{"id":487,"date":"2020-12-06T22:12:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-06T22:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/?p=487"},"modified":"2020-12-06T22:12:19","modified_gmt":"2020-12-06T22:12:19","slug":"december-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/?p=487","title":{"rendered":"December 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Local News and Events<\/strong>

Brixton Windmill – Winter Market on Sunday 13 December<\/strong>

Subject to current Covid precautions, the\u00a0Friends of Windmill Gardens<\/strong>\u00a0are planning this event around the old windmill, running between 12 noon and 3-30 pm.\u00a0 A dozen stalls are lined up to offer seasonal gifts and food, supported by seasonal refreshments from the pop-up cafe in the community building, and Santa in his grotto on the ground floor of the mill.\u00a0 Access to Windmill Gardens is via Blenheim Gardens, off Brixton Hill SW2.

Winter Market in Wyck Gardens – Saturday 5 December
<\/strong>
Around the Platform Cafe at the Loughborough Road end of Wyck Gardens, open from 11 am to 3 pm.\u00a0 Organised by\u00a0Loughborough Farm\u00a0<\/strong>with market stalls selling handmade gifts, plants, planters and locally-made food products.\u00a0 Also hot food, cakes and drinks from the cafe, as well as activities such as wreath-making and bulb-planting.\u00a0

Longfield Hall – Festive Events<\/strong>

The Hall has announced a couple of seasonal events, intended to be Covid-secure.\u00a0 On\u00a0Saturday 12 December<\/strong>,\u00a0the Brixton Chamber Orchestra are presenting a Christmas Concert in the nearby Myatt’s Fields Park, starting at 3 pm.

On\u00a0Sunday 13 December<\/strong>\u00a0there is a return visit by the String Theatre.\u00a0 They are presenting two performances of The Insect Circus, at 3 pm and 4-30 pm.\u00a0 Tickets for these family-friendly shows are \u00a38 each and can be booked in households of up to 6.\u00a0 More details of these and other activities on their website at\u00a0www.longfieldhall.org.uk<\/a>

Hondo Tower – the fight continues<\/strong>

Campaigners against the 20-storey office tower proposed by Hondo issued a press release last week – see\u00a0https:\/\/we.tl\/t-sODdDW2SHy<\/a>
The controversy centres on the 18 floors of old-fashioned office space above an extension to the Brixton Village arcade, defying local planning policies and spoiling the character of the conservation area.\u00a0 A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to explore the scope for a call-in or judicial review, and has already reached half of its initial target.\u00a0 Supporters can donate to the campaign at\u00a0https:\/\/www.crowdjustice.com\/case\/NoHondoTower<\/a>\u00a0and more information can be found at\u00a0https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoHondoTower\u00a0<\/a>

Overnight work on the railway – 6\/7 December<\/strong>

Repair work is being carried out on the railway line from Herne Hill through Brixton as far as Wandsworth Road, between 1-30 am on Sunday 6th and 3-15 am on Monday 7th.\u00a0 Most work will take place overnight, including grinding down the surface of the railway lines, a particularly noisy operation. Enquiries to the National Rail Helpline on 03 457 114 141, or see\u00a0www.networkrail.co.uk<\/a>

On-line events at the Black Cultural Archives<\/strong>

With limited relief from Lockdown, BCA is continuing to host events on-line.\u00a0 Forthcoming highlights include:
– Twenty in 2020: Black Writers, British Voices, an online book festival on\u00a0Saturday 5 December<\/strong>,\u00a02 pm to 7 pm, Tickets \u00a310 (broadcast only) or \u00a320 with book voucher.
– A Night in with author Alex Wheatle and poet Benjamin Zephaniah,\u00a0Friday 11 December<\/strong>,\u00a06-30 pm, Tickets \u00a310 (broadcast only) or \u00a322 with both books.
Enquiries to\u00a0marketing@bcaheritage.org.uk<\/a>

Lambeth Archives re-opens<\/strong>

Lambeth Archives at the Minet Library will re-open from Thursday 3 December.\u00a0 This will be by appointment only – contact\u00a0archives@lambeth.gov.uk\u00a0<\/a>or phone 020 7926 6076.\u00a0 Face masks to be worn on the premises and social distancing to be maintained.\u00a0 Payments can only be made by card.

Town Centre Footfall<\/strong>

Central London may have been unusually quiet since Spring, but the latest figures reported by the Brixton BID suggest Brixton footfall has held up relatively well.\u00a0 Since the country first went into Lockdown on 16 March, Brixton has been as much as 10% better off in footfall trends than Greater London generally.\u00a0 The peak came with “Eat out to help out” in August, with the lowest drop in footfall compared to 2019.\u00a0 Since 16 March, Brixton’s average footfall between 9 am and 5 pm has been consistently higher than counterparts across the country.
At the same time, restrictions on late-night bar and club uses have allowed Town Centre residents to sleep at night!

