Forum Meeting on Thursday 27 June
Time again for us to come together, review the past year, and discuss what we want our Forum to do in the next 12 months – 6.45 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 (the Effra Road end, facing Windrush Square).
This is the time to tell us if there is a cause that the Forum should take up, or help you need, or topics that you would like covered in future bulletins. If you cannot make this date, e-mail to apiperbrix@aol.com
News, Events and Activities around Brixton
Windrush Commemorations, Saturday 22 June
The Black Cultural Archives are hosting a Family Fun Day between 1 pm and 6 pm at BCA, Windrush Square – see www.blackculturalarchives.org
Pop Brixton is holding a Black Culture Pop-up Market over the weekend, 11 am to 5 pm both days, with featured stalls in the Pop Box and Impact Brixton.
Brixton Village is hosting a programme of live music, poetry and other performances on its Coldharbour Lane forecourt this Saturday 22 June, between 12 noon and 8 pm.
In Lambeth Town Hall, one of the ground floor rooms will be open 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday 22nd, and 9 am to 6 pm on weekdays until 5th July, with a free exhibition Before and After Windrush: 350 years of Black People in Lambeth. Lambeth Archives have drawn on records of black people active in Lambeth before 1948, as well as a repeat showing of some of the work of the photographer Harry Jacobs, whose studio in Landor Road was popular with the black community in the 1950s and 1960s.
Memories of Loughborough Road shops, 22 June
LEAF Tenants & Residents Association have been researching the variety of shops near the Brixton Road end of the street, and their changing uses over the past 150 years. If you have memories of the changing street scene, they would love to hear from you – drop in to Azawala at 55 Loughborough Road on Saturday 22 June between 11 am and 4 pm for a drink and a chat. If you can’t make this date, they would still love to hear your stories or see any old photos – get in touch at leaftra@gmail.com
Look out for an exhibition at the San Mei Gallery (the old Loughborough Hotel) in September.
Rapport Festival, 28-30 June
The ultimate arts festival celebrating the African Diaspora returns to Brixton for its third year. Over the three days 28-30 June, Brixton’s streets, cinemas and arts venues will provide the stage for this unique arts festival. Rapport will showcase the enormous contribution of the African Diaspora to British culture. Highlights this year include Brixton-based DJs One Nation, photographer Eddie Otchere, Two Gents Productions with their South African-inspired theatre, artist Morris Thompson and master tailor Jahmale Ukson with his Denim Recon London brand, plus an eclectic selection of films across an inspiring weekend. More details on the website, https://rapportfestival.com
Thanks to funders and supporters including Arts Council England, Lambeth Council, Brixton BID, the National Theatre, Whiled Cinema, Impact Brixton, Azawala Café Gallery, Pop Brixton, San Mei Gallery, Pure Vinyl, Renaissance Studios.
Encouraging Women in Business – Impact Brixton
Discoaching Workshop, Wednesday 3 July, 6-30 to 9-30 pm at Impact Brixton, at rear of Pop Brixton, Brixton Station Road. A fun, energetic and creative workshop to help you get some Direction, Inspiration, Success, Confidence and Optimism (DISCO) into your life. Discoaching is the brainchild of Suzanne Willems, based on her 24 years of working in creative and music industries and coaching. Fee £7 + VAT – book via Eventbrite.
Fe-Fest 2019: As part of their Female Founders series, Impact Brixton are launching a festival in September to celebrate the ways women in our community are impacting Brixton through entrepreneurship. The festival will showcase women who are creating change in art, business, culture and their community, through workshops, keynote speeches and an exhibition. If your company/ organisation is female-led, or focused on empowering women, they would love to hear from you – contact news@impactbrixton.com
Remaking the Remakery
Since the Remakery was founded in 2012 in a disused Brixton car park, this not-for-profit maker-space has fostered a community of makers, artists and enterprises, mainly drawn from local people. They have breathed new life and creativity into objects previously destined for dumping in landfill. Now they are preparing for the next chapter, continuing their mission to rethink, resource, re-use and redeistribute materials, skills and lifestyles. Meanwhile, you can still visit them at 51 Lilford Road, SE5 9HY. If you have questions, suggestions, or to arrange a tour, contact them at hello@remakery.org
Lambeth Country Show, weekend 20/21 July
Time again for another show in Brockwell Park, open from 12 noon to 7 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Once again it is expected to be a fenced event, but there will be some layout changes, including the main music stage returning to the field uphill from Brockwell Lido.
Neighbourhood Forums Networking at Lambeth Country Show
We are part of the Lambeth Forum Network. This network (LFN) is a collaborative group of area-based community forums, working voluntarily to ensure that local voices are heard by the Council and other services, and working with a range of groups and services to improve the lives of everyone living in our area.
Once again the LFN will have a presence at the Country Show – look for us about 200 yards downhill from Brockwell Hall, towards the Herne Hill gate.
Representatives from the 14 member groups will share staffing the stand, so don’t expect Brixton to be present all the time, but you may well find members from adjacent areas like Tulse Hill, Loughborough Junction or Stockwell to compare notes with. Our colleagues from the Brixton Society will also be nearby.
Live Music in another Brixton Park
The Bandstand in Myatt’s Fields Park is now hosting performances by a range of live bands and performers on two Sunday afternoons each month until October. Actual dates are 30 June, 14 & 28 July, 25 August, 8 & 22 September, 6 & 20 October.
Army Reserves at Tulse Hill
The old Territorial Army and associated cadet forces have scaled back considerably over the past 30 years, but there is still an active unit of what are now the Army Reserves at 132 Upper Tulse Hill, SW2 2RS. This is a detachment of the Royal Military Police, 253 Provost Company, which is the reserve company for London and the South East. Parade nights are on Wednesdays 7-30 to 9-30 pm, plus occasional weekends and a 2-week training camp in October. They are currently recruiting people between 17 and 50 years old, who must be physically fit. Enquiries to Captain Steve Hall, steven.hall479@mod.gov.uk
Funding, Training and Support
Support at last for Community Groups across Lambeth?
News has finally emerged of which organisation will provide advice and support for community groups around the borough. This will be The Integrate Agency CIC, a social enterprise agency providing training, advocacy and support. For the past several months, we have tried to fill the gap by sharing news of funding and other resources in these bulletins. So far, we know very little about how the new scheme will work, but for more information, contact laura.bassett@integrateagency.co.uk
Publicity through Pop Brixton
If you have an opportunity or event that you feel will benefit young people, please contact Bayo Obasaju at Pop Brixton, bayo@makeshift.org and they will try to include it in their next e-mail bulletin.
Mosaic Clubhouse
This Friday 21st June we are hosting a CV & Interview Workshop. Everyone is welcome! It will run 1.30 – 4pm at Mosaic Clubhouse, 65 Effra Rd, Brixton, SW2 1BZ.
The workshop will be run by KPMG Book your FREE place here: cvinterview123.eventbrite.co.uk
Restart Project london@therestartproject.org
Tuesday 25th June from 6.30pm-9pm
Get electrical goods such as toasters and laptops fixed.
https://therestartproject.org/parties/brixton/
Sourcing Volunteers
Link UP London operates by linking charities and community organisations with qualified professionals willing to volunteer their skills pro bono. If you have a specific project or task where you could use some expert help, then it’s worth seeing what they have on offer. Recent offers included career coaching, secretarial support, architectural design, accounting, human resources, and organisation planning. You can find them athttps:www.linkuplondon.org
Asset Sharing Network
Asset Sharing Networks are a way for charities and community organisations to meet and network, building relationships based on the Time Bank model of exchanging skills and resources. If you work in the Voluntary Sector and have skills you would like to trade to improve your work and the wellbeing of your community, maybe you should get involved.
