LOCAL EVENTS COMING UP
There are a few more seasonal events still to come, plus advance notice
of some meetings and courses early in the New Year.
Friday 15 December, 4 pm to 7 pm, Festive Fete at Dexter’s Playground,
Montego Close/ Railton Road SE24:Come down to Dexter’s for an eveningfilled with fun, food and excitement, organised by BigKid Foundation.
Fridays 15 & 22 December – Free Drumming Sessions
The last 2 free drumming sessions of the year, 5 pm to 7 pm at Stockwell Park Community Trust Centre, 21 Aytoun Place, SW9 0TE.
Organised by Shamha Vibration, enquiries to Peter at
shamhavibration@gmail.com or see www.thetrust.org.uk
Saturday 16 December – Clari the Christmas Fairy – A Mini Panto:11 am to 11.45 am at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses (between the tennis courts and the walled garden), tickets £8 to £10, book via their website:
https://www.brockwellgreenhouses,org.uk/events
In addition, their shop will be selling festive gifts on Saturday 16th,
Sunday 17th and Friday 22nd.
Saturday 16 December – 100 Voices for Xmas Time at Myatt’s Fields Park:
Celebrate the Season in song, 3 pm to 630 pm by the Bandstand in
Myatt’s Fields Park, SE5 9RA. Expect mulled wine, pumpkin soup, gifts for children and christingle-making, concluding with carolsinging accompanied by the Brixton
Chamber Orchestra. More details from enquiries@myattsfieldspark.info
Monday 1st January – New Year Wildflower Hunt in Brockwell Park:
Roy Vickery of the South London Botanical Institute will be leading the
annual guided walk. Meet by the Clock Tower in the centre of the park at 11 am sharpDuration of walk 60 to 90 minutes.
Enquiries to info@slbi.org.uk
9-21 January – Shape Arts: Open All Hours Exhibition at 198 Gallery:
Open Wednesday – Friday 11am to 5pm, Saturday& Sunday 12 noon to 5pm. An exhibition of art works by 18 disabled and non-disabled artists from around the world, on the theme of time, productivity and the pace of modern life,
From Sunday 14 January – Free Drama Classes for Children:
Longfield Hall will be hosting free drama classes every Sunday for 10 weeks, age 6-8 from 10 am to 11-30, age 9-11 from 12 noon to 1-30 pm, age 12-16 from 2.30 to 4 pm. To book a place, please email to
youthmanager@longfieldhall.org.uk or phone 07988 629 697.
Tuesday 16 January – Ecosystems Coldharbour Coffee Morning:
Local groups get together monthly to share ideas for tackling youth violence, improving employment prospects and coordinating activities in the former Vassall and Coldharbour Wards. December’s meeting will be taking place just as this bulletin will go out, the theme for January was still being firmed up, but should be from 10am to 12noon at Marcus Lipton Centre, Minet Rd. SW9 7AH.
Enquiries to Jedidah at connect@ecosystemcoldharbour.org
Until 28 January – Brilliant Black British History:
The current exhibition at the Black Cultural Archives, based on the
children’s book by Atinuke, has been extended until 28 January.
Admission free but check seasonal opening times with their website at
https://blackculturalarchives.org
NEW YEAR – NEW PLAN?
Recent meetings and other conversations have shown renewed interest
in developing a Neighbourhood Plan for Brixton.
We next need to discuss what should be the key themes that we focus on,to keep the process manageable. We will set up some consultation meetings in the New Year, but it would be helpful to hear your ideas or
priorities sooner rather than later, so don’t hesitate to
e-mail apiperbrix@aol.com
Another idea recently revived is to hold a showcase event where local
organisations can have stalls to promote their activities and network with each other. There are a few ways we could do this, so again your
suggestions will be welcome.
GREEN SPACES, GREEN ISSUES
Gardening in Loughborough Park:
Over the past year, a team of volunteers from the Friends of Loughborough Park have been steadily tidying and replanting what had been a forgotten open space on the east side of Brixton. Their final session of the year will be on Sunday afternoon, 17 December, to plant the last of the bluebells, cut down the last of the invasive snowberry, and tidy away the last of the rubble and rubbish dug out of the undergrowth.
Next session after that will probably be litter picking at 11 am on Sunday 28 January – enquiries to friendsofloughboroughpark@gmail.com
Winter Gardening in Brockwell Park:
There are more opportunities for volunteer gardening in Brockwell Park, organised by Brockwell Park Community Partners and The Conservation Volunteers Charity. The following sessions will be for hedge laying,
gapping and fencing, to enhance the hedge planted around the south and west perimeter of the park:
Thursday 14 December, Tuesday 9 Jan, Wednesday 10 Jan, Thursday 11
Jan, Tuesday 6 Feb, Wednesday 7 Feb and Thursday 8 Feb.
Work days usually run from 10 am to 4 pm, but arrangements may vary due to weather conditions – please check with the website, www.tcv.org.uk
Grow your own Materials:
The Remakery and Urban Growth are collaborating to develop a new zone in the Paulet Estate Community Garden, next to The Remakery at 51 Lilford Road, SE5 9HY. This will be planted up to provide materials for dyes, paper, weaving and inks. Enquiries to flora@urbangrowth.london
Parklets for Business:
Koala Coffee at 64 Railton Road are currently crowdfunding to create a
parklet in front of their cafe. They are only seeking the cost of materials, and will organise the work themselves. The aim is to provide an
uncluttered space where customers can sit and relax, accessible for
prams and wheelchairs.