Forum meetings on-line<\/strong>

We must do this again!
We had a healthy turn-out for our first two on-line Forum meetings last month, and our only regret is not trying this approach much sooner. Minutes of both our November meetings will be available on our website soon.

We have taken several ideas and suggestions away from these meetings to follow-up.\u00a0 We expect to hold another on-line meeting in mid-January, and to have shorter gaps between meetings.\u00a0 Please contact us (see foot of this bulletin) if you want to make a presentation at a future Forum meeting, or want a topic included in the agenda for discussion.

Networking with other Forums<\/strong>

Meanwhile, members of the various Neighbourhood Forums in and around Lambeth will be meeting (on-line) on\u00a0Thursday 17 December<\/strong>\u00a0to exchange ideas and agree some common aims for the year ahead.\u00a0 This replaces the usual “awayday” session normally held on a Saturday in the summer.

Lockdown 2 ends in Tiers
\u00a0<\/strong>
The New Tier 2
From\u00a0Wednesday\u00a02 December<\/strong>, “non-essential” shops, gyms and personal care services can re-open.
Hospitality venues can re-open for table service, but alcohol can only be served with “substantial” meals.\u00a0 The curfew is eased a little, with last orders at 10 pm and closure at 11 pm
Meetings out-of-doors are allowed again, subject to the “rule of six”, but no mixing of households allowed indoors.
Outdoor sports can resume, and spectator sports are permitted, subject to social distancing and limits on overall crowd capacity.\u00a0 Otherwise large events are allowed but with reduced audiences, so may not prove profitable for promoters.
You should avoid travel to Tier 3 areas (e.g. Kent).

Restrictions will be reviewed at 2 or 3 week intervals, which may mean some tweaking of the restrictions or even some areas moving up or down a Tier.
NB – The contacts we provided last month for advice and support are still valid.

A Christmas<\/strong> Truce?<\/strong>

The usual seasonal get-togethers are rather scarce this year, but the Government has allowed a brief respite in current restrictions for the period 23 to 27 December.\u00a0 Up to three household “bubbles” may join together, though they cannot jointly visit pubs or restaurants.\u00a0 Travel restrictions will also be eased during this time.

Local Contact Tracing and Testing<\/strong>

A Lambeth-based Covid-19 Contact Tracing Service has been running for the past 4 weeks, to pick up on cases that the struggling National Test and Trace cannot find.\u00a0 The local service calls residents who have tested positive to tell them to self-isolate at home to stop the spread of the virus.\u00a0 Local contact tracers also collect contact details of close contacts from the residents they call, and refer them back to the National Test and Trace service.

We now have a drive-through\u00a0Mobile Testing Unit in Brixton, in\u00a0Somerleyton Road.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Lambeth also has walk-through Local Testing Sites in Vauxhall and Streatham.\u00a0 If you experience symptoms, call 119 or\u00a0use the website\u00a0www.nhs.uk\/coronavirus<\/a>
Lambeth residents with symptoms can also book home testing kits through this website.

Other Health and Social Care News
\u00a0<\/strong>
Make a difference this Christmas<\/strong>

This year Age UK Lambeth are particularly keen to spread a little cheer among those who will be spending Christmas alone.\u00a0 They are looking for volunteers to simply cook an extra meal for Christmas this year and deliver it to someone in the local community who would otherwise be alone for Christmas Day.\u00a0 Age UK Lambeth will match you with someone within walking distance and supply a seasonal bag of goodies for them, dropped off to you in advance.\u00a0 If you are interested in helping, please e-mail to\u00a0volunteer@ageuklambeth.org<\/a> \u00a0or phone 0333 360 3990 and mention MyHoHoHo\/ Christmas Day Meal Volunteering.

