Community, Events, News

Bulletin may 2020

Latest info about coping with the Coronavirus epidemic

Precautions for Volunteers

Lambeth Council has updated its health precautions guidance notes for volunteers working in various different roles.  This includes those assisting vulnerable people, those involved in food distribution, either at food banks/ hubs or actually delivering to people’s homes, and those working on community gardening projects. These notes and other information can be found at www.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus

Lambeth Food Hub

This has been a joint effort between Lambeth Food Partnership, Incredible Edible Lambeth and the Healthy Living Platform, led by Sue Sheehan. Using the bowling green in the basement of the Brixton Rec., volunteers have been sorting donated groceries and packing lots of food boxes to send out to vulnerable households, mostly delivered by bike. 7000 boxes had gone out as of a week ago.For a good summary of the various food and food-growing initiatives in and around Lambeth, see the website www.lambethfoodpartnership.org.uk and follow the links to Covid 19-related services.  Enquiries to lambethfood@gmail.com The Healthy Living Platform is about to put out a call for more volunteers – see their website, www.healthylivingplatform.org  or e-mail to incredibleedibleleap@gmail.com or phone 07 701 365 551.

Mutual Aid and WhatsApp groups – update

We listed 16 groups around the wider Brixton area in the previous e-bulletin, based on information from the Brixton Buzz website, www.brixtonbuzz.com There is a generic phone number for contacting the Mutual Aid groups, 0800  009 6504 (but not for the WhatsApp groups). We have also been told about another WhatsApp group, this one covering streets on the east side of Brixton Hill, including Beechdale and Fairmount Roads, Raleigh Gardens and Cherry Laurel and Virginia Walks:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/L65godsbvBIArau6PwJLF5

Delivering Services Equally

Black Thrive are collecting information on how the pandemic and the lockdown are affecting people’s lives, with the aim of improving services now and in the future.  They would also like to hear if you have any ideas or suggestions for how public bodies and voluntary organisations can deliver their services equally and equitably.  They would particularly like to hear voices from Lambeth’s Black communities.  There’s a short questionnaire which should take no more than 10 minutes, at https://lse.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2ulnR5ZFMEnP8Xz

Support for Portuguese speakers

A new Portuguese-language helpline has been set up by the Lambeth Portuguese Wellbeing Partnership.  They can be contacted on (020) 3143 4060. They are also looking for more Portuguese speaking volunteers to help run the helpline.    

Life after Lockdown

There’s a lot of speculation at present about how and when the present restrictions will be eased.  We are all trying to plan ahead, despite much uncertainty, though some activities and businesses will be affected more than others.  Several umbrella organisations are organising webinars or “virtual briefings” to help their members make the best of the present situation and prepare for recovery. We still have Saturday 26 September in the Forum diary for our Community Showcase event on Windrush Square, but cannot make firmer plans yet.  If there are other things your Forum should be doing as well, or instead, let’s hear from you.

Funding, Training and other support

Lambeth Fund for VCS organisations

In case you haven’t heard, Lambeth Council are providing one-off payments of up to £10k to help voluntary and community organisations.  This is being funded from part of the Community Infrastructure Levy collected on new building developments.  The aim is to make communities more resilient both during the crisis and in the recovery period that should follow.  The one exclusion is for food-related projects, where the Council is making a separate funding contribution. Organisations must be Lambeth-based with an existing bank account and a written constitution.If you have not already received a notice with a link to the simple application form, contact eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk

Other Coronavirus-related Grants

Our friends at Age UK Lambeth recommend this web-page for a wide range of sources for community organisations, regularly updated: https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/coronavirus.html If you are in business, you ought to be checking the regular bulletins from the Brixton BID, but there’s a guide to applying for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan at www.knowyourmoney.co.uk  DSC advise us that charities are also eligible for this.

Support for Art studies

Another example of an established funder switching its priorities to respond to changing needs, the Paul Mellon Centre has made £200k available to fund both individuals and institutions, to sustain research and writing on British art and architecture. There are Research Continuity Grants of £10k for institutions such as galleries or museums, and Research Continuity Fellowships of £5k to enable individuals to continue research projects when other means of support may no longer be available.  Deadline for applications is noon on 19 May – apply online at grants.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk

Directory of Social Change

Their books warehouse is operating again, so you can order grants directories and management handbooks with confidence they will arrive.Some of the most popular training courses have been adapted for delivery on-line as a selection of one-hour sessions.  These will be on fixed dates from 11 May onwards at £20 a time for small non-profit organisations.  There are still some free sessions via their Training Online Platform. More information at www.dsc.org.uk

Virtual College open for Council Tenants

Selected on-line courses are free to residents of Lambeth Council estates. We reported this last time but did not have a local link for enquiries – e-mail to engagement@homesforlambeth.co.uk more information at https://www.homesforlambeth.co.uk/virtual_college_launch

Helping the left-behind

With so much of normal life having moved on-line, we need to remember that many people and organisations don’t have the skills or resources to keep up.  We were pleased to hear about one of the organisations trying to get devices to people who don’t have them.  Naturally the first step is encouraging people to donate spare kit (or the funds to buy it) and then to distribute it to people in need.  The DevicesDotNow campaign is asking businesses to donate tablets, laptops and smartphones, as well as connectivity in the form of sims, dongles, and access to mobile hotspots. It’s supported by the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport.  See the website for more information and FAQs: https://futuredotnow.uk/

And if your group needs expert advice to help you keep up, can we remind you about access to skilled virtual volunteers through Link Up London, website link www.linkuplondon.org/flash-support-virtual-volunteers-org-info/ or e-mail your needs to hello@linkuplondon.org

Health and Social Care

The Future of Lambeth Hospital, Landor Road

A reminder that the closing date for comments on the service changes is 31 May.  Public consultation events are not possible but there are still a few ways in.  First, check out the proposals on-line at https://lambethtogether.net/lambethhospital/ You can complete a hard copy of the survey available on the website, or on-line at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/lambethhospitalconsultation Or you can e-mail to lamccg.hospitalconsultation@nhs.net or phone 0800 307 7650.

GPs still open for business

It’s been a close-run thing at times, but the NHS has not been swamped by the Coronavirus epidemic, and capacity to deal with other health problems is gradually returning.  In particular, GPs are still operating, though they would prefer that you phone or contact them on-line first, rather than just turn up.  Their concern is that people have been staying away for fear that it was unsafe to visit, but health problems are easier to treat if picked up early.  Don’t get so fixated on Coronavirus that you get seriously ill from something else because you delayed seeking medical advice.

NHS Volunteer Responders

For those who are vulnerable but not currently being supported, the NHS recently launched a Volunteer Responder Scheme.  It offers help with shopping, prescription collection or a friendly chat to stave off loneliness, targeting these categories:

  • People over 70 with underlying health conditions
  • Pregnant women
  • People who are registered as disabled
  • People with severe obesity
  • People with high-risk medical conditions, weakened immune systems, diabetes, dementia, renal failure or liver disease.

 If you, or someone you know, meets these criteria, call 0808 196 3646 between 8 am and 8 pm.

Dance for the Brain

Free weekly creative dance classes for adults with early symptoms of dementia, to engage the body and brain through movement and co-created choreography. Hosted by Siobhan Davies Studios via Zoom, led by a professional dance artist, sessions are on Tuesdays at 2-15 pm, from 5th May to 23 June. Enquiries to Veronica on 07 713 636 381, e-mail to veronica@arts4dementia.org.uk

Green spaces and green fingers

Finding a future for Brockwell Hall

Work continues on developing a bid to renovate Brockwell Hall in the centre of the park.  Key to this is being able to host a programme of activities which generate income to maintain the building, and are likely to be supported by the surrounding communities.  Do you have any bright ideas (or pet hates)? Would your group want to hold any activities in or around the building?  We are awaiting news of another round of consultations on this, due to start at the end of this month, so look out for more details in the next couple of bulletins.

Facelift for Loughborough Park

For some time we have been encouraging an emerging Friends group for this pocket park.  We had been looking forward to a consultation event this summer to canvass more ideas from the wider community, but for the time being, initial ideas have been posted at www.lambeth.gov.uk/loughboroughpark Lambeth Parks officers are willing to upgrade the children’s playground, but the biggest challenge is a disused adventure playground enclosure in the centre of the park, and one suggestion is to reclaim most of this site to extend the usable greenspace.

Grow Food at Home

Myatt’s Fields Park Project is offering to residents of Coldharbour and Vassall Wards, with priority to lower income households

  • Seedlings to grow outside (garden, balcony or community space): tomatoes, kale, pumpkins, chillies and spring onions, from this week onwards.
  • Seedlings to grow indoors, from 18th May onwards: chillies, lettuce and herb plants.

Plants will come with instructions and compost if you need it, and even a video demo on how to grow each plant type. To apply, go to: www.myattsfieldspark.info/free-seedlings.html

Other News and Events

Hondo Plans for Popes Road

Despite the current crisis, the business of property development in Brixton still rolls onward.  Hondo Enterprises, owners of the two main arcades, have put in a planning application for building two towers on the site now used by Sports Direct in Popes Road.  The design closely follows that exhibited at the end of January.  One of the towers will be 19 storeys high, with a 9-storey block at the Valentia Place end of the site between the railway viaducts. All the space would be in commercial use, though early ideas for a hotel use have been dropped. Details can be seen on the Planning Applications Database section of the main Lambeth Council website, under reference 20/01347/FUL. The deadline for comments is 12 May – e-mail to MCassidy@lambeth.gov.uk or comment directly in the application link.

Lambeth History Talks on-line

Weekly topics have now been announced up to the end of May. Capacity has been upgraded to cope with audiences of over 100 people.  The talks are also being recorded so they will be viewable on Instagram if you miss them.  To book a place for the live version for a session, e-mail archives@lambeth.gov.uk to receive the Zoom log-in details.

For other Lambeth Library services available on-line, see the Council’s website, www.lambeth.gov.uk/LibraryServicesOnline and this link for the latest news https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKLAMBETH/bulletins/2896e95Inboxx If you don’t have a library membership, to access the full range, you can sign up on-line at www.lambeth.gov.uk/jointhelibrary

News from Art4Space

Art4Space has been busy adapting to the new situation, in the hope of opening the Centre soon in a new safer format.  They have also become a Trinity Champion Centre, in recognition of their achievement in putting more than 100 children through their Arts Award certification. Art in a Box has been delivered to 6 local primary schools.  It provides children and teachers with creative resources and lesson plans to support schools and children during these difficult times.  Thanks to the Arts Council for supporting this initiative. They are also contributing to the BBC’s Get Creative at Home.  And do have a look at Louise’s video demonstrations, refreshed every 2 weeks. See the website for more – www.art4space.co.uk

Keep in Touch 

 Share your news

Let’s hear something from your group or your corner of Brixton for our next issue.  For the time being, we are issuing these bulletins twice a month. To include your news or event in the next one, please send it before 14 May, or for the June issue, 28 May, to Alan Piper, Forum Secretary, at apiperbrix@aol.com

Faulty link? Failed to download?

We cannot always check whether web-links supplied to us actually work, and it’s easy for typos to creep in.  Do contact our Secretary if you could not get through and we will try to check the original message, or forward the attachment, as required – e-mail to apiperbrix@aol.com.  We prefer not to send out attached files to all our members – I guess most would disappear into spam filters anyway. We have also been putting more information on our website in the past few months, so you can also try the links from that – and please let us know if those don’t work! www.brixtoneighbourhoodforum.org

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News

april 2020 update

Highlights in this issue

– Coping during the Coronavirus epidemic

– Health and Social Care news

– Greenspaces and green fingers

– Funding, training and other support

– Virtual events and news from groups

Coping during the Coronavirus epidemic

 Sharing information with you

We are currently circulating information twice a month, trying to keep you all in touch with developments and emerging sources of help.  Most of the information below is extra to that we circulated earlier this month. If there are other things you think the Forum should be doing, do tell us – but remember face-to-face meetings are still out of the question.   

Help with Shopping

Lambeth Council is currently trialling a new shopping offer, as part of its borough-wide food offer.  This is based on a service previously delivered by Age UK Lambeth.  It will be provided to residents who are unable to leave their homes due to Coronavirus, but who do not require an emergency food package.  Around Brixton, Vassall is one of the trial wards, with Brixton Hill and Tulse Hill about to be added.  Plans are still developing, but if you or a neighbour have a need for this, contact the Council’s helpline, 020 7926 2999 between 8 am and 8 pm, Monday to Friday, or see their website, www.lambeth.gov.uk and follow the links. 

Mutual Aid and WhatsApp groups

We found that the most complete listing of these groups around Brixton is on the Brixton Buzz website, including hot links – see www.brixtonbuzz.com

There is now a generic free phone number to contact the Mutual Aid groups, 0800 009 6504. The main local groups are:

– ABRA (Arlingford & Brailsford Roads, SW2)

-Acre Lane and West Brixton

  • Brixton Hill (Lyham Road/ Blenheim Gardens/ Lambert Road/ Branksome Road)

– Brixton SW2 (Glenelg/ Strathleven/ Kildoran/ Maulever/ Mandrell Roads)

– Brixton Water Lane & St. Matthew’s Estate

– Brockwell Park Estate, SW2

– Clapham Park (roads between Lyham Road and Kings Avenue, including Kingswood, Rosebery and Thornbury)

– Coldharbour (Central Brixton)

– Ferndale

– Leander Road

– Loughborough Junction

– Poets Corner (Railton and roads off)

– Tulse Hill (main group)

– Cressingham Gardens (sub-group of Tulse Hill)

– Mackie, Hillworth and Estoria Roads SW2 (sub-group of Tulse Hill)

– Vassall.

And if there are other active groups out there, please tell us – apiperbrix@aol.com

Local Businesses are still operating

You can now find them: Brixton Local is a new website that connects you to local services during the outbreak.  So far, 61 organisations are listed, from Brixton Brewery to Yogapoint, mostly businesses but also some VCS organisations like Brixton Pound.  The emphasis is on those providing delivery of goods, though there are also various remote services on offer such as advice and webinars.  Explore the site at https://www.brixtonlocal.life/

On-line Meetings

Recently we have all had to make use of various forms of on-line or virtual meeting systems.  However, if you are a registered charity or a limited company, key decisions still need to be made and recorded correctly, with an adequate quorum of board members or trustees involved.  The Directory of Social Change recently flagged up a handy guide to good practice, compiled by the Chartered Governance Institute.  It includes a useful comparison of the available types of software to enable such virtual board meetings.  The PDF file can be found here http://www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Virtual-Board-Mtg-Ap20.pdf

However, it does not address the looming issue of Annual General Meetings, where more members may need to be involved – probably time to start reading the small print of your constitution! How should we support the “left behind”? Telling people to do it all on-line can work for a lot of people, but not everybody has either the kit or the IT skills to sort their benefits or order groceries on-line.  And how can anybody afford a smartphone if they are on Universal Credit?  This is troubling several of the Neighbourhood Forums right now – we want to be inclusive but we cannot see a way forward – got any bright ideas?

 Health and Social Care News

 Firms feeding NHS workers

The major food delivery firms have recently been offering concessions to NHS staff. Just Eat offered a 25% discount to NHS workers, and this has been extended until 26 April after staff had ordered a million meals through the scheme in its first two weeks. Last month, Uber Eats gave away 100,000 vouchers valued at £10 to enable NHS workers to buy a meal from the restaurants and convenience stores linked to its app. Deliveroo has raised £1.5 million to enable it to donate free meals to NHS workers.  The money, from customer donations and corporate funding, will provide £20 Deliveroo vouchers to 50,000 frontline workers, covering both the meal and delivery. Source: The Big Hospitality e-mail bulletins.

Staying Well

A major concern during the present crisis is to minimise demand on the hospitals, not just from coronavirus cases, but also from other conditions exaggerated by lack of exercise or fresh air, or the stress of sharing limited space at home.  Common threads among several “survival guides” seem to be setting a routine (but taking regular breaks), a varied diet rather than comfort eating, getting regular exercise, fresh air (at least you can now open a window) and touching base with the extended family, friends and colleagues. If you have any other “top tips”, why not share them with us? It may also be worth noting that Brixton Therapy Centre is offering Video and Telephone Consultations – enquiries to (020) 7733 9944 or e-mail to info@brixtontherapycentre.com

Greenspaces – and green fingers

Social distance in parks – jog responsibly!

  • Friends of Brockwell Park are encouraging park users to follow these guidelines to maintain social distance within the Park , which has been very busy on recent occasions. These apply across walkers, pram pushers, wheelchair users, runners and cyclists.
  • Move around the park on the left-hand side of the path, keeping 2m behind the person in front. Most paths are wide enough for you to stay 2m clear of people approaching from the other direction.
  • Overtake to your left, on the grass, keeping 2m clear of others.
  • If there is no space to the left, only use the opposite lane if this is clear of other users.  Do not walk, run or cycle between the two lanes, to maintain that 2m clearance.  That may mean joggers running on the spot until a safe space opens up, or cyclists dismounting, but please keep a safe distance.

Discover other green spaces

Why not ring the changes and explore some other open spaces on our patch?  I have just heard from a Town Centre resident who has discovered Myatt’s Fields Park for the first time.  Far fewer people know about the Loughborough Park open space – there is far more to it than a disused adventure playground.  You might think that Trinity Gardens, Blenheim Gardens and Wyck Gardens are too small to bother with, but at least the walk there will vary your exercise routine.  And with less traffic on the roads, a woodland walk through Brixton Orchard and Rush Common finally becomes worth tackling.

Grow at Home

Community gardening efforts are rather limited right now, but have not stopped completely.

Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses are running some “remote” sessions including Gardeners Question Time, Fermentation classes, Story Stompers and a Singing Group. They also have some young soft fruit bushes, grown from cuttings, for sale at £5 each.  For details of all these, see their website,  wwwbrockwellgreenhouses.org.uk/events/

Myatt’s Fields Park has a free seedlings scheme to help local people grow their own food at home.  This applies to residents of Coldharbour and Vassall wards  More details at www.myattsfieldspark.info/free-seedlings.html They have also highlighted the Lambeth Larder website for great tips on food growing, recipes and saving money.  See  www.lambethlarder.org

If you are an experienced grower, Incredible Edible Lambeth are looking for people to start vegetable seedlings at home and then share with the community.  See https://www.incedibleediblelambeth.org/news/growing-veg-for-your-community/

Funding, Support and Training 

New funding sources

The problem for many groups seems to be that income from events and sessional activities has dried up, but many fixed costs still need to be met, so the business plan has gone out the window.  Some funders have diverted resources to help keep voluntary groups operating, and if you are already operating with grant support, many funders are willing to be flexible about outcomes and reporting timescales – but you need to keep them in touch with any changes in how you are operating.  If you are still seeking funds, either to do more or to start something new, it’s more difficult right now. 

The London Community Response Fund has been delivering differently grants for the up-front costs of switching the way you deliver services, e.g. putting sessions online:  https://londoncommunityresponsefund.org.uk

For a more general list of sources for organisations supporting people during the Coronavirus lock-down, see  https://charitybank.org/news/covid-19-emergency-funding-for-charities-and-social-sector-organisations

Webinars and On-line Courses

Survival Strategies for Youth and Play organisations is a FAQ session being led by the Integrate Agency on Friday 24 April from 2 pm. Business planning, financial resilience and future income generation will be included.  To submit questions in advance, please e-mail to Tom Cunningham, tcunningham@lambeth.gov.uk by Wednesday. To reserve a place, e-mail richard.davis@integrateagency.co.uk

Homes for Lambeth has started a new partnership with the Virtual College to provide free access to selected on-line courses for Lambeth Council tenants. There is potential for more (see www.virtual-college.co.uk ) but on offer to start with are:- Nutrition and hydration;- Completing application forms;- Get moving, get healthy. The Directory of Social Change has confirmed that courses on its Training Online Platform will be free to access until 17 July.  More details at www.dscorg.uk and follow the links.

Virtual Events and Other News

Write on Art

Teenagers running out of things to do?  Write on Art is a national writing competition for students aged 15 to 18 and studying in the UK.  Its mission is to encourage an interest in Art History among young people. All students need to do is select one art work from www.artuk.org that fascinates them and persuade readers to share their interest and take a closer look.  Entries can be made in 2 categories, years 10/11 or 12/13, and win a cash prize of £500.  The deadline for entries has been extended to 31 July – see www.writeonart.org for guidelines and entry details. 

Soft Launch for “81 Acts” programme

Since last summer, several local groups and arts activists have been talking about how to mark the 40th anniversary of the original Brixton Riots in April 1981.  What is emerging is a programme of events under the banner of 81 Acts of Exuberant Defiance. With a year to go, we had intended some kind of curtain raiser over the Easter weekend, but the current restrictions ruled out even a stroll together along Railton Road, the old flashpoint. Instead, we have had to make do with a virtual launch, through e-mails and social media channels.  If you have not already picked this up, please check out the links below and respond with your own ideas and comments.  Share with your own networks, discuss with those who were around at the time, and consider if there are lessons for today.  Above all, we want you to start planning now so that Brixton can host a wide range of activities and events between April and October next year. Find out more at  https://81actsofexuberantdefiance.com Get involved by contacting connect@81actsofexuberantdefiance.com

A Longfield Hall Celebration

An evening of entertainment from the many artists who use the halls – on Friday 1st May at 7-30 pm, via their Facebook Live page  @Longfieldhall. Hosted live from their homes by the hall’s artistic director, Laura Harling, and presenters Adam Courting (BBC Radio 4) and Kate Starling (London Fringe Radio), with streamed performances from a range of artists and organisations that use the hall.  In order to support the artists at this difficult time, viewers are encouraged to donate via Paypal – more details at www.longfieldhall.org.uk/events

Lockdown Diaries

These days will pass – but keep a record. The Lock-down Diaries is a Lambeth Archives project to collect local people’s experiences of the Coronavirus epidemic in Lambeth.  The project is to encourage Lambeth residents to start keeping a diary, and then to send a copy to the Archives, documenting their lives right now. The Archives staff are particularly interested in the experiences of people whose lives have been dramatically affected by recent events, such as NHS staff and restaurant proprietors. 

