{"id":512,"date":"2021-02-13T13:33:33","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T13:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/?p=512"},"modified":"2021-02-13T13:33:36","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T13:33:36","slug":"february-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/?p=512","title":{"rendered":"February 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Our next on-line meeting – Tuesday 23 February<\/strong> at 7pm

Joining in<\/strong>
This Forum meeting will be held on Zoom, starting at 7 pm.\u00a0 We hope you will want to join in, but please e-mail to the Forum Secretary, at\u00a0apiperbrix@aol.com<\/a>\u00a0so that we can send you the log-in details a day or two before the meeting.\u00a0

Council plans for Brixton Rec Quarter<\/strong>
The main item is a report from Lambeth Council’s Regeneration Team on their ambitions for the area around the Recreation Centre, including the Pop Brixton site and International House.\u00a0 Following the model of the “New Town Hall” project, Lambeth are looking to appoint a property developer to lead the project on behalf of the Council.\u00a0 However, they have several different priorities, and it may not be practical to satisfy them all.\u00a0 It may be several years before anything is built, but it’s important to get some input from local stakeholders before things go too far.

There will be more\u00a0<\/strong>
If you want to report on what your group is doing, or raise another issue, either at this meeting or on a future occasion, please contact the Secretary at\u00a0apiperbrix@aol.com<\/a>
We are lining up some more on-line meetings, including a briefing on the basics of how the Planning system works – more news soon.

Local News<\/strong>

81 Acts – Bring your ideas<\/strong>
Two on-line Open House sessions are being arranged, on\u00a0 Thursdays\u00a011 March & 8 April,<\/strong>\u00a0for people to bring their ideas and proposals for acts or events to tie in with the 40th anniversary of the original Brixton Riots of April 1981.\u00a0 These events also allow the organisers to share more details of the support they can offer within the 81 Acts umbrella. Fortnightly “Builders meetings” are currently taking place to firm up the overall programme and arrangements.\u00a0 Uncertainty over when and how lockdown will be relaxed means that the programme has been extended to run from April 2021 to April of next year, instead of finishing in October as originally intended, so that may give you more time to get your own “act” together.
To offer an event or activity, or just to join the mailing list, see\u00a0https:\/\/81actsofexuberantdefiance.com
<\/a>
Brixton Towers<\/strong>
The Mayor has been persuaded to call in the proposed Hondo Tower development for his own scrutiny.\u00a0 Extra evidence has already been submitted by the Fight The Tower campaign, and by the Brixton Society.\u00a0 They are encouraging other concerned people to submit comments via the GLA website, at\u00a0https:\/\/gla.force.com\/pr\/s\/planning-application\/a0i4J000002TwSKQA0\/20206774?tabset-c2f3b=3<\/a>

Meanwhile, many objections have been sent in to the recent planning applications for high-rise housing developments on the Lambeth Hospital site in\u00a0Landor Road\u00a0and the Norris waste transfer site in\u00a0Shakespeare Road.\u00a0\u00a0

London Elections and Boundary Changes<\/strong>
The Government has confirmed that the delayed elections for the London Mayor and Greater London Assembly will go ahead on Thursday\u00a06 May.\u00a0\u00a0With uncertainty about the easing of lockdown restrictions and progress of vaccinations, more people than usual may be reluctant to come out and vote in person.\u00a0 However, you can still vote by post, but you need to start the process soon – more information is at\u00a0www.lambeth.gov.uk\/vote<\/a> And if you do vote in person – remember to take your own pencil or pen!

Council Boundary Changes<\/strong>
The Lambeth Council elections due to take place in\u00a0May next year\u00a0are likely to be based on new Ward boundaries.\u00a0 Presently there are 21 wards, in each of which voters elect 3 councillors.\u00a0 The latest proposals from the Local Government Boundary Commission increase this to 26 wards, which means several will be represented by only 2 councillors.\u00a0 The aim is to even out the number of voters between wards, because some have gained more people than others since last adjusted at the turn of the century.\u00a0\u00a0

Around Brixton, the present Brixton Hill, Tulse Hill and Herne Hill wards are intended to be broadly similar, though south of Brockwell Park, a new St. Martin’s ward would be created around the South Circular Road.\u00a0 \u00a0Ferndale ward is carved up between new Clapham East, Stockwell East and Brixton North wards.\u00a0 Coldharbour ward would lose areas north of Gresham Road and Loughborough Junction. A new Myatt’s Fields ward would be centred on the park, wholly to the east of Brixton Road.

The draft plans are open for comments until\u00a012 April<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0More details and maps can be found at\u00a0www.consultation.lgbce.org.uk<\/a>\u00a0while comments should be sent to\u00a0reviews@lgbce.org.uk<\/a>

Colin Crooks moving on<\/strong>
After 9 years running\u00a0Tree Shepherd, Colin Crooks has decided to stand down at the end of March and take on a new challenge.\u00a0 He will hand over the reins to Sandra Ferguson, who stated with the organisation 3 years ago.\u00a0 Colin is confident that Tree Shepherd will continue to support people who want to make their business dreams a reality, and offers his thanks to everyone who helped Tree Shepherd in its mission of helping so many people.\u00a0 After a short break in the Spring, Colin will be looking for fresh social or environmental issues where he could make a difference, so he may be in touch again…

Myatt’s Fields Park photo competition<\/strong>
Photos should be taken in the Park between March 2020 and the closing date of\u00a028 February.\u00a0\u00a0There are 3 categories: People (and pets), Landscapes, and Nature\/ Wildlife.\u00a0 There are also 3 age groups, adult (over 18), age 12-17, and under 12.\u00a0 The winners of each category and age group will receive \u00a325, and photos will be displayed around the park or used to promote it.\u00a0 Only digital photos can be accepted this year – upload using the entry form at\u00a0https:\/\/www.myattsfieldspark.info\/lockdown-park-photos-competition.html<\/a>


Friends of Loughborough Park<\/strong>
Moves were getting underway a year ago to set up a Friends Group for this small park, but halted by the onset of the first lockdown.\u00a0 In the meantime, Lambeth has been carrying out some long-overdue repairs and improvements, including the children’s play area, and more people have been discovering the park during their regular exercise.\u00a0 There is already an active group cultivating the Community Garden, and Dwaynamics have been negotiating a lease for the disused Playgroup building in the centre of the park. Following a well-supported Zoom meeting on 8th February, there is now wide interest in forming a Friends of Loughborough Park group – if you want to be involved, contact Lydia Stone at\u00a0stonelydia@hotmail.com<\/a>

Building Capacity at the Domino Club<\/strong>
Ubele\u00a0has been providing development support for the\u00a0Lloyd Leon Community Centre\u00a0as part of its Black on Track project.\u00a0 They have recently recruited 12 middle-aged Black residents of Lambeth, who will use the community project to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills and boost their employability.\u00a0 The hope is that they in turn can support the development of social and educational skills in young people.\u00a0


Health and Social Care<\/strong>

Coronavirus Vaccination progress<\/strong>
Efforts are now being made to ensure that nobody over the age of 70 misses out on their first Covid vaccination.\u00a0 Please share this information (from NHS SE London Clinical Commissioning Group) with anyone who may be eligible.

If you are over 70 and have not yet been invited for your first vaccination, you can now book by phoning 119 or going to the website,\u00a0<\/a>www.nhs.uk\/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination\/enter-your-name<\/a>\u00a0 You no longer need a letter, just your date of birth and postcode (or NHS number).\u00a0\u00a0

This national service allows you to book an appointment at a vaccination centre or community pharmacy.
If you prefer to book through your GP, please contact your GP directly, who can refer you to a local primary care vaccination site.\u00a0
In total, there are over 200 sites across London providing vaccinations.

The intention is to extend vaccination in stages to successively younger age groups, and to higher-risk occupations, but protecting older age groups has the most effect on reducing death rates and the demand for intensive care in hospitals.\u00a0 In the meantime, encourage people to limit the spread by wearing masks in public and keeping close social contact to a minimum.

Local Testing facilities<\/strong>
For those without symptoms, but in need of a test, Lambeth is continuing to provide quick free tests at Lambeth Town Hall and in Brockwell Park (at the marquee between the Lido and the BMX Track).\u00a0 To book a test, see the website lambethbooking.sishost.co.uk\/OnlineBookings\/<\/a>
The site alongside Brixton Windmill has been closed, in order to move those test facilities to serve southern parts of the borough.\u00a0 Please note these sites are not available for those under 18, or who do not live or work in the borough, or those with Covid symptoms.\u00a0

If you have any symptoms, you must book a test through\u00a0www.gov.uk\/get-coronavirus-test<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>or by phoning\u00a0119.\u00a0 These take place at different sites, including Somerleyton Road, but you must have a prior appointment.

Coping with the Crisis<\/strong>
A reminder that the\u00a0MyCommunity\u00a0helpline has been set up between Lambeth Council and voluntary agencies to steer residents towards a range of support services such as welfare advice, access to food, grants and other assistance with urgent needs. Phone\u00a00333 360 3700\u00a0or e-mail to\u00a0mycommunity@ageuklambeth.org<\/a>

Food Support<\/strong>
A number of community groups have been doing great work in supporting those who struggle to afford good food for their families, as well as those who lack adequate cooking facilities or who have been unable to get to the shops so easily during successive lockdowns.
Lambeth has drafted a\u00a0Food Poverty and Food Insecurity Action Plan 2021-24\u00a0which is open for comments until\u00a024 February.
For the full text, see the Consultations page on the Lambeth Council website,\u00a0<\/a>https:\/\/beta.lambeth.gov.uk\/consultations<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>and follow the links.
There is an online survey form, or you can e-mail comments to\u00a0publichealth@lambeth.gov.uk\u00a0<\/a>

Keeping in shape while Working from Home<\/strong>
It’s been estimated that a third of workers are still working from home, rather than travelling to their workplace daily. It seems worthwhile then to share some recent advice from our friends at\u00a0Brixton Therapy Centre<\/strong>\u00a0for those not undergoing a daily commute to the office.\u00a0