Sharing Good Practice<\/strong>

The Coronavirus crisis has underlined the value of different agencies and organisations linking up to work more effectively and fill gaps in provision. It has also highlighted the stress from working under pressure or outside the usual context, such as working from home.
South London and Maudsley (SLaM) have been running weekly broadcasts on the theme of community psychological resilience.\u00a0 They recognise that the majority of work in preventing mental health problems and supporting people actually takes place outside formal mental health settings.\u00a0 Their broadcasts so far have profiled a range of partners, including large charities and small mutual aid groups.\u00a0 The aim is to encourage joint working and good practice, so you are welcome to sign up to the entire series at\u00a0www.slam.nhs.uk\/media\/live-broadcast-series\/<\/a>

Thriving Stockwell<\/strong>\u00a0was the topic for the session on 25 November, with presentations from Dr Vik Sharma (Brixton & Clapham Park PCN) and Will Nicholson (Thriving Stockwell), also touching on the trend to Social Prescribing, supported by Community Link workers employed by Age UK Lambeth.\u00a0

Green Issues<\/strong>

Lambeth Climate Action<\/strong> – consultation closes Friday 4 December
A reminder that comments need to be sent in this week – see the website\u00a0https:\/\/lambethclimateaction.commonplace.is<\/a>

On-line Tour of Recycling Facility<\/strong> – Wednesday 9 December
A chance to see what happens to the contents of your green wheely-bin, on-line at 1 pm on Thursday 3 December, or 6 pm on Wednesday 9 December.\u00a0 To see what happens at the Smugglers Way Recycling Facility, reserve a place by e-mail to\u00a0education@wrwa.gov.uk<\/a>\u00a0and say which date you want to join.
On-line tours and workshops can also be provided for Lambeth schools.

Down the Garden Path<\/strong> – Saturday 19 December
Escape the winter blues by taking a virtual stroll down the garden path with Sam MacDonald, a young Brixton allotment holder.\u00a0 He will be sharing an afternoon reflection and discussing his book\u00a0Down the Garden Path – snippets from the Cottage Gardener.\u00a0This on-line event will include a Q&A with a small panel of enthusiastic local gardeners.\u00a0 Organised by\u00a0Friends of Tate Library Brixton<\/strong>, to register e-mail to\u00a0foftlbrixton@gmail.com<\/a>

Reduced access to Brockwell Park next summer?<\/strong>
Our green spaces have been especially valuable during recent periods of lock-down and social restrictions, but Lambeth is under pressure to allow more commercial events in its parks.

Information received via Brockwell Park Community Partners is that once again, major commercial events are being planned in Brockwell Park next summer, totalling 13 major event days which will take up parts of the park for a total of 46 days.\u00a0\u00a0

Events would peak during a 10 day period in June.\u00a0 This period alone will include 6 major event days with up to 25,000 attending each day.\u00a0 Much of the park will be occupied, either by these events or by setting up and taking down, for 26 days in all.\u00a0 We are now at Stage 2a of the application process, and any responses should be sent to Lambeth Events Team by\u00a0Tuesday 8 December<\/strong>,\u00a0at\u00a0events@lambeth.gov.uk<\/a>
Please also copy your representations to\u00a0brockwellparkcommunitypartners@gmail.com\u00a0<\/a>

Green Homes Grant – deadline extended
We have mentioned before the Government’s grant scheme to encourage people to install energy-saving measures in their homes.\u00a0 It was due to close at the end of March, before either householders or installers had really got their act together.\u00a0 It has recently been extended for another year, to the end of March 2022, which should boost take-up.

Other ways of reducing your energy bills
To help local organisations advise residents on fuel tariffs, warm home discounts, vouchers etc, Brixton-based\u00a0Repowering London<\/strong>\u00a0offer a choice of 2 workshop dates this month, Fridays 4 or 18 December, 10 am to 11 am with another half hour for extra questions.\u00a0 Join via Zoom but it helps if you can tell Charlotte at\u00a0communitysupport@repowering.org.uk<\/a>\u00a0which date you want to attend.\u00a0 The Zoom link is\u00a0https:\/\/zoom.us\/j\/93100653213<\/a>

Funding, Training and Support
\u00a0<\/strong>
So You want Volunteers?<\/strong>
A follow-up to one of last month’s items: To tap into the pool of volunteers who have offered their services, the contact is now Gerry Evans,\u00a0 gevans2@lambeth.gov.uk<\/a>\u00a0 Better still, if you can provide some kind of job description for the role you want filled, it can be advertised in the weekly bulletin circulated to all the volunteers.\u00a0 Send in the standard form by the end of a Wednesday to appear in the next issue:\u00a0https:\/\/web.microsoftstream.com\/video\/152305cd-ed89-4179-abc5-059bbdac578a<\/a>

Funding sources<\/strong>
Integrate<\/strong>\u00a0recently circulated details of the MOPAC grassroots fund for reducing\u00a0Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)<\/strong>.\u00a0 Enquiries to 020 3982 8803 or e-mail to\u00a0VAWGGrassrootsFund@londoncf.org.uk<\/a>\u00a0 The closing date for applications is\u00a011 January.

If you need to pursue several sources of funding, it’s worth considering the\u00a0Funds Online\u00a0database service run by the Directory of Social Change.\u00a0 They host occasional free half-hour webinars to explain how it works, giving access to 8,000 funders.\u00a0 More details at\u00a0www.dsc.org.uk<\/a>

Helping Feed the Community<\/strong>
Family Food Schemes:<\/strong>

Lambeth Larder<\/strong>\u00a0shared information last month on two food voucher schemes.\u00a0 More info about help from Lambeth Larder at\u00a0www.lambethlarder.org\/save-money-on-food.html<\/a>

Healthy Start Vouchers<\/strong>\u00a0are available for women who are pregnant or have children under the age of 4.\u00a0 More details on the Healthy Start website at\u00a0www.healthystart.nhs.uk<\/a>\u00a0or ask your doctor, midwife or health visitor.

Rose Vouchers<\/strong>\u00a0help families on low incomes buy fresh fruit and vegetables at local street markets and stores.\u00a0 They are widely accepted in Brixton Market.\u00a0 If you are receiving benefits, ask at your local Children’s Centre.\u00a0 More information at\u00a0www.alexandrarose.org.uk<\/a>

Norwood & Brixton Foodbank<\/strong>\u00a0is still active – more information on their website at\u00a0www.norwoodbrixton.foodbank.org.uk\/<\/a>

If you are in or near the Barrier Block:
Southwyck House Community Hall<\/strong>\u00a0is offering help with hot meals, food parcels and support for families with children under the age of 4.\u00a0 Contact Safiya on 07 572 662 093 or at\u00a0safiya@healthylivingplatform.org\u00a0<\/a>

Training Offers<\/strong>
There is usually less activity in the run-up to Christmas, but we ought to mention:

Business Property Advice, Friday 4 December<\/strong>
London Business Hub recognise that smaller firms and micro-business owners need access to specialist advice when dealing with commercial landlords over property issues.\u00a0 They have launched a programme to provide free support to London-based enterprises.\u00a0 It will cover issues like signing a new lease or licence, renewing an existing lease, rent disputes and avoiding eviction, as well as business rates.

There are a series of masterclass sessions, of which the next is on Friday 4 December, between 10-30 am and 12-30 pm.\u00a0 If that’s too soon, the next is on 12 January.\u00a0 This service is delivered by London Business Partnership Ltd in conjunction with Gerald Eve Property Consultants.
To register or to find out more, see the webpage,
\u00a0https:\/\/www.businesshub.london\/resource\/property-advice-and-business-rates-service\/<\/a>

Cyber Security 101, Monday 7 December<\/strong>
Integrate\u00a0recently circulated details of an on-line training session in the basics of data protection and on computer security and how to protect your organisation.\u00a0 It’s at 10 am next Monday, enquiries to\u00a0cyberservices@integrateagency.co.uk\u00a0<\/a>

Courses at High Trees for Lambeth Tenants<\/strong>
The former St. Martin’s Library at the crossroads of Tule Hill and Upper Tulse Hill is now the High Trees Training Centre. They are running free specialist courses for tenants of Lambeth Housing, namely:
– Education and Training accreditation (level 3);
– Housing Practice accreditation (level 3);
– Food and Hygiene (one day, level 2).
You will need proof of address to take part.\u00a0 If you require childcare, High Trees will cover the costs while you are on the course.\u00a0 To find out more, please contact\u00a0courses@high-trees.org<\/a>\u00a0or phone 020 8671 3132 or 07 377 232 347.

Keep in touch
\u00a0<\/strong>
Share your News<\/strong>
To include your news or a coming event in the Forum e-bulletin, please e-mail to the Forum Secretary at\u00a0apiperbrix@aol.com<\/a>
We aim to publish at least monthly, so for the January issue, please send in before the end of December.\u00a0 We try to adapt to last-minute changes but it still takes a while to compile and circulate these bulletins, even digitally.

Is our mailing list up-to-date?
We want to be sure of reaching all local groups and interests.\u00a0 We are not fussy about your location – if you think you are in Brixton, you are welcome!
Please notify\u00a0admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org<\/a>
– If you want to add a colleague or neighbour to our mailing list;
– If you are changing your e-mail or other contact details;
– If you have moved away or are no longer interested.


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Local News and Events Brixton Windmill – Winter Market on Sunday 13 December Subject to current Covid precautions, the\u00a0Friends of Windmill Gardens\u00a0are planning this event around the old windmill, running between 12 noon and 3-30 pm.\u00a0 A dozen stalls are lined up to offer seasonal gifts and food, supported by seasonal refreshments from the pop-up … Continue reading December 2020<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,5,1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2020-10-10-at-20.09.59.png?fit=2304%2C1142","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7U1Ik-7R","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=487"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":488,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487\/revisions\/488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}