Enquiries to archives@lambeth.gov.uk or by Twitter,  @LambethArchivesKeep in touch

Share your News

To include your news or event in the next e-bulletin, be sure to send it before 28 April to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com

We are trying to sustain publication twice a month, and we have also been putting more information on this website.

Keep our mailing list up-to-date

Please notify admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org – if you are changing your e-mail or other contact details;- if you want to add a colleague or neighbour;- if you have moved away or no longer want to receive these bulletins.

News

get your art at home in april/may 2020

With the galleries closed, they now have a variety of online offerings, whether locally or from around the world

Rhizome – www.ryzome.org

Serpentine Galleries – www.serpentinegalleries.org

Acute Art – www.acuteart.com

Sunrise/Sunset – www.whitney.org

Faustin Linyekula – www.tate.org

Virtual Design Festival – www.dezeen.com/virtualdesignfestival/

Tate Modern – www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

Picasso and Paper – https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/picasso-and-paper-virtual-exhibition-tour

Louvre, Paris – www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

De Young, San Francisco – https://deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/collections/google-art-project-street-view-launch

Museum of Art, Sao Paulo – https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/masp

The Vatican – http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html

New York Metropolitan – https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/met-360-project

National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Seoul – https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-museum-of-modern-and-contemporary-art-korea

Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro – https://artsandculture.google.com/project/museu-nacional-brasil

British Museum – https://blog.britishmuseum.org/how-to-explore-the-british-museum-from-home/

Musee d’Orsay, Paris – https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris

…and get fully interactive with Tussenkunstenquarataine – http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=MTE1NF8xMjkwXzE2NjA4XzczMDQ&l=a1a1a870-e974-ea11-bf4f-e41f1345a486&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FriendEnews&utm_content=version_A&sourceNumber=560

Community, Events, News

coronavirus / covid-19 support update

8 June 2020 rules update: See exactly what applies in full detail here

Important advice on travelling here

On this page

Updated 13 June 2020

  • Local advice and resources from Lambeth, Brixton BID and links to local self-help groups
  • Regional advice and resources from the mayor of London and Metropolitan Police
  • National advice from the government, NHS and Public Health England
  • Volunteering: Advice on staying safe
  • Food growing and community gardens
  • Health, wellbeing, faith and culture at home and outside
  • Shopping in Brixton
  • Crime resources: Domestic abuse and scams
  • Pandemic statistics: International national and local

Local – Lambeth

Lambeth helpline for access to food and medicines: 020 7926 2999

Lambeth’s Get Support site (Assistance – Financial help, benefits, employment and housing advice – mental health, domestic violence and emotional support – children and families)

Lambeth Food Hub This has been a joint effort between Lambeth Food Partnership, Incredible Edible Lambeth and the Healthy Living Platform, led by Sue Sheehan. Using the bowling green in the basement of the Brixton Rec., volunteers have been sorting donated groceries and packing lots of food boxes to send out to vulnerable households, mostly delivered by bike. 7000 boxes had gone out as of a week ago.For a good summary of the various food and food-growing initiatives in and around Lambeth, see the website www.lambethfoodpartnership.org.uk and follow the links to Covid 19-related services.  Enquiries to lambethfood@gmail.com The Healthy Living Platform is about to put out a call for more volunteers – see their website, www.healthylivingplatform.org  or e-mail to incredibleedibleleap@gmail.com or phone 07 701 365 551.

A Portuguese language helpline to support Portuguese speakers has been set up by the Lambeth Portuguese Wellbeing Partnership with Age UK:  020 3143 4060 – open seven days a week 10am-4pm They are also looking for more Portuguese speaking volunteers to help run the helpline. Full information is here http://www.lambethlife.com/lambeth-talk-covid-19-support-available-for-portuguese-readers/

Lambeth’s main information page is here https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19

Lambeth’s downloadable guide covering a wide variety of topics is here http://www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Community-organisation-external-FINAL-9-April.pdf

Local Business Support from Brixton Business Improvement Disctrict https://www.brixtonbid.co.uk/covid-19/

Lambeth Mutual Aid – a growing group of volunteers committed to providing and facilitating mutual support in our community http://a growing group of volunteers committed to providing and facilitating mutual support in our community.

Local and street level self help groups as compiled by Brixton Buzz http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/03/lambeth-coronavirus-full-listing-of-local-whatsapp-support-groups/

Regional – Mayor of London / GLA / TfL

Mayor of London resources and advice https://www.london.gov.uk/coronavirus

Thrive London – a citywide movement to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all Londoners. It is supported by the Mayor of London and led by the London Health Board partners https://thriveldn.co.uk

Metropolitan Police – Be clear about the restrictions, and other advice https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/c19/coronavirus-covid-19/

Transport for London have issued advice on new terms of carriage starting on 15 June, in particular the wearing of face coverings. General advice on travelling on all public transport is here: http://www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GOV-Travel-Advice.pdf

Adaptations at Brixton station – It’s been a while since many of us have been on the tube, and the advice remains to only travel if you need to. Just as in the shops, new sanitising and distancing measures are in place, along with new signage. This short video blog shows how Brixton station has been adapted, so you know what to expect if you do need to travel, and includes an interview with the Managing Director of London Underground. https://youtu.be/bykaHNVYflk

National

UK Government

  • Protect yourself and others
  • Testing
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Employment, financial support and money
  • Working safely
  • Business and self employed people
  • School openings, education and childcare
  • Housing and accommodation
  • Driving and transport in the UK
  • International travel and immigration
  • Volunteering and offering help
  • Healthcare workers, carers and care settings
  • Support if someone dies

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Leaflet on protecting yourself and others https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877678/coronavirus-leaflet.pdf

NHS

Concerns about symptoms – NHS 111

NHS Latest information and advice

  • Check of you or your child has symptoms
  • Self-isolation and treatment if you have symptoms
  • Testing and tracing
  • People at higher risk
  • Social distancing and changes to everyday life

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Public Health England

PHE publishes free campaign material that can be used for posters and on websites https://coronavirusresources.phe.gov.uk/

Latest advice on distancing for young people (updated 9 May) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others-guidance-for-young-people/covid-19-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others-social-distancing-guidance-for-young-people

All public advice (updated 1 June) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance

Health & Safety Executive

The HSE has not featured prominently in the public consciousness to date, but points out that businesses should stay open as much as possible, except for some non-essential shops and public venues that were ordered by the government to close.  Some construction sites and other businesses are beginning to re-open, having taken time to reassess working practices against the distancing requirements. The prospect of no early end to distancing will mean that more businesses that can, are likely to reopen and adapt rather than wait indefinitely.   This page has specific advice on distancing in the workplace, which is also relevant for volunteers engaged in key services (see also volunteer section below) https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/social-distancing-coronavirus.htm

There is wider advice covering a variety of topics, including workplace PPE here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/coronavirus.htm?utm_source=hse.gov.uk&utm_medium=refferal&utm_campaign=coronavirus&utm_term=covid-landing&utm_content=home-page-popular

Volunteering

The National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published easy to understand advice on maintaining safety and distancing while volunteering here: https://www.ncvo.org.uk/ncvo-volunteering/i-want-to-volunteer/volunteering-coronavirus

and have produced a useful PDF download for briefing organisations

Lambeth has produced this PDF download on volunteering

Register with Lambeth for volunteering donating food, money, and keeping safe here: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/forms/volunteer-to-help-your-community

Advice on volunteering at the Lambeth Food Hub is here

NHS Volunteer Responders

  • delivering medicines from pharmacies;
  • driving patients to appointments;
  • bringing them home from hospital;
  • or making regular phone calls to check on people isolating at home.

– Due to the level of interest, new applications have been paused, but check the website for updates: https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS

Other local organisations offering volunteering opportunities

Lambeth Forum Network https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/elections-and-council/lambeth-forum-network-lfn

AGE UK https://www.ageuk.org.uk/lambeth/get-involved/together/

Lambeth Mutual Aid https://www.lambethmutualaid.co.uk

Next Door https://nextdoor.co.uk/

Communities Together https://together.madeopen.co.uk/

List of local WhatsApp suport groups compiled by Brixton Buzz http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2020/03/lambeth-coronavirus-full-listing-of-local-whatsapp-support-groups/

Brixton Soup Kitchen https://brixtonsoupkitchen.org/

Donate food

Lambeth Larder http://www.lambethlarder.org/

Norwood & Brixton Foodbank https://norwoodbrixton.foodbank.org.uk/

Lambeth Food Bank Fund https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-lambeth-food-bank-fund

Funding for organisations

Locality has regularly updated information on local and national funding sources https://locality.org.uk/services-tools/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-support/covid-19-funding/

Lambeth Fund for VCS Organisations

Lambeth Council are providing one-off payments of up to £10k to help voluntary and community organisations.  This is being funded from part of the Community Infrastructure Levy collected on new building developments.  The aim is to make communities more resilient both during the crisis and in the recovery period that should follow.  The one exclusion is for food-related projects, where the Council is making a separate funding contribution. Organisations must be Lambeth-based with an existing bank account and a written constitution.If you have not already received a notice with a link to the simple application form, contact eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk

Other Coronavirus-related Grants

Our friends at Age UK Lambeth recommend this web-page for a wide range of sources for community organisations, regularly updated: https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/coronavirus.html If you are in business, you ought to be checking the regular bulletins from the Brixton BID, but there’s a guide to applying for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan at www.knowyourmoney.co.uk  DSC advise us that charities are also eligible for this.

Staying at home

Summary of information and tips from Lamtheth Talk PDF

News – get facts from the government website http://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Stress – take sufficient rest, eat properly, do some physical activity and keep in touch with family and friends http://nhs.uk/oneyou/ every-mind-matters/coronaviruscovid-19-anxiety-tips

Routine – follow usual routine as much as possible and don’t overwork https://www.good-thinking.uk/

Keep active – Build in physical activity into your day, remembering that dancing, cleaning your home, and seated exercises also count https://www.sportengland.org/news-and-blogs

Being alone – do things to boost your mood if things are too quiet for your liking https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

Church and Mosque at home

Information for staying connected and online services:

Church of England – Southwark Diocese list of local churches with online offer https://southwark.anglican.org/churchonline/

Catholic Diocese of Southwark – http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk

New Testament – https://ntcgbrixton.org

Advice from the Muslim Council https://mcb.org.uk/general/ramadan2020_guidance/

Art, Culture and History at Home

Lambeth Library services available on-line, see the website, www.lambeth.gov.uk/LibraryServicesOnline for general information. See this here for updates and links for online events. If you don’t have a library membership, to access the full range, you can sign up on-line at www.lambeth.gov.uk/jointhelibrary

Lambeth Local History talks online – Weekly topics have now been announced up to the end of May. Capacity has been upgraded to cope with audiences of over 100 people.  The talks are also being recorded so they will be viewable on Instagram if you miss them.  To book a place for the live version for a session, e-mail archives@lambeth.gov.uk to receive the Zoom log-in details

Get your art at home – our guide to what the galleries (local and around the world) are offering online: http://www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org/?p=338

London history in cinema – This link has old documentaries about London in iPlayer https://londonist.com/london/film/iplayer

Art4Space has been busy adapting to the new situation, in the hope of opening the Centre soon in a new safer format. They are also contributing to the BBC’s Get Creative at Home.  And do have a look at Louise’s video demonstrations, refreshed every 2 weeks. See the website for more – www.art4space.co.uk

Living History – We are unwittingly living through a key time in the course of world events. Lambeth Archives would like to capture the moment by getting help with collecting items that shows life in Lambeth during the lockdown period – full details at: https://www.lambethlocalhistoryforum.org.uk

Theatre – This page has links to a variety of online theatre performances https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/mar/17/hottest-front-room-seats-the-best-theatre-and-dance-to-watch-online

Greenspaces – and green fingers

Social distance in parks – jog responsibly!

Friends of Brockwell Park are encouraging park users to follow these guidelines to maintain social distance within the Park , which has been very busy on recent occasions. These apply across walkers, pram pushers, wheelchair users, runners and cyclists.

  • Move around the park on the left-hand side of the path, keeping 2m behind the person in front. Most paths are wide enough for you to stay 2m clear of people approaching from the other direction.
  • Overtake to your left, on the grass, keeping 2m clear of others.
  • If there is no space to the left, only use the opposite lane if this is clear of other users.  Do not walk, run or cycle between the two lanes, to maintain that 2m clearance.  That may mean joggers running on the spot until a safe space opens up, or cyclists dismounting, but please keep a safe distance.

Discover other green spaces

Why not ring the changes and explore some other open spaces on our patch?  I have just heard from a Town Centre resident who has discovered Myatt’s Fields Park for the first time.  Far fewer people know about the Loughborough Park open space – there is far more to it than a disused adventure playground.  You might think that Trinity Gardens, Blenheim Gardens and Wyck Gardens are too small to bother with, but at least the walk there will vary your exercise routine.  And with less traffic on the roads, a woodland walk through Brixton Orchard and Rush Common finally becomes worth tackling.

Grow at Home

Community gardening efforts are rather limited right now, but have not stopped completely. Advice on volunteering on food growing projects is here

Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses are running some “remote” sessions including Gardeners Question Time, Fermentation classes, Story Stompers and a Singing Group. They also have some young soft fruit bushes, grown from cuttings, for sale at £5 each.  For details of all these, see their website,  wwwbrockwellgreenhouses.org.uk/events/

Myatt’s Fields Park has a free seedlings scheme to help local people grow their own food at home.  This applies to residents of Coldharbour and Vassall wards  More details at www.myattsfieldspark.info/free-seedlings.html They have also highlighted the Lambeth Larder website for great tips on food growing, recipes and saving money.  See  www.lambethlarder.org

If you are an experienced grower, Incredible Edible Lambeth are looking for people to start vegetable seedlings at home and then share with the community.  See https://www.incedibleediblelambeth.org/news/growing-veg-for-your-community/

Shopping

One of the positive things is that we seem to be falling back in love with our corner shops. Brixton Local is website that list details of local independent shops that remain open for business, including food outlets with takeaway service https://www.brixtonlocal.life/

Brixton Blog has a roundup of food and drink outlets here: https://brixtonblog.com/2020/05/take-it-away-brixton/

The big stores currently operate revised opening times with special times for vulnerable and key workers – please check their websites for all details, as they vary over bank holiday weekends. The general pattern for Tesco Acre Lane and Sainsbury’s Tulse Hill is:

  • NHS / Social care workers: Mon-Sat 7.30-8am at Sainsbury’s, Sun/Tue/Thu 9-10am at Tesco
  • Elderly, vulnerable and carers: Mon/Wed/Fri 8-9am at Sainsbury’s and Mon/Wed/Fri 9-10am at Tesco

Brixton Market has remained open, for food stalls only, with a more spacious layout. Mon-Sat 8am-6pm (Weds ’til 3pm)

More shops are getting ready to re-open in June. What can we expect?

Brixton Business Improvement District has issued advice on the preparations that shops and businesses need to make here: https://www.brixtonbid.co.uk/getting-your-business-ready/?mc_cid=1abc54c4f6

Remember to keep 2m away from other people when shopping

Crime Resources

Domestic Abuse – links and advice

If in danger, call the national helpline 0800 2000 247  https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/  (In severe / immediately life threatening situations only: call 999 followed by a cough or tapping 55 to activate a tracing service)

Metropolitan Police advice – https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/c19/coronavirus-covid-19/domestic-abuse/

The Gaia Centre gives Lambeth residents free, confidential, practical and emotional support by phone or email – whatever’s safest – 020 7733 8724 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) email lambethvawg@refuge.org.uk

Scams and cybercrime

The National Cyber Security Centre has recently removed thousands of online scams and hundreds of fake shops selling Covid related items. They have set up a national service for reporting online scams: email to report@phishing.gov.uk

Further advice on avoiding cybercrime

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/public-urged-to-flag-covid-19-threats-new-campaign

https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/personal-fraud/

Coronavirus Statistics

World Health Organization Situation Reports https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

Worldometer counts – This site tracks population statistics from governments around the world, including of the pandemic https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

UK Government data, with regional and local authority area statistics – https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Community, News

volunteering – food growing and community gardens

Advice from Lambeth Together / Printable PDF version

Coronavirus Advice April 2020
Food Growing and Gardening Activities

We know that outdoor activities such as food growing and/or gardening activities can help us feel good and be beneficial for health and wellbeing. This activity can be used as the one form of exercise for the day.

Now more than ever it is important to support people to feel safe and comfortable to grow food and to practice safe measures when doing so. This guidance for community gardens during Covid-19 has been sourced and compiled from trusted sources including Public Health England, Sustain and the NHS.

Guidance for access and travel to community gardens

  • Community gardens should be accessible only to members who live close by and not open to the public.
  • Anyone considered medically vulnerable/ subject to government shielding advice should not visit the community garden.
  • Rotas should be set up where there are a lot of members to limit to single households going into the community garden at any one time.
  • During Covid-19 outbreak growers should wherever possible travel to gardens by bike or foot. At no time should public transport be used.
  • Those who are deemed vulnerable and classified as in the “shielded” group should stay at home
  • Anyone displaying a fever or dry cough or has someone in their household with these symptoms should stay at home and comply with national guidance
  • www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-athome-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
  • Garden leaders should publicise visitor restrictions on any communications and on external signage. This should include reference to government guidance on social distancing.

Social distancing and sanitation

  • At all times, social distance (minimum 2m) must be maintained between growers.
  • Hand washing should be followed according to government guidance. Wash your hands when you arrive at the garden, wear gloves while working in the garden and ensure you only use your own gloves and take those home with you in a disposable bag
  • Have hand sanitiser available and use before opening and closing any gate locks.
  • Ensure any visitor to the site washes their hands with soap and water if available, or with hand sanitiser before they engage in growing activities even if they are going to wear gloves.
  • Growers should only use tools if wearing (own) gloves, otherwise no tools to be shared
  • Do not offer guest gloves to garden visitors or volunteers during this period.
  • If children are onsite, ensure that they stay within its confines and do not run around on communal paths and spaces.
  • All associated communal facilities should be closed. e.g. tea making facilities

Please check current information on websites and social media of local organisations with volunteer gardening and food growing projects, as conditions are constantly changing. Please let us know if you are a project that would like to be listed.

Lambeth Larder http://www.lambethlarder.org/food-growing.html

Incredible Edible Lambeth https://www.incredibleediblelambeth.org/

Brockwell Community Greenhouses https://www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk/

Friends of Windmill Gardens https://www.brixtonwindmill.org/

Great North Wood https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/great-north-wood

Myatts Filed Park Project https://www.myattsfieldspark.info/

Community, News

volunteering – lambeth food hub

Lambeth has set up a food hub in Brixton to focus collection and distribution of rood to people in need. To volunteer, please follow this link

We have heard that potential volunteers are not hearing back from Lambeth soon after applying. Please be assured that Lambeth are working through hundreds of ID checks and will respond.

For those already volunteering, or thinking of doing so, please follow this advice from Lambeth Together / Printable PDF version

Guidance for access and travel

  • Anyone considered medically vulnerable/ subject to government shielding advice should not visit or volunteer in a food hub. Those who are deemed vulnerable and classified as in the “shielded” group should stay at home
  • During Covid-19 outbreak growers should wherever possible travel by bike or foot. At no time should public transport be used.
  • Anyone displaying a fever or dry cough or has someone in their household with these symptoms should stay at home and comply with national guidance
  • www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-athome-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
  • Food Hub leaders/managers should publicise restrictions on any communications and on external signage. This should include reference to government guidance on social distancing.

Social distancing and sanitation

  • It is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus from food. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-food-businesses/guidance-for-food-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19
  • Although it is very unlikely that coronavirus is transmitted through food, as a matter of good hygiene practice anyone handling food should wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This should be done as a matter of routine, before and after handling food, and especially after being in a public place, blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • Frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, using your standard cleaning products
  • Take steps to avoid crowding and minimise opportunities for the virus to spread by maintaining a distance of 2 metres between individuals, wherever possible.
  • –  No goods or food should be physically handed over to the customer. There should instead be a set drop-off point agreed in advance.
  • If you decide the work should go ahead, you should advise staff to wash their hands frequently using soap and water for 20 seconds, and especially after blowing their nose, sneezing or coughing, on arrival at work, before and after eating, after using public transport, and when they arrive home. Where facilities to wash hands are not available, hand sanitiser should be used.
  • If you decide the work should continue, staff should work side by side or facing away from each other rather than face-to-face if possible.
  • You should increase the frequency of cleaning procedures, pausing production in the day if necessary for cleaning staff to wipe down workstations with disinfectant.
  • You should assign staff to the same shift teams to limit social interaction.
  • You should not allow staff to congregate in break times; you should consider arrangements such as staggered break times so that staff can continue to practice social distancing when taking breaks.
  • Consider adding additional pop-up handwashing stations or facilities, providing soap, water and/or hand sanitiser.

Community, Events, News

March 2020

Forum Meetings update

Based on public health advice on avoiding face-to-face contact, the Forum meeting on 23 April is cancelled.  The next Forum meeting would be on Thursday 23 July but we will see how the situation develops. 

In the meantime, we will continue to share information by e-mail – please also use this channel to reach out to other local organisations.

Community Showcase Event

We originally set the date for our event on Windrush Square as Saturday 27 June to allow for Lambeth’s ponderous application process.  It now looks as if that may need to be pushed back even further on public health grounds.  

To recap, the idea was for member groups to set up stalls on Windrush Square to show off what they do, and maybe do a bit of fund-raising too.  Although we cannot be precise about the timing yet, it will help our planning if you can tell us if your group would be interested in taking part in this sort of event – please respond to apiperbrix@aol.com

Don’t call at the office!

No sooner had we got settled into our new office base on the 6th floor of International House, than the Coronavirus epidemic hit, and the Forum team have mostly reverted to working from home.  Most other occupants of International House are doing the same, so the building is only ticking over with a skeleton staff.  The front reception desk is not staffed for the time being, so access is via the loading bay and only by prior arrangement.

Not far away, Impact Brixton’s new hub at 17a Electric Lane is also quiet, though not quite dormant.  The official re-launch event on 26 March has been cancelled, but their pre-launch discount offer on space has been extended to 6th April.  Regular events like the Open Project Night are suspended.  Enquiries to team@impactbrixton.com

Health Precautions and Social Care

Current Health Advice

The best source is the NHS itself, at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

If you or a family member appears to have symptoms, see www.nhs.uk/coronavirus for advice on how to isolate the household.

For an overview of how all Lambeth Council services are affected, see www.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus

Self-isolating – but not alone!

Around Lambeth, local residents are getting together to help out their community – contact the Lambeth Covid 19 mutual aid group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/214918153220011/?ref=share

This links to lots of locally-based WhatsApp groups, e.g. for the Poets Corner/ Railton Road group call 07 787 511 201 or 07 311 865 874.

Get in touch if you are self-isolating and need someone to run errands, or if you can offer help in some way.

Sainsburys early opening for pensioners and NHS staff

Sainsbury’s has reset its opening hours across all stores to 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday (Sundays unchanged) to allow more time for staff to re-stock the shelves.  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the first hour (up to 9 am) will be reserved for elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers. 

A separate time-slot is now being set up for NHS staff and care workers.

Tesco has since announced it will be prioritising the elderly and vulnerable for one hour, between 9 am and 10 am, again on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (except at its Express stores).  Check the websites of the major supermarkets for latest updates.

By the way, the Brixton Buzz website suggests the smaller supermarket branches without car parking are less likely to be picked clean by car-borne shoppers.

Getting some fresh air

Parks and Countryside

Parks are a vital breathing space at this time, but to avoid their early closure, please be considerate and keep your distance.  Joggers in particular should steer clear of other people on the paths, as your huffing and puffing increases the risk of aerosol transmission to other people nearby.

Lambeth Parks are remaining open for the time being but toilets, children’s playgrounds, sports facilities and cafes will be closed.  Group events and activities within parks may be curtailed – please check with organisers or refer to the relevant Friends group website.  In Windmill Gardens, Tai Chi sessions were continuing because there’s room to spread out.  In Myatt’s Fields Park, Stay & Play sessions at the Mulberry Centre, LEAP events and Lambeth Tigers football training are all suspended.

The National Trust has closed its parks and gardens (e.g. Morden Park) though its countryside and coastline areas remain accessible – but it’s prudent to avoid the popular spots.


Coronavirus (Covid – 19) and volunteering events in parks   All remain open at the present time; Lambeth are currently following advice issued by Central Government. Lambeth Council has also set up a dedicated page on its website which can be viewed here.

Lambeth have also made the decision to cancel council-led volunteering activities, including community and corporate workdays – we will review this on a regular basis. 

Lambeth genuinely appreciates everything that stakeholder groups and volunteers do in our parks and open spaces to make them safe, green and welcoming for everybody but your safety and well-being should come first at all times. With a potentially reduced workforce if you need to contact us please email your normal point of contact copying in parks@lambeth.gov.uk and we’ll aim to deliver with enquiries as promptly as we can.  Dr Iain Boulton Environmental Compliance Officer, Parks Development Team Lambeth Parks and Open Spaces Environment and Streetscene Residents’ Services London Borough of Lambeth. 



Practical Gardening

Gardening sessions were continuing normally in Windmill Gardens and at Loughborough Farm, but have ceased at Pop Brixton (fully closed), at Myatt’s Fields Park, and at the Great North Wood Project run by London Wildlife Trust.

Walking round the neighbourhood

A busy programme of guided walks was due to kick off next month, but demands for social distancing mean that organised walks generally are in abeyance for at least the next month or two.  Some of the local groups have published heritage trails or walk routes so maybe you can still get out and explore solo?  See www.lambethlocalhistoryforum.org.uk 

Funding, Training and Support

Keeping community organisations active

Lambeth Council has come together with several other funders to offer a more flexible, friendly and financially understanding approach to the voluntary and community organisations that it currently funds.  This should allow for activities and outcomes to be adapted to suit changing circumstances. If reporting deadlines or spending patterns need to change, the advice is to consult funders early so that changes can be agreed.  London Funders are aware that there may also be impacts on projected income streams for projects.

To see the full list of funders who have committed to a more flexible approach, see https://londonfunders.org.uk/about/covid-19

The Greater London Authority and the City Bridge Trust have set aside £1 million each to launch a fund to support London’s voluntary sector at this uncertain time.  The emergency scheme will be co-ordinated by London Funders (as above).

A special section of the London.gov.uk website will shortly be set up to help link organisations in need of volunteers with individuals willing to help.

Also look out for further e-bulletins from the Integrate Agency, including funding leads.

Challenges for social enterprises and small businesses

The Government have introduced measures to help businesses through this difficult time, though some will be more exposed than others.

First check out: www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

A good source of free independent advice is the smallbusiness.co.uk website.

And of course, don’t forget our own Brixton BID as a source of advice – although staff are now working remotely, you can still reach them via admin@brixtonbid.co.uk

Training goes on-line

The Directory of Social Change have reminded us that, even if the normal training courses are suspended, they already offer several on-line courses.  There is also an extensive On-line Funding advice service (on a subscription basis).  For updates, see www.dsc.org.uk

We expect to hear about more on-line training offers, webinars etc in the next couple of weeks.

News (but hardly any events!)

Brixton’s Nightlife curtailed

Brixton’s bars and restaurants are a major attraction for people from a wide area, but this also increases the risk of Coronavirus transmission, so it may be for the best that the Government has closed them across the country.  We should commend the local enterprises which saw the danger and closed before the Government ban, including the PoW, Pop Brixton, Market House, Canteen, Laundry, Cafe Cairo, Phonox, Ritzy (and Upstairs), Whirled Cinema and the Effra Hall Tavern.

Public transport reduced

A key driver of Brixton’s weekend night-life is the Night Tube, which is being curtailed for the time being.  Public Transport generally is being scaled down in frequency, in response to the reduced number of commuters, with more people working from home or in quarantine.  Some intermediate Tube stations without interchange are being closed to conserve resources – on the Victoria Line, that’s only Pimlico and Blackhorse Road, but check the TfL website before you travel.  TfL advice is that you should only take public transport when essential.

National Rail services are also being reduced – see www.nationalrail.co.uk

Lambeth Libraries closed

After first curtailing library-based events and activities, Lambeth has now closed all its libraries.  Lambeth Archives is closed to visitors but staff will try to assist with e-mail or telephone enquiries.  However, if you have a library card, digital books, magazines etc are still available for free at http://lambeth.rbdigitalglobal.com/

The Brixton Rec and other leisure centres run by Better/GLL are also now closed.

The Black Cultural Archives is also closed to the public, but staff will be working from home on ongoing projects, and can be contacted via info@bcaheritage.org.uk or phone (020) 3757 8500.

Events cancelled or postponed?

Lots of messages received this past week about proposed events no longer happening.  Some have already been re-arranged for various dates between July and October, though July is now beginning to look a bit early, based on recent Government comments.  We can only remind you to check the websites of local organisations whose events you usually attend – I hear many are trying to update them more frequently as the situation develops.

Contact us 

News and comments welcome

We welcome hearing from you at any time, but if you want something included in our e-bulletins, please send it to apiperbrix@aol.com – by 29 March if you want it to appear in our April issue.

Keep our mailing list up-to-date

Now more than ever, we want to ensure that information and useful contacts are being shared with local groups and Forum members. Help keep our mailing list current by notifying admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org: 

– if you want to add a colleague or neighbour to our contact list;

– if you prefer us to send to a different e-mail address, or other details have changed;

– if you have moved away or are no longer interested.

Stay safe – keep your distance!

Community, Events, News

March 2020 – What was going to be

This page is included as ‘historic documentation’ of events and activities that were in train just as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning to affect public life and overtaking the ability of our editorial to keep up

Forum Events

Our Next Forum Meeting – 23 April

The next Forum meeting scheduled for Thursday 23 April has been cancelled

Changing Plans

The situation with the Corona virus outbreak is changing from day to day, so for all events listed in this bulletin, we suggest you check with the organisers whether they are still happening as announced.  Already the annual get-together of leading members of all 14 Neighbourhood Forums in Lambeth has been postponed until late summer/ autumn. Please tell us if something your group has announced in these bulletins has been cancelled, postponed or otherwise altered.

Community Showcase Event – 27 June

We have been working on an opportunity for local organisations to set up their stalls and shelters in Windrush Square on Saturday 27 June.

This sounds a long way off, and the Corona virus situation makes it very uncertain, but we had to apply early to secure the site.  Sadly Lambeth’s application process is the same for small community events as if we wanted to book the whole of Brockwell Park for a 50,000 people weekender!  Detailed arrangements may change during negotiations with Lambeth Events staff, but we intend the event to be open to the public between 11 am and 5 pm (set up from 9-30 am, clear away by 6-30 pm).

We will be issuing more information shortly, but it would be good to hear from you soon if you want to reserve a pitch, since space is limited. Brixton community organisations and local charities will have priority.  

Health and Social Care

Coronavirus Advice

Subject to the possibility of stricter distancing rules, we are sharing some health hints from our friends at Brixton Therapy Centre and Age Concern Lambeth:

> Keep your distance – avoid unnecessary contact like handshakes or hugs.

> Wash your hands regularly – particularly after using public transport, after any coughs or sneezes, and before handling food.

> If you feel unwell, stay at home and minimise contact with people, preferably for 7 days. Call NHS 111 for advice, rather than go to your GP or hospital.

If your organisation depends on just one or two key workers, they should also be following these hints for maintaining good general health:

> Make sure you get enough sleep.

> Prolonged use of laptops and i-phones in cafes or at the kitchen table means more strain on your eyesight and posture than the big old-fashioned PCs in typical offices of 20 years ago.  If you have an office, does its layout help or hinder? Take regular breaks, move around a bit, even look at the view out the window so your eyes can shift focus.  

> Go for long walks in the fresh air (weather permitting).

> Warm up before any vigorous exercise, to avoid strain.