Keep mobile<\/strong>:\u00a0Stand up every 30 minutes and roll your shoulders, every hour walk around the room a few times, or up or down the stairs.
Stand at your desk<\/strong>:\u00a0Try to set your desk so you can stand at it, by putting it on boxes, or moving to a convenient worktop.\u00a0 Be sure to put your screen at eye-line height to protect your neck.
Or sit actively<\/strong>:\u00a0A wobbly seat will give your core muscles something to do.\u00a0 You could use a pilates ball or even a Symbiotic Chair.\u00a0 Avoid crouching on the sofa with your laptop!
Go outside<\/strong>:\u00a0Take a break outside every day, whatever the weather, and on dry days go to the local park for a nature hit, to lift your mood.
Exercise with others<\/strong>:\u00a0even if it has to be on Zoom, ideally at least 3 times a week.\u00a0 It really helps to check in with others at regular times, to keep you engaged.

Funding, Training and Support<\/strong>

Lambeth Wellbeing Fund<\/strong>
A reminder that there is one more on-line workshop coming up to help you apply for up to \u00a35,000 for local community projects or health and well-being activities.\u00a0 It’s on\u00a0Monday 15 February,\u00a07 pm to 9 pm.\u00a0 Please book via Eventbrite at\u00a0https:\/\/www.eventbrite.co.uk\/e\/lambeth-wellbeing-fund-session-3-tickets-133334887237<\/a>
Enquiries to Emma Corker at\u00a0emma@rbeassociates.com<\/a>

Deadline for grants from Mayor<\/strong>
A reminder that Friday\u00a019 February<\/strong>\u00a0is the deadline for two of the Mayor’s grant schemes:
–\u00a0Community-led Action Grants<\/strong>\u00a0(\u00a32,000 to \u00a39,000) and
– London Community Story Grants<\/strong>\u00a0(\u00a3500 to \u00a31500).
These were flagged-up in our January bulletin, but for more details see the Greater London Authority website.\u00a0

Digital Skills<\/strong>
Clear Community Web\u00a0have launched two on-line courses to help you get more from your laptop, tablet or i-pad. Both run for 8 weeks but places are limited, so if you cannot get on a February course, it all starts again on 4th April.\u00a0\u00a0Digital Horizons\u00a0is for users of tablets or i-pads, on Thursdays at 11 am and FREE.\u00a0\u00a0Laptop Self-Care\u00a0is for users of laptops and PCs, on Thursdays at 2 pm but costs \u00a335.
For more details and bookings, see\u00a0https:\/\/clearcommunityweb.co.uk<\/a>
Our thanks to Longfield Hall for alerting us to this, including the new web address.

Need expert volunteers?<\/strong>
For projects working mainly with ethnic minorities, our friends at\u00a0Ubele<\/a>\u00a0have reminded us about\u00a0Re:Purpose<\/strong>\u00a0who specialise in matching executive and board-level volunteers with small charities or social enterprises.\u00a0 If you require expert support with strategic planning, HR, marketing, communications or finance, get in touch with Gina Osbourne at Ubele:\u00a0gina.osbourne@ubele.org<\/a>

Don’t forget too that there is still a pool of volunteers available through Lambeth Council.\u00a0 It’s best if you can provide some kind of job description for the role that you need filled.\u00a0 It can then be advertised in the weekly bulletin circulated to all the volunteers – send by the end of Wednesday to appear in the next week’s bulletin. Find the standard form at\u00a0https:\/\/web.microsoftstream.com\/video\/152305cd-ed89-4179-abc5-059bbdac578a<\/a>

Keep on Networking!<\/strong>
\u00a0<\/strong>
Was this bulletin helpful?<\/strong>
In an ideal world, you would have picked up most of the news above directly from the original sources, but we suspect at least some of it will be new to you.\u00a0 We have given priority to information that should be helpful to local community groups and social enterprises, but if your needs are not being covered, do tell us!\u00a0 We are also keen to report on what local organisations are doing, and we will highlight any opportunities for them to work together.

If you want to include something about you or your group in a future bulletin, please send your reports or announcements to Alan Piper, Forum Secretary, at\u00a0apiperbrix@aol.com<\/a>

Is our mailing list up-to-date?<\/strong>
We want to be sure of reaching all local groups and interests. Please notify us at\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 in what we do.

Support your Forum<\/strong>
We aim to supplement our limited Council funding with membership subscriptions from local organisations.\u00a0 To keep things simple, we encourage you to use the Paypal facility on our website. We are not fussy about your location – if you think you are in Brixton, you are welcome!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our next on-line meeting – Tuesday 23 February at 7pm Joining inThis Forum meeting will be held on Zoom, starting at 7 pm.\u00a0 We hope you will want to join in, but please e-mail to the Forum Secretary, at\u00a0apiperbrix@aol.com\u00a0so that we can send you the log-in details a day or two before the meeting.\u00a0 Council … Continue reading February 2021<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":508,"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":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/P1120203-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7U1Ik-8g","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512"}],"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=512"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512\/revisions\/515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}