs at The Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road, SW9, open 11 am to 5 pm each day. The aim is to support emerging entrepreneurs and new black businesses with opportunities to showcase and sell their products. For customers, it will offer a diverse shopping and cultural experience, celebrating producers of African and Caribbean heritage. Admission free but please register at www.blackculturemarket.co.uk
Black Men’s Theatre project at Mosaic Clubhouse
Tony Cealy is recruiting black men for a free 12-week mental health performance project, exploring the themes of intimacy, shame, guilt and mental health. The project uses improvisation and story-telling to alleviate isolation, depression and stress. Participants will develop skills in performing arts, interviewing and research.
Weekly sessions on Mondays, 6 pm to 9 pm at Mosaic Clubhouse, 65 Effra Road SW2 1BZ. See more at https://youtu.be/HszjNgxlvd0
Impact Brixton – join the family
Impact Brixton already supports over 160 freelancers, creators and social change makers. The top 3 industry sectors represented are Education, Events and Marketing/Communications. During lockdown, its online events programme reached an audience of over 500. See more about virtual, flexible or fixed membership on their website, https://impactbrixton.com
Now they are building a year-long Fellowship Programme, Impact Invests, for purpose-driven entrepreneurs, partnering with accelerator programmes across London to take on their talented graduates and link them with members of IB’s existing network. A pilot group will launch next month, with development work following to enable the main programme to launch in September. Enquiries to Kate Allen, Programme Manager, at kateallen@impactbrixton.com
Brixton Celebrates Young Art
You are cordially invited to view Big Local Impact’s virtual exhibition – go to https://biglocalimpact.org.uk/brixton-celebrates-young-art/
It started with a proposal to showcase the work of Brixton’s young artists, but had to be adapted in response to Covid, with support from Power to Change. Take a walk through the exhibition using your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard (sorry, but not accessible via smartphones)
Brixton Community Base is now St. Vincent’s Brixton
A reminder that the building in Talma Road SW2 is coming to life again, now as St. Vincent’s Brixton. If you are interested in using it for regular or occasional meetings, please contact the manager, Jane Duncan-Ribeiro, tel. 07 941 624 247 or 020 7703 3030 or at JaneDR@svp.org.uk
Van Gogh House seeks Volunteers
The team at Van Gogh House are looking for keen and confident volunteers to act as guides for their tours of 87 Hackford Road, SW9, the house where Vincent Van Gogh lived in 1873-74. Beyond this, the house has its own fascinating history. The aim is to step up the programme of timed-entry guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays to two weekends a month.
To apply for their next round of tour guide training in June, you need to apply NOW – contact info@vangoghhouse.co.uk or see https://www.sanmeigallery.co.uk
More Reopenings
The Black Cultural Archives reopens to visitors on Thursday 20 May. As with most such venues, please check the website for opening times and access arrangements – in this case, https://blackculturalarchives.org In the meantime, a couple of their exhibitions are viewable on-line via the website.
Brixton Rec and other Lambeth Leisure Centres have been open again for a few weeks.
Lambeth Libraries are gradually reopening more of their services. You can book an appointment to use a PC, to print, photocopy/scan, browse or study – phone your local library during normal opening hours, or e-mail to libraries@lambeth.gov.uk Library phone numbers are
Tate Brixton 020 7926 1058,
Minet 020 7926 6073,
Tate South Lambeth 020 7926 0705,
Carnegie 020 7926 6050.
Minet Library, Lambeth Archives are open again but for limited numbers, so please book your visit via 020 7926 6076 or archives@lambeth.gov.uk
Car Boot Sales in Brockwell Park restart next month, in the Lido car park, organised by the Friends of Brockwell Park. Gates open to sellers at 7 am for a £10 fee, and the sale closes at 1 pm. Summer dates are Sundays 13 June, 11 July, 8 August and 12 September – see www.brockwellpark.com
Windmill opening again to visitors
The Friends of Windmill Gardens have announced that the first open weekend at the Windmill will be Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May. There will then be at least one open weekend each month until November. Tours of the mill are still free but must be booked in advance – see the website www.brixtonwindmill.org
Funding, Training and support
Summer Holiday Activity and Food programme
This is funded by the Department for Education, and is expanding this year to ensure that children aged 5-16 who receive free school meals in term time will also be offered free healthy meals and enriching activities over Summer, Christmas and Easter holidays. Locally the programme is managed by Lambeth Council and targetted at Lambeth-based providers, ideally able to provide services for a minimum of 4 hours a day, 4 days a week for 4 weeks during the Summer Holidays. Funding should be not less than £11 per child per session.
More details at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/holiday-activities-and-food-programme/holiday-activities-and-food-programme-2021
Deadline for applications is Friday 21 May – any queries about the application process to vicki.exall@googlemail.com
Step Up programme for Lambeth residents aged 19+
A last-minute reminder that the Step Up programme will run from 17 May to 20 July, and is free for anyone over 19 and living in Lambeth. Three online courses are available as a result of collaboration between Photofusion and 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning. Apply to thefactoryproductionhouse@photofusion.org
Film & Video – Mondays, 11 am to 4 pm,
Art & Design – Tuesdays 11 am to 4 pm, from 18 May,
Photography – Tuesdays 11 am to 4 pm, including practical assignments and a session in Photofusion’s darkroom.
Community Champions Course
Interested in working in the arts and with community projects? Art4Space are starting another free arts-based course for 16-30 year olds, starting on Wednesday 26 May on-line, and continuing in their studio from 30 June for the last 4 sessions. Choose morning sessions for sewing or afternoon sessions for painting. Enquiries to Julie, jewels@art4space.co.uk
Lambeth Larder community food resource
Their April Newsletter contained a number of useful ideas and contacts, including a couple of funding sources. See it at https://bit.ly/3xlvDsK and sign up for future issues.
London Historic Buildings Trust
This could be useful if you are exploring a project around re-use and restoration of a historic building. The Trust is offering a free on-line series of 3 workshops on Visioning & Viability – Establishing Heritage Projects. Among the case studies is our very own Brixton Windmill. The three dates are
Monday 17 May, 2 pm to 5 pm, Introduction;
Tuesday 25 May, 2 pm to 5 pm, Visioning;
Tuesday 8 June, 9 am to 12 noon, Viability.
Please book via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/visioning-viability-establishing-heritage-projects-tickets-151177202081
Project Management Workshop, Wednesday 2 June
In case you missed the e-mail from Integrate, they are putting on an on-line workshop session on the Fundamentals of Project Management, presented by Laura Bassett, their Director of Partnerships. It is aimed at anyone managing projects who has not had prior training in project management. It will run on Zoom from 9 am to 11 am. Enquiries to eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk
The Little Book of…
The Charity Learning Consortium have shared details of a series of handy guides including Webinars, Video Learning and In-house Coaching. Enquiries to Martin Baker, tel. 0845 1707 702 or martinbaker@comms.charitylearning.org
To explore more training resources from this provider, go to https://charitylearning.org
Finding Volunteers
On Handis a digital platform of local volunteers who specialise in supporting residents who need general support due to health, disability or isolation reasons. To see if it could be useful for your group, see https://www.beonhand.co.uk/council-and-charity-partnerships
Keeping in touch
Is our message getting through?
Do you find these bulletins useful? Do you share them with neighbours or with other members of your group? Are there other topics that you would like to see included?
Please contact admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org
– If you want to add a colleague or neighbour to our mailing list;
– If you prefer these bulletins sent to a different e-mail address, for quicker access;
– If you have moved away or are no longer interested in what we do.
Share your news too!
We are keen to include news and requests from our member groups in these bulletins, which we circulate at least monthly. Items are usually short, bearing in mind that many people are struggling to read this on their mobile phones. Please send any news for the June bulletin to arrive by 1st June, to the Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com