> Eat healthy – try to get your 5-a-day of vegetables and fruit.  Cut down on red meat, sugar and refined carbohydrates.  BTC recommend more garlic, ginger and turmeric, and good quality honey.

The Future of Landor Road Hospital site

Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) are reviewing mental health services based at Lambeth Hospital on Landor Road, SW9.  The proposal is to move 4 acute adult wards and a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit to a new building on the Maudsley Hospital site in Denmark Hill, 3 miles away.  There will be no change in the total number of beds.

A 12-week public consultation period was due to start at the end of February, but we are still awaiting more details. Meanwhile, we can say that comments should be sent to lambethconsultation@londoncommunications.co.uk

Changes to Social Prescribing Service

Age UK Lambeth have announced that their social prescribing service, launched a few months ago as Safe and Independent Living (SAIL) is now rebadged as MyCommunity Lambeth.  What’s more, the service is now open to anyone over 18 who is in need of support.  As before, people can access the service on-line through the Age UK Lambeth website, or call the team directly on (020) 7346 6800.

 
Funding, Training and Support

More Training through the FSI

Training and information resources from the Foundation for Social Improvement to tell you about this time – more details are on their website at www.thefsi.org

Small Charities Coalition

Another body offering training and support to small charities, membership is free and aimed at bodies with an annual income below £350,000.

They provide four key services:

– Helpdesk and information service, accessible by phone or e-mail, and backed-up by a weekly e-bulletin.

– Mentoring by experienced people from larger charities, businesses or the public sector, for periods from a few weeks to 6 months. For more information contact mentoring@smallcharities.org.uk

– Training, typically at £30 per session.

– Policy and Advocacy, to raise the concerns of smaller charities with policy-makers and funders.

For further information, contact them at info@smallcharities.org.uk

Training Hub by the Barrier Block

Southwyck Community Hall on Moreland Road SW9  recently re-opened as a community training hub.  Millennium Community Services CIC provide community-led training services, including a Job Club, art sessions, IT skills, and English as a Second Language.  Further planned services include fitness for all ages, motivational speaking, and internet radio.

For more information on the courses and their availability contact gailalisonthompson@yahoo.co.uk


So you need more volunteers?

Remember, the first step is always to consider what tasks need doing, and then think about how new people would best work with your team – do you need a specialist to sort out an issue and then move on, or do you need extra pairs of hands to help you cope with more users? Here’s a few sources to explore:

Town Hall Time Bank: Did you realise that all Lambeth Council staff can take up to 21 paid hours per year to volunteer within the borough? The Town Hall Time Bank is a joint effort between Time4Lambeth and the Lambeth Forum Network (LFN). Enquiries to timebank@lambeth.gov.uk

Link UP London: They aim to connect volunteers with professional skills to local community groups, charities and social enterprises. They cureently operate in Lambeth and Wandsworth.  Projects or placements are usually short-term, structured and flexible to fit into busy schedules.  For more info, see their website www.linkuplondon.org or contact them at hello@linkuplondon.org

Paxton Green Time Bank: The emphasis is on encouraging individual residents to share and exchange their skills and time.  Present coverage extends down the eastern side of the borough, overlapping into Southwark too.  For more, see their website www.pgtimebank.org or e-mail to broker@pgtimebank.org

More News and Events

– Subject to late changes. Please  check their latest information

Impact Brixton re-launch in their new home

The former Impact Hub will officially re-launch in the former Photofusion Gallery on Thursday 26 March.  They are offering 30 days free membership to anyone who signs up before midnight on the 26th.  The new space extends to 6,000 square feet and includes a podcast room, meeting rooms, event space, training room, industrial kitchen and business concierge service.  The official address is 17a Electric Lane, London SW9 8LA.

Among other things, they are looking for Hosts to join their monthly membership programme – volunteer for 4.5 hours a week to support the running of the space, and in echange receive 100 hours per month of free workspace, plus access to free member events, a registered business address and discount rates for room hire.  Enquiries to team@impactbrixton.com or see www.impactbrixton.com

Events at Brixton Library

Adventures with Electricity: Thursday 26 March from 7 pm. Local musician and writer Peter Phillips describes the life and work of his grandfather Percy Phillips.  In 1955 Percy opened Liverpool’s first recording studio, Phillips Sound Recording Service, which recorded the first discs of Ken Dodd, Billy Fury and the Beatles. Hear archive recordings and see original photographs from the studio, followed by Q&A.  Free event, organised by the Library Friends and the Writers’ Group at Brixton Community Base.

Windrush and beyond – tracing your African Caribbean ancestors: Saturday 28 March, 2-30 to 4-30 pm, a masterclass led by Paul Crooks, author and genealogist. Free but book with the library or contact TODell@email.lambeth.gov.uk

Spring Bazaar: also on Saturday 28 March, in front of the library railings, 11 am to 2 pm, including a gardening workshop.  Organised by the Friends of Tate Library Brixton to help raise funds for library-based activities.  Followed by the launch of a gardening book at 2 pm in the main library.

Tai Chi extended: Friends of Tate Library have agreed with the funders for the free Saturday morning sessions to be extended until 4th July.  Due to the high turnout, no new registrations can be accepted.  If you have been registered but can no longer attend, please notify foftlbrixton@gmail.com because there are still people on the waiting list.

Brixton Windmill

The fast changing public health situation has regrettably led to the cancellation of open days, schools visits, guided walks and events until at least May, however Tai Chi and volunteer gardening continue for now at Windmill Gardens. Milling is also continuing, and stockists of the flour (along with the latest news) can be found on the website  www.brixtonwindmill.org

Longfield Hall activities

Please see the website for the latest, or contact details, www.longfieldhall.org.uk/events

Planning ahead – reminders………..

Brixton Liveable Neighbourhood consultation

Although consultation on the first phase closed on 7th March, there will be a further round in May, this time focussing on the Town Centre, the St. Matthew’s Estate, and on streets west of Brixton Hill, between Blenheim Gardens and Acre Lane. More details nearer the time.

Affordable Workspace

Lambeth has published a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to amplify its updated policy in the Lambeth Local Plan.  Basically, it aims to safeguard some premises for local businesses, and to keep their rents affordable, but will it be effective?  Or will developers find ways to ignore it? The deadline for comments is 7th April.

Draft Design Code

This is another SPD, expanding on several policies in the Lambeth Local Plan.  Some of this replaces earlier guidance on home extensions and new basements, but the most important section is that on Tall Buildings.  Several new towers are being proposed around Brixton and at Loughborough Junction, despite the lack of infrastructure to make them work.  Again the deadline for comments is 7th April.

You can find more details of these proposals via the Consultation pages on the Lambeth Council website, www.lambeth.gov.uk

Remember, if you have specific concerns or queries, please share them with our colleagues at the Brixton Society who have been following these issues. E-mail to planning@brixtonsociety.org.uk or see related items on their website, www.brixtonsociety.org.uk

Contact us

Share your news

If you want something to appear in the April issue, try to send it before 29 March.  These bulletins are often put together in a hurry, from a fat folder of e-mails and press releases, so there may not be time to check details with you if we get incomplete or conflicting information.  Please send to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com

Keep our mailing list up-to-date

Please notify us at admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org

– If you are changing your e-mail or other contact details;

– If you want too add a colleague or neighbour to our e-mail list;

– If you have moved away or no longer wish to receive these monthly bulletins.

News

April 2020

Changing Forum Priorities Programme Changes

Programme Changes

Our programme of meetings is suspended for the time being, so the meeting due on 23 April is cancelled.  The next scheduled meeting should be on Thursday 23 July, but we will see how the situation develops in coming weeks. Our Community Showcase event on Windrush Square has been deferred from Saturday 27 June to Saturday 26 September, subject to confirmation with Lambeth’s Events team. Lambeth’s various Neighbourhood Forums usually have a joint presence at the Lambeth Country Show, but the Show has been cancelled for this year.

How can we help you?

We have increased these bulletins to twice a month, but in the absence of face-to-face meetings, are there other things that your Forum should be doing?  Remember you can post short notices in these bulletins to reach most other groups active around Brixton.  We are also trying to keep the website updated in these times of frequent changes and restrictions – see www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org So, what else would be helpful to support your group? 

Haven’t you heard?

We have been picking up news and information from a wide range of contacts in recent months, which we continue to share here if it seems relevant.  In an ideal world, you would already know about everything listed below, but it’s easy to miss things, or get confused by unreliable sources, so we apologise if you have heard most of it already.  But if you discover a couple of new items, it’s all been worth it! If you want us to forward an original source (with more links and detail), contact Alan Piper at apiperbrix@aol.com

News, Funding, Support and Training

Responding to the Coronavirus emergency

Lambeth has set up a dedicated enquiry line, (020) 7926 2999 open between 8 am and 8 pm. Also see the relevant pages on their website, now well signposted from www.lambeth.gov.uk ( See below for a separate line for business-related enquiries.)

Emergency funding is being offered to help charities and community groups continue to deliver services through the present crisis.  Many face the problem of their income from user charges, events or premises hire drying up because of premises being shut down, while demand for their services is often increasing.  Lambeth has announced that deadlines for funded groups to submit reports and accounts will be extended, though we advise touching base with your grants officer for more detail. London-wide, the GLA, City Bridge Trust, Bloomberg and other contributors have put together an emergency support fund to help voluntary groups and charities to continue their work – see https://londonfunders.org.uk/our-blog

If routine admin processes like the Annual Return to the Charity Commission are likely to be delayed, call them on their helpline 0300 066 9197. The Government has already announced a relaxation in deadlines for annual returns to Companies House.

Mutual Aid Groups have sprung up across London, based around Facebook or Whatsapp.  For the group centred on Brixton, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/214918153220011/

Volunteers are being sought to help sustain community efforts over the weeks ahead – if you are not already committed to a local project, go to www.lambeth.gov.uk/volunteer to join in.

Brixton Market is now limited to established Fruit and Vegetable traders, with more stringent separation between pitches, and cashless payments taken as far as possible.

Cafes and restaurants are limited to takeaway or home delivery services only – for the time being, this does not require amending existing planning permissions.  Nevertheless Lambeth have asked such businesses to let them know at planning@lambeth.gov.uk and foodhealthandsafety@lambeth.gov.uk

Foodbank: The Norwood & Brixton Foodbank works using a voucher referral system, with vouchers issued by a number of local agencies. The outlets at St. Paul’s Church, Ferndale Road; St. Luke’s Church, West Norwood; and the rear of St. Margaret’s Church, Barcombe Avenue, off Streatham Hill are closed to visitors, and they are now operating a delivery service.  For more details see their website www.norwoodbrixton.foodbank.org.uk/ To donate food, use www,bankuet.org.uk  or www.givefood.org.uk

Financial support for businesses

Among our member groups, there is a wide spectrum from charities through social enterprises to small businesses.  At the commercial end of the range, the Brixton Business Improvement District (BID) is the natural umbrella body to look to.  Even if you don’t pay business rates, membership is still open to micro-businesses.  A recent BID e-bulletin provided a useful summary of support available, from which the key points are:

Lambeth Council have a dedicated business helpline on (020) 7926 2344, or e-mail to enterprise@lambeth.gov.uk Lambeth is supporting local business by making advance payments of the Business Grants announced by the Government, but it may still take 2 weeks to process payments.

There are various Government concessions to ease cashflow pressures, including deferral of business rates, VAT payments and (for the self-employed) income tax.  The BID itself is delaying enforcement of the levy it normally adds to business rates.

The Smallbusiness.co.uk website is also a great source of independent free advice, including how to access the Government grants and loans announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Various sources of information can also be found here

Training at a Distance

Details are trickling in of more on-line courses, webinars and videos, so training does not have to wait.  The downside is that you don’t get to chat with other participants and compare experiences during the tea breaks, which can be the most valuable part of a normal training course. The Directory of Social Change has a wide range of topics available as on-line courses, typically at £5.99 each, but now free access for the time being – see www.dsc.org.uk

Technology to the rescue?

Many of us are trying to get used to “virtual” meeting applications like Zoom or Microsoft Teams – let us know how you are getting on. For charities, community groups and churches, Tekgia continues to offer a range of mainstream software at discount rates – see their website, www.tekgia.com

Funding

And finally, a reminder of some sites/ contacts to check out for fund-raising purposes – which is most suitable will depend on how you operate:Crowdfund Lambeth can boost the income from any local crowdfunding campaign – seecrowdfunder.co.uk/funds/lambeth

Give as you Live is an online fund-raising platform for UK charities and good causes.  The platform allows supporters to make direct donations, create fund-raising pages, or raise free funds for the charity every time they shop online at over 4,300 retailers.  Transaction fees apply.  See www.giveasyoulive.com

WhatCharity publish a monthly on-line bulletin of grant opportunities coming up, as a subscription service.  Offers of volunteer placements have also become available recently and now there is a facility to seek other resources from companies.  Enquiries to charities@whatcharitymail.co.uk

Health and Social Care

Connect Lambeth

Despite all the recent focus on the Coronavirus epidemic, issues with disabilities and chronic conditions have not gone away.  Connect Lambeth is a consortium formed by several organisations including Age UK Lambeth, DASL, and Lambeth Carers Hub. Their Gateway service is available to offer advice, support, information and reassurance.  The public can call on (020) 7346 6800 (option 6) or e-mail to mycommunity@ageuklambeth.org Offers to volunteer should be e-mailed to volunteer@ageuklambeth.org If your group is doing something which complements these efforts, or you want to link up to combine resources, contact ourcommunity@ageuklambeth.org More information is at http://connectlambeth.org/

Mental Health services moving from Landor Road site?

Following the item in our March bulletin, more details of the consultation have been received.  Community mental health services are already moving to 3 new Living Well Centres around the borough, and other community settings.  Inpatient facilities are considered inadequate by modern standards. The proposal is to move these to new purpose-built accommodation on part of the Maudsley Hospital site at Denmark Hill.  There is more detail on the website, www.lambethtogether.net/lambethhospital

An obvious local concern will be what takes the place of the present (mostly modern) hospital buildings.  One option is simply selling the site for housing development, which would raise most money to finance the move, or to aim for a package which includes providing some housing for NHS staff within the old site, when rising rents are a real problem for junior staff.The deadline for comments is 31 May, to  lamccg.hospitalconsultation@nhs.net or there is an online survey at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/lambethhospitalconsultation

More News and Events

The Future of Brockwell Hall

Brockwell Park Community Partners hosted an event on 29 February to feed into the next stage of bidding to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the renovation of the Hall in the centre of Brockwell Park.  Key issues include the mix of uses to include in the finished building, trying to cover the future running costs, access arrangements, and identifying historic features to safeguard when adapting the Hall and stables to new uses. There will be further consultations down the line – the target was November for submitting the final bid, though this may now slip.

News from the Windmill

The plan was to open the Windmill to the public for tours one weekend a month from the Easter weekend onwards, but that’s on hold for the time being. However, the Friends of Windmill Gardens report that flour is still being milled (using the 1902 millstones and an electric motor rather than the sails). It is being sent out as before to a number of local outlets – see www.brixtonwindmill.org and was recently featured on BBC London News

Keep in touch

Share your news

For inclusion in the May issue, be sure to send it before 28 April.  However there is likely to be an extra edition later this month, and updates to this website depending how the situation develops and if we have urgent news to share with you.  Please continue to send to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com Please bear in mind that during present restrictions, Forum team members are working from home rather than the office base at International House, so co-ordination is a bit of a struggle and responses may be slower.

Keep our mailing list up to date

Please notify admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org if you want to add a neighbour or colleague to our e-mail list; if you are changing your e-mail or other contact details; if you have moved away or no longer wish to receive these bulletins.

Paper copies too?

Since the Forum was launched in its present form, our approach has been to engage with local organisations and activists through e-mail and occasional meetings.  Our recent bulletins have included lots of e-mail contacts and website links, but if you know somebody who would welcome a paper copy of the bulletin, please pass on their address so we can post it on.

In addition to official sources, our thanks go to all the local organisations who have been supplying information and updates in the past month or two, including Age UK Lambeth, Art4Space, Brixton BID, Brixton Community Base, Brixton Pound, Brixton Therapy Centre, The Brixton Society, Brockwell Park Community Partners, Friends of Tate Library Brixton, Friends of Windmill Gardens, Impact Brixton, Longfield Hall, Loughborough Farm, Mosaic Clubhouse, Myatt’s Fields Park Project, Norwood & Brixton Foodbank, 198 Gallery, 7 Traits Leadership Learning / Wintrade Global. We are members of the Lambeth Forum Network and Locality, so we also share news from them.

News

Bulletin February 2020

Brixton on the Move

Forum foothold in International House

At last we can confirm that we have negotiated a presence with 3Space, the managers of the former Council office space in International House. This will provide hot-desk space for our part-time administrator, a base for smaller-scale meetings, and an address for correspondence in case of changes among the Forum’s volunteer office-bearers.

We will be joining several other local projects already based in the building, so there may be some accidental extra meetings in the lobby! See also the final section of this bulletin.

Impact Brixton has moved

The Impact Hub has moved from the back of Pop Brixton to the former Photofusion Gallery space at 15 Electric Lane, on the 1st floor above the western end of the Market Row arcade. We understand that the previous cycle of meetings and events is being maintained.

To remind you, Photofusion themselves are now in International House -access to the gallery is from the 1st floor walkway to Brixton Recreation Centre, up the steps from Brixton Station Road and continue past the Rec entrance to the 1st floor entrance to International House.

Brixton £ Café back in action

The Brixton Pound Café has re-appeared, now at The Platform, the former public toilet block at 2 Ridgeway Road, SW9 7AH – the Loughborough Road end of Wyck Gardens. They are operating on Mondays & Tuesdays, 12-30 to 2 pm and 3 to 6 pm, offering lunch and supper made from surplus food on a pay-what-you-can basis. There’s also a drawing club for kids from 4 to 5-30 pm on these two days, with all art materials provided. Enquiries to Sean Roy Parker, food projects co-ordinator, kitchen@brixtonpound.org

Other days of the week, The Platform is operated by Loughborough Farm Café, open for breakfast 8-30 to 10-30 am, and lunch 12-30 to 3 pm, or brunch on Saturdays 10 am to 3 pm (closed Sundays).  There will continue to be occasional guest chefs and cookery workshops.  You can also rent the space to hold your own supper club or workshop event – enquiries to  ljcommunitycafe@gmail.com

Brixton Businesses in the balance

There are changes afoot among commercial café and restaurant operators too.  Thunderbird recently closed its upmarket fried chicken restaurant after just one year of trading.  It still has 3 other London sites and is backed by private equity investor Trispan, which also has a majority stake in Rosa’s Thai Café (with 18 sites nationwide).  This echoed the sudden closure of Meat Liquor in Market Row exactly a year earlier.

Despite this, Bird, another fried chicken chain, opened in Electric Avenue at the end of January, their first opening since the company was bought out of administration by Crown Partnership last year.  Other Side Fried earlier moved from one of the Pop Brixton shipping containers to one of the few arches on Atlantic Road that’s not obstructed by scaffolding propping up the railway platform above.

Of greater concern, Hondo Enterprises has been trying to push up rents for the more established businesses in the arcades. In particular, Nour Cash & Carry, in Market Row, is threatened with closure by 25 July.  There is already a petition to save this supermarket – see www.brixtonbuzz.com

Planning ahead

A bumper batch of Planning-related consultations are underway right now, some of which were introduced at the last Forum meeting on 30 January.  There are more details on the Consultation pages on the Lambeth Council website, www.lambeth.gov.uk

If you have specific concerns or queries, please share them with our colleagues at the Brixton Society, who are already working on responses – e-mail to planning@brixtonsociety,org.uk or see selected items on their website, www.brixtonsociety.org.uk

Brixton Livable Neighbourhood Consultation

The present phase is consulting on traffic restrictions and improving facilities for cyclists and pedestrians in 3 areas around Brixton:

– around Railton Road and the side streets that feed into it.

– around Ferndale Road, but considering the whole area between Acre Lane and Landor Road.

– the north-east quadrant, around Barrington and Loughborough Roads.

Closing date for comments on this stage is 7th March – see the dedicated website, www.brixtonstreets.commonplace.is

Enquiries to 07 860 180 545 or e-mail: brixtonln@lambeth.gov.uk

The next phase will follow on in May, and focus on 3 other areas:

– Brixton Town Centre generally.

– Streets west of Brixton Hill, from Blenheim Gardens northwards to Acre Lane.

– east of Brixton Hill, the area around St. Matthew’s Road.

Lambeth Local Plan – latest draft revision

This is the overall package of planning policies for the whole borough of Lambeth, and the first reference document for potential developers and their architects.  This latest draft revision replaces an earlier draft published for comments in late 2018.  Don’t panic when you see there are 500+ pages, because both the old and the new text have been included, and most of that is background information which developers will ignore anyway!  

What matters for us is a small number of policies and sections that deal with topical issues – for example:

– An Evening Economy Management Zone (far too small, ED8 and PN3(c));

– Safeguarding space for business and employment (ED2 & 3 and PN3(e));

– the size of dwellings provided by new building or conversion (H4/5/6);

– protecting existing housing (H3 & 11);

– the siting of hotels (ED14),

– Tall buildings (Q26).

There are also dedicated chapters on Brixton Town Centre (PN3), Stockwell (PN6) and Loughborough Junction (PN10).

The deadline for comments is 13 March.  We encourage you to share your concerns, and alert us to anything that would make life grimmer for Brixton residents.

Draft Design Code

The Council has also published a draft Design Code to expand on selected policies in the Local Plan.  Some of this merely replaces existing guidance on home extensions and new basements, but a critical section to examine will be that on Tall Buildings.  Lambeth has recently been willing to accept developments which are both big and ugly, so this section urgently needs to be tightened up.  A slightly longer timescale for commenting on this code (technically a Supplementary Planning Document or SPD) – 7th April.

Affordable Workspace

A shorter SPD, to amplify the updated policy in the Local Plan, which aims to safeguard some premises for local businesses, and in particular, to keep their rents affordable.

Sounds like a worthy aim, but will the wording be watertight enough to be effective?  Again the deadline for comments is 7th April.

Community Infrastructure Levy

The Council is proposing adjustments to the charges it makes when new developments are completed, to help offset the costs of new infrastructure and community amenities that new apartments or business space will require.  There are indications that the Council is more receptive to over-dense developments because of the cash coming in if those developments go ahead.  Already CIL (and the earlier Section 106 payments) from developers have financed a number of new or upgraded amenities that the Council could not easily have funded from other means.  The deadline for comments is as for the Local Plan revisions, 13 March, and these last four documents can be found via the Consultation pages on the Council’s main website, www.lambeth.gov.uk 

Towers at Loughborough Junction

Loughborough Junction Action Group have alerted us to a current planning application for a massive development overlooking the Junction railway station, centred on existing workshop space in Hinton Road, Wellfit Street and Hardess Street.  This consists of 2 residential towers, one of 29 storeys and another of 20 storeys, making them the tallest of several proposals on this side of Brixton in the past year.  Application ref. is 19/04280/FUL if searching Lambeth’s Planning database, and deadline for comments is 25 February.

Other planning applications

Brockwell Park: a modest extension to the Community Greenhouses, to provide extra toilets, and better accommodate visiting school parties.

Application ref. still awaited so no deadline yet.

Rush Common: proposed refurbishment of the play area between Brixton Water Lane and the Brixton Orchard, application ref. 20/00467/RUS, comments deadline 2nd March.

Popes Road: Hondo’s plans for replacing the Sports Direct/ Flannels shops were recently displayed for comments, but it may be a while before they turn into a planning application.

The ground floor market stalls and performance space could work well, but the 22-storey office tower above is hard to love!  It may still be worth you sending comments to hello@yourbrixtonvoice.com or contacting the consultation organisers, Lowick Group, on (020) 3633 7192.

More News and Events

Full House for Tai Chi at Brixton Library 

With 66 people already registered, and another 20 on the waiting list, the free Saturday morning sessions at the library are now closed to new registrations.

The Friends of Tate Library Brixton are negotiating with the funders for these sessions to continue until 4th July.

We have been asked to point out that the same instructor moves up Brixton Hill afterwards to conduct Tai Chi sessions at Windmill Gardens, from 11 am to 12 noon each Saturday. The downside is that there is a charge for these later sessions, of  £3 (waged) or £1 (unwaged).

Brixton Windmill – 2020 programme

Opening dates for Brixton Windmill have now been confirmed, starting on 11/12 April and continuing on one weekend a month until 11 October (with an extra weekend on 19/20 September for London Open House).  Bookings for tours will be open a month in advance – see their website: www.brixtonwindmill.org/visit

After last year’s well-supported event, there will be another Beer and Bread Festival in Windmill Gardens in May – confirmation of date expected soon. 

You can also support your local Windmill when you shop at Tesco.  It’s one of 3 good causes competing for a donation from Tesco, which will be decided by whichever gets most blue tokens put in the “ballot box” as you leave the tills in local branches.  Remember to ask for the blue button tokens at the checkout!

Tennis Taster at Myatt’s Fields Park

On Sunday 1st March, 2 to 3 pm, a free coaching lesson – learn a new sport or improve your game.  To reserve a place, e-mail to manager@myattsfieldspark.info

Pop Brixton highlights

Sunday 23 February: The Youth Market returns to Pop Brixton, 12 noon to 6 pm.

Saturday 29 February: Mardi Gras Festival, with the old sea containers turned into a mini French Quarter, with live music from 3 pm.

All enquiries to info@popbrixton.org

Creative Writing Group re-launched

Brixton Community Base in Talma Road, SW2, are hosting sessions on Tuesdays, 12-30 to 3 pm, aimed at new participants. Sessions start on 3rd March and will continue once a month.  The sessions will be led by Shelley Silas. More information from info@brixtoncommunitybase.org 

Longfield Hall events

Friday 28 February: 7-30 pm, Behind the Bulge, a charmingly interactive Drag King solo show, full of song, smoulder and self-doubt, with the one and only Luke Warm.

Saturday 28 March: 7-30 pm, Cuba Night – food, cabaret, dance and film, celebrating all things Cuban.

Over 50s activities: Weekly daytime sessions, some free, some at subsidised rates, including Latin Dance, Yoga, Boxing Fitness, Ballet Conditioning, and of course the Longfield Voices community choir.  See their website for further details, www.longfieldhall.org.uk/events or call 020 7978 9153 or e-mail enquiry@longfieldhall.org.uk

Planning a Street Party?

If you are considering a street party or similar which requires a temporary road closure, the Council has reminded us of the deadlines for applications, as follows:

For events around the VE Day bank holiday, the deadline is 16 March.

For June and July events, the deadline is 1st April.

For August and September events, the deadline is 1st June.

For Car Free Day events, on 26 or 27 September, the application deadline is 24 July.

Enquiries to events@lambeth.gov.uk

Health and Social Care

Age UK Lambeth Volunteer drop-ins, 22 & 24 February

Two drop-in sessions for anyone interested in volunteering with the Independent Living and Care Partnership in Lambeth, on Saturday 22nd, 1 pm to 4 pm, and Monday 24th, 5 pm to 8 pm, both at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP.  Meet the teams and find out what opportunities are on offer – the Partnership are currently looking for help with Befriending, Advice, Hosts and Sporting activities.  More information from (020) 7346 6800, or see the website, http://lambethhilcp.org.uk/volunteering/

Suicide Prevention Training, 24 February

Lambeth Together is holding a free Half-Day Training Session on Monday 24 February, 10 am to 1 pm at 336 Brixton Road, SW9 7AA.  They would particularly welcome applications from groups offering welfare advice, debt counselling, food banks and other support for people in financial hardship.  Includes identifying early signs of distress and how to offer effective support.  To book, see website: https://bit.ly/2uq1IUs

Living Well Open Morning, 5 March

Are you interested in Employment and Volunteering opportunities in Lambeth?  If so, come to the Open Morning, 11 am to 1 pm at Mosaic Clubhouse, 65 Effra Road, SW2 1BZ.

There may still be scope for local organisations active in this field to reserve a stall.  All enquiries to Danny McDonagh, tel. (020) 7924 9657, e-mail to d.mcdonagh@mosaic-clubhouse.org or see their website, www.mosaic-clubhouse.org for this and other events:

Cancer Awareness Training, 4 March

This is aimed at anyone who can promote health and wellbeing in their community.  It will run from 9 am to 12 noon at 1 Lower Marsh, SE1 7NT (Room 407. 4th floor) on Wednesday 4th March.  It will be delivered by trainers from Cancer Research UK with nursing and pharmacy backgrounds, with emphasis on cancer prevention, lifestyle changes, screening and early diagnosis.  Book at https://www.eventbrite.com/e//lambeth-cancer-awareness-training-tickets-89954090105 or contact Louise Edlin, tel. 07 919 293 797 or louise.edlin@cancer.org.uk

Patient Participation Group seeks Digital Champions

Do you know individuals in the Brixton or Clapham areas who could help patients learn about digital services?

Could your organisation host talks and demonstrations of the new digital services in February/ March?

A growing number of health services, including GP services, are available on-line, and the aim is to boost the confidence of more patients to make use of them.  If you could help, contact Wai Ha Lam at the Lambeth Patient Participation Group Network, tel. 07 340 805 027 or e-mail: waihalam@lppgn.org.uk

Funding, Training and Support

Now that the Integrate Agency are circulating their own e-bulletins to community groups, we will be scaling down this section, but we will still provide occasional notices and reminders. If you are not yet receiving information from Integrate, remind them of your existence by contacting richard.davis@integrateagency.co.uk

News from Locality

Communities in Charge: The government has committed to set up a Shared Prosperity Fund to replace European Funds for economic development.  The Communities in Charge campaign seeks to put local communities directly in charge of allocating the funding.  Locality has commissioned a film to promote this, showcasing the work of a community centre in Hartlepool – watch the full film at www.locality.org.uk/cic

London Community Spotlight: Locality has started a 3-year programme, with help from City Bridge Trust, to shine a light on local community organisations in London.  There will be a series of information and training events, the first being on Tuesday 17 March, 11 am to 4 pm at Cambridge House, Southwark, free of charge.

For established community organisations that generate income, they are also offering access to Lighthouse, a diagnostic tool for an organisational health-check.  A free guided session can be provided, face-to-face, by e-mail or by phone.

Enquiries to Charlotte Stannard, Development Officer, on 07 917 709 418 or e-mail to: charlotte.stannard@locality.org.uk

Training for Small Charities

The Annual Skills Conference of the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) is being held on Tuesday 24 March in the Waterloo area.  You can access four topic sessions during the day – pick your top 6 topics when booking, to ensure you can attend at least 3 of your choice. Twenty expert speakers will be delivering workshops or briefings.  The event runs from 9 am to 3-30 pm, with networking drinks until 4-30 pm. at a total cost of £30.  Venue: Chadwick Court, 15 Hatfields (off The Cut), London SE1 8DJ, bookings via their website, www.thefsi.org 

Free Gardening Course for 18-26 year-olds starts 21 February

A late reminder about this course based at Slade Gardens Adventure Playground – it will run weekly for 6 Friday sessions, 12 noon to 3 pm with lunch provided, at the corner of Stockwell Park Road and Lorn Road, SW9 0AD.  Enquiries to louisa@urbanfrowth.london or see www.urbangrowth.london/getinvolved

Women in Business

Raise your profile, build your brand, widen your network of contacts, and even get some recognition for your achievements.  Yvonne Thompson of 7 Traits Leadership Learning has given early warning of the WinTRADE global awards, when a series of events over 8-12 June will culminate in presentations at the Park Plaza Hotel on 12 June.  Nominations for the Awards close on 30 March (and yes, you can nominate yourself) – all enquiries to yvonne.thompson@wintradeweek.com

Contact us

Share your news

For inclusion in the March issue, try to send it before 28 February.  These bulletins are usually put together in a hurry, so there may not be time to check details if we get incomplete or conflicting information. We don’t have a team of roving reporters or sub-editors, so your best bet is to send your news in a Press Release format that we can easily digest.  Please continue to send to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com

Forum Meetings

We have booked dates for quarterly meetings of the Forum through 2020, but extra meetings can be fitted in if there is demand (offers of extra meeting places also welcome)..  

The next scheduled Forum meeting will be on Thursday 23 April at 7 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP (Effra Road end, facing Windrush Square and BCA).  Agenda details will be issued nearer the date.

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The forum for community groups and individuals around Brixton