The Brixton BID are now promoting the concept more widely, in collaboration with Lambeth Council. Applications will be open until 1st April, but there is a shortlisting windowopen until 12 January for the first wave.More details on the webpage, https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/businessparklets or contact bigshift@lambeth.gov.uk
FUNDING, TRAINING & SUPPORT
Grants reminders:
Once again, a reminder of approaching deadlines for grants previously notified by Integrate. If you missed the news, please contact eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk
Ironmongers’ grants to charities, for work with disadvantaged young
people, deadline Friday 15 December.
London Health Accelerator for Social Enterprise, deadline Monday 18 December.
Lambeth Wellbeing Fund, deadline Wednesday 31 January.
Trust for London: Disability Justice Fund, deadline Monday 4 March.
Community Ownership Fund:
Locality have sent us details of this fund, to help community organisations to save, acquire or adapt a building to work from. A new funding round opened last week, and will be open for applications until noon on 31
January. The fund is operated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. Bids of up to £2 million will be considered but they expect most grants to be around £250,000.
Energy Efficiency Scheme for Voluntary & Community Organisations:
The Government has just launched a scheme to assist VCS organisations by funding Independent Energy Advisers to help improve the energy efficiency of your premises. Organisations which receive an energy assessment may then be eligible for grant aid towards installing insulation, solar panels or other measures. All measures will need to be installed and paid for by March 2025. More information can be found at www.groundwork.org.uk/vcseenergyefficiencyscheme or www.vcseenergyefficiencyscheme.org.uk
Ageism Action Day – Micro Grants:
The Centre for Ageing Better is holding an Ageism Action Day on 20 March. To encourage local events and activities linked to this, they are offering small grants of up to £500 to community groups and voluntary organisations, plus an extra £150 to help make the event more accessible. Deadline for bids is 10 January, further details from grants@ageing-better.org.uk
Step Up Programme:
If you are over 19, living in Lambeth and either unemployed or on a low wage, the Step Up programme returns with 3 10 week courses starting in January.
Photography runs on Mondays from 29 January, 11.30 to 4.30 pm at Photofusion, 2nd floor, International House, Canterbury Crescent SW9 7QD.
Film and Video runs on Tuesdays from 30 January, 11-30 to 4-30 pm at 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, Railton Road SE24 0JT.
Art and Design runs on Wednesdays from 31 January, 11-30 to 4-30 pm, also at 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning.
Courses are free, so to sign up visit https://forms.office.com/e/PqmXDYQanb
Enquiries to thefactoryproductionhouse@photofusion.org
Support for Community Green Spaces:
Environmental charity Hubbub launched a new fund last month to support community green spaces and give people more contact with the natural world.
Grants of up to £6,000 are being offered to improve or develop a green space which is accessible to the local community. Applications should be in by 11 January, and successful applicants should receive funding by the end of February. (This came to us without any links, so you will have to Google it!)
Grants for Research in British Art and Architectural History:
The Paul Mellon Centre offers a range of grants, fellowships and bursaries to support research and events in the above fields. Closing date for the Spring round is midnight on 31 January. Further details can be found at https://grants.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/
Become a Street Trader:
One traditional way to start in business was to open a market stall – at
least it worked for Marks & Spenser, and for Jack Cohen of Tesco!
Lambeth Council is inviting applications for market stall pitches in Brixton, on either a casual or regular (Monday-Saturday) basis. They were advertising a few pitches in Electric Avenue and Popes Road, and several in Brixton Station Road (which certainly needs more stalls!). Applications accepted up to the end of January – further details from street-trading@lambeth.gov.uk
Courses and Sessions at Art4Space:
Winter Crafty Workshops for children age 5 – 16, 10 am to 2 pm on 27, 28. 29 December and 2, 3, 4, 5 January.
Free but donations welcome, and priority given to children receiving free school meals or with SEND status.
Drop in Crafternoon for adults (all ages), monthly from 12 January 2pm to 5.30pm.
Creative Community Champions: Tuesday mornings for 10 weeks from 10 January.
Creative Remedies, making bespoke textile figures: Wednesday mornings for 10 weeks from 17 January.
Creative Pathways, creative art course for young people (age 18-30): Wednesday afternoons from 17 January.
All the above sessions at their Community Arts Centre, 31 Jeffreys Road, SW4 6QU.
For more details and events, see www.art4space.co.uk or enquiries to jewels@art4space.co.uk.
HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE
For People with Memory Loss, and their Carers:
Age UK Lambeth runs sessions on certain Tuesdays to help people experiencing forgetfulness and memory loss, and providing social contact.
There are monthly sessions at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road SW2 1EP (facing Windrush Square) – due to the Christmas break, the next session will be on Tuesday 30 January.
There are also fortnightly sessions at the Cafe Van Gogh, 88 Brixton Road (corner of Mowll Street) SW9 6BE, the next being on 9 and 23 January.
Enquiries to dementiasupport@ageuklambeth.org or phone07706 628 890.
Support for Rough Sleepers:
During winter weather, Lambeth is offering extra help for homeless people on Brixton’s streets. If you come across somebody who needs help, please alert the Outreach Team at http://streetlink.org.uk who can arrange emergency accommodation. Their advice if that person is under 18 and in danger or needs urgent help, is to call 999.
Winter Vaccinations:
The National booking system for Flu and Covid vaccinations ends on 15
December. Healthwatch Lambeth advises that you book a Covid vaccination directly with a local service, such as a pharmacy or walk-in centre. You can book a flu jab by contacