Christmas is coming…And still there are more seasonal events happening around Brixton…
10-12 December: Open Studios at Clockwork Studios, 38 Southwell Road SE5 9PD – Friday open evening 6 pm to 9 pm, weekend openings 11 am to 5 pm. This may be on the outer fringe of Brixton now, but as Fred Karno’s Fun Factory, it was a centre of its Music Hall activity some 110 years ago.
Saturday 11 December – Christmas Bazaar at Brixton Tate Library, 11 am to 3 pm, organised by the Friends of Tate Library.
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 December: Christmas Wreath & Decoration Making Workshops, 11 am to 3 pm at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses. Book via https://www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk/events/
Sunday 12 December – Windmill Christmas Market, 12 noon to 3-30 pm in Windmill Gardens, off Brixton Hill SW2.And don’t forget the Christmas Bake competition for amateur bakers, using Brixton Windmill flour. Entry is free but you will need to bring your entry to the Windmill Centre by noon on this date, for judging. More details on the FoWG website, www.brixtonwindmill.org
Sunday 19 December – Christmas Fair with carol singing and christingle at Myatt’s Fields Park. Market stalls open 11 am to 4 pm, Carol Concert at 4-30 pm, led by the Brixton Chamber Orchestra. To book a stall pitch, e-mail to market@myattsfieldspark.info
Cook an Extra Christmas Dinner – a reminder that once again Age UK Lambeth is inviting people to cook a meal for somebody living by themselves, and deliver it to them on Christmas Day. They can even supply the extra plate. To register and be matched with a nearby older person, please e-mail to volunteer@ageuklambeth.org or phone 0333 360 3990.
But What Next?
We have over 500 contacts on our e-mail list, including most local organisations, but how many of you are still out there?Please tell us – by e-mail to admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org– If you want to add a colleague or neighbour to our mailing list;- If you prefer these bulletins sent to a different e-mail address, so you get them more quickly or reliably;- If you have moved away, or are no longer interested.
The Forum team are disappointed at the lack of ideas coming in for Forum events or activities. Even if you hesitate to join in live events, we can still set up discussions or training events on-line, but we need to know where to focus our efforts. We still have some resources to spend before the end of March, plus we need to plan ahead for the summer months so we can bid for fresh funds.Whether you have a bright idea or a desperate need, please share it with us!
Funding, Training & Support
Funding Reminders
Lambeth Wellbeing Fund is looking for projects run by residents and local organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the borough. Now in its 6th year, it’s run by London Community Foundation on behalf of NHS Lambeth, Lambeth Council and Lambeth Public Health Directorate.All details are on the LCF website at https://londoncf.org.uk/grants/lambeth-wellbeing-fund Organisations applying should have an annual income less than £100,000. Deadline for all applications is 7th January.
Peter Minet Trust – Open Grants Fundis offering grants of up to £30,000 a year for up to 3 years. Grants are limited to registered charities based in and serving only Lambeth and Southwark, but can be used in whatever way the charity chooses. This time the Trust is giving priority to Black-led charities, and expects to fund 5 or 6 projects in total. Details were circulated last month by Integrate – if you missed them, contact eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk Deadline for all applications is 20 January.
Untold Stories – grants from the Mayor: The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm is the Mayor’s initiative to encourage our shared public spaces to reflect the diversity of London achievements. Grants between £1,000 and £25,000 are offered for community-led organisations to create something new, highlight something missing or hidden, or to present a different story to what already exists. Details are on the GLA website if you missed the earlier links circulated by Black Cultural Archives and Integrate, but the the deadline is midday on 12 January.
Funding for Tree Planting
The Nature for Climate Fund will support tree-planting efforts through 4 funds totalling £12 million-plus.A £4.4 million pot will support planting 260,000 trees outside woodlands across 139 local authorities from the Local Authority Treescapes Fund.
The third round of the Urban Tree Challenge Fund will support 46 projects in urban areas of England, adding another 25,000 trees to the 134,000 provided in earlier rounds.To restore biodiversity to woodland habitats, and help them adapt to climate change, the Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Fund will provide £700,000 to 17 projects.In addition, the Tree Production Innovation Fund will contribute £1 million to 16 projects to to increase and diversify the supply of young trees for all your planting projects.
Training Courses
Skills for Tomorrow is a free coding class for BAME members of the community, aged 18 to 25 years and living with a disability. It’s due to start in January, so if you are interested, contact Millennium Community Solutions at gail@millenniumcommunitysolutions.com
On-line Training Courses (via Zoom) are offered by NFP Workshops, based in York. Typical cost is £95 for a session from 10 am to 12-30. Topics available include Bid writing, Trust fund-raising, Recruiting and managing Volunteers, Legacy fund-raising, Major Donor fund-raising and Corporate fund-raising. Enquiries to 01133 280 988 or e-mail to 02@nfpsend1.co.uk
Health & Social Care
Coronavirus latest
Restrictions have been tightened again, in response to continued high infection rates and the more transmissible Omicron variant.Masks must now be worn in shops and on public transport. Everyone in schools and colleges should wear masks in communal areas.Take a rapid test if you are heading out to an event, meeting up with friends or even returning to a busy office.
Vaccination is reducing the risk of severe cases, and efforts are being made to roll out booster jabs to those who were vaccinated some months ago.If you missed out first time round, there are still opportunities to get protected. Better still if you can also get your jab against this winter’s ‘flu.For details of both “walk in” and appointment clinics locally, see www.selondonccg.nhs,uk/popupclinics or www.nhs.uk/wintervaccinations or contact your GP surgery.
Supporting Wellbeing
The Wellbeing Workshops are FREE sessions for Lambeth residents working or volunteering with community projects. They offer a range of themed sessions at various local venues, plus some more on-line sessions. More details at https://tinyurl.com/snv9vvxa
Creative Remedies will be a 10-week series of Free sessions for the over 55s, starting on 19 January. To be held on Wednesdays, 10 am to 12-30 pm, at Art4Space at Stockwell. Funded by Reaching Communities, enquiries to jewels@art4space.co.uk
Creative Community Champions is another 10 week series, aimed again at residents working or volunteering at community projects, and feeling in need of a well-being boost, or just feeling isolated. These sessions will be on Fridays, 10-30 am to 1 pm, starting on 21 January, also at Stockwell.Funded by Reaching Communities, enquiries to jewels@art4space.org.uk
Lambeth Larder is more than a food resource
We have been reminded that the Lambeth Larder website offers signposting to more than food banks.Community Food Resources are mapped at https://lambethlarder.communitymaps.org.uk
Struggling to pay your Utility Bills? see https://www.lambethlarder.org/money-issues
Refugee and Migrant Support can be found via https://lambethlarder.org/advice-and-support
Windrush Compensation Scheme
Stockwell Park Community Centre can offer assistance in making claims under this scheme. You can apply if:- You came to the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973;- Your parents or grandparents came to the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973;- You came to the UK from any country before 1988, and are now settled here;- You are the close family of an eligible person, and you have experienced losses yourself;- You are the representative of the estate of a deceased person who would have been eligible.
First, call the Windrush Support Team at We Are Digital on 0808 196 8496 to start the process. They are assigned by the Home Office to assist people in completing their claims. You will need to:- Ask to start your claim;- Request assistance in starting your claim.- Ask to be referred to the Stockwell Park Community Centre for help in completing your claim.
Greenspaces and Green issues
Bulbs for Loughborough Park
It’s good to hear when we make a connection and it gets a result. We shared with several groups the details of a free bulbs offer from the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association, and we recently heard that the Friends of Loughborough Park were among the successful applicants. Their next challenge is to get 400 bulbs planted before Christmas! Enquiries to friendsofloughboroughpark@gmail.com
Wildflower Hunt in Brockwell Park
Saturday 1st January – The annual plant walk for Friends of Brockwell Park takes the form of a Wildflower Hunt in the park, led by Roy Vickery of the South London Botanical Institute. See also the FoBP website, www.brockwellpark.com
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
The closing date for comments on the Tulse Hill and Streatham Hill LTNs is 19 December. Your feedback should be sent to lowtrafficneighbourhoods@lambeth.gov.uk and do share your views with us too. Consultation on the Ferndale LTN is expected to start late January/ February.
Other News
Hondo Towers – Mayor’s Decision soon
The Hondo planning application for a 20-storey office tower is now to be decided by the Mayor. In the last week of November, Hondo tried to make their project more attractive to the Mayor and Lambeth Council by modest increases in the amount of training and affordable workspace. However, they have resisted suggestions from GLA planning staff to reduce the overall height. Any comments on the recent changes should reach the GLA by 17 December – on-line via planning.london.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0i4J000002gBW8QAM/20210265?tabset-c2f3b+3 You may also want to use this link to remind the Mayor about objections that you previously sent to Lambeth. The Fight The Tower campaign and the Brixton Society are co-ordinating their objections to the Mayor – enquiries to planning@brixtonsociety.org.uk
The future of Pop Brixton and International House
Lambeth Council has been seeking a team of developers for these 2 sites, and held a “Meet the Bidders” day for the finalists on Saturday 6 November. We are not supposed to disclose the identity of the final bidders for the time being, but we can assure you that none of Hondo (Popes Road), Muse (Olive Morris House) or Derwent (Blue Star House) is involved. Bids should be reaching Council offices about now, and Lambeth’s Cabinet is due to make its final choice in late January/ early February. Forum members told us clearly in April that you would prefer to see International House retained, as a hub for creative businesses and community organisations. One of the bidders is sympathetic to this, but Lambeth is looking for a long list of benefits from the development, so with several different factors to choose between, there’s a strong likelihood that the Council will fail Brixton again!
Keep in Touch
Share your news – and views!
Please make use of these bulletins to share concerns, to announce events or services, or just to report what your group is doing.We aim to publish at least monthly, but with reduced activity over the Christmas/ New Year period, we expect the next bulletin to reach you in mid-January. Send your news to apiperbrix@aol.com ideally before Christmas for the January issue.
Is our mailing list up-to-date?
We have over 500 contacts on our e-mail list, including most local organisations, but how many of you are still out there? Please tell us – by e-mail to admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org- If you want to add a colleague or neighbour to our mailing list;- If you prefer these bulletins sent to a different e-mail address, so you get them more quickly or reliably;- If you have moved away, or are no longer interested.