We hear there is a meeting taking place on Wednesday 19 June at Black Prince Trust Community Hub, Beaufoy Walk SE11 6PT. I know this is short notice but there may be another event a month later – all enquiries to time4lambeth@pgtimebank.org
Focus on Adult Social Care
Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board
The Board is trying to raise awareness about different forms of abuse, and how to deal with them. Their next event will be on Monday 1st July between 12 noon and 2 pm, to focus on self-neglect, one of the less-recognised forms of abuse. Attendance is free (lunch included) but please register beforehand, either phone 020 7926 6902 or e-mail LSABAdmin@lambeth.gov.uk
MYCommunity Directory
The Directory is a service provided by the Independent Living and Carers Partnership, to make access to information as simple as possible. Services featured include advice on benefits, finding help at home, community services such as social activities, and help with health and well-being. There is also a simple Eligibility Checker to show if you or a family member or neighbour may be entitled to help from Adult Social Care. See the websitewww.mycommunity.directory
London City Airport – Community Fund
At last some payback for those low-flying aircraft circling over Brixton! London City Airport has launched a £75,000 community fund to support community organisations and charities across the eastern half of London. Individual grants will be from £300 to £3,000 maximum.
Lambeth is included in the list of eligible boroughs, and grant priorities are:
– Building stronger, healthier and safer communities;
– Creating more sustainable and greener communities;
– Creating pathways into employment.
The deadline for the current funding round is 5 pm on Friday 19 July, with results to be announced in September. There will be 4 funding rounds a year, the next in the Autumn. Further details from the website, www.londoncityairport.com/corporate/responsible-growth/community-fund
Early Years Awards for Kids
If you are working with children under 3 in Central Lambeth, grants of up to £2,000 are available from Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP). Currently this is limited to 4 Council wards, Stockwell, Vassall, Coldharbour and Tulse Hill, and aims to encourage either better diet and nutrition, or social and emotional development, or communication and language development.
The latest funding deadline fell while we were putting this bulletin together, but there will be 4 quarterly rounds, with the next round in August so start planning now. The grant scheme is run by Groundwork London so for further details, see their website, www.groundwork.org.uk/sites/london where you may find a couple more funding streams worth exploring.
Help with Reducing Energy Bills
For Residents
Repowering London is a Lambeth-based charity which gives free energy advice and promotes community energy projects. They provide a free service for individuals, including an energy audit. Referrals for individuals are welcome, or the organisation can arrange a visit to your group to explain their work and discuss the scope for greener energy sources or a local project. Enquiries to Helen Shears, tel. (020) 3674 7519 or support@repowering.org.uk
For community groups, enterprises and businesses
If your main concern is the utility bills for your organisation’s own premises, there are a number of advisers out there who can review your costs and help you get better rates. One such is Energy Prices Direct Ltd, enquiries to Peter Smith, tel. (020) 8144 3803, peter@energypricesdirect.com
Charity Shops and Stalls
If you run a charity shop, or base or just a regular market stall, you can now put your operation on the map for people to find you. What Charity claims to have 42,000 users and has recently upgraded its website to enable more specific searching by good cause and location. The aim is to attract customers, volunteers and bequests, though there is a subscription for putting your organisation on the site – see www.whatCharity.com
Enquiries about the site and services to shona@whatcharity.com
Affordable Computer Software
We have reported before that Tekgia can supply charities, schools and churches at discount prices. Programs available through them include MS Office 2019 (Professional Plus, Standard or Mac versions), MS Publisher, MS Outlook 2019, MS Access 2019, MS Visio 2019 (Standard or Professional), MS Project 2019, MS SharePoint Server, MS Windows Server 2019, Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Premiere Elements (for video editing). For more, see their website, www.tekgia.com
Printer Refills – for free!
Keeping your computer printer or copier topped up with ink can be a drain on resources, so if any of these ink refills/ cartridges would fit your machine, they are free to the first group to respond! Cluttering the office corner right now we have:
– Brother 1100 series (lots, but mostly black or blue);
– Hewlett-Packard HP950 (black) and HP951 (colours);
– A few other odd HP inkjet refills (tell us what you need!).
You will need to arrange collection – all enquiries to Alan Piper, apiperbrix@aol.com
Keep in Touch
We aim to issue these bulletins each month, but it helps if we receive items for the July issue by 8 July. Please send to apiperbrix@aol.com
Special thanks for information feeds from Age UK Lambeth, Impact Brixton, Myatt’s Fields Park Project, Locality and Lambeth Council. Always remember that information received on line may not be accurate or reliable!
Don’t hesitate – tell us today if:
- – You want to add a colleague or another local group to the distribution list;
- – You want to change your contact details so you receive bulletins sooner or more reliably;
- – You have moved away or are no longer interested.
- Please advise all such changes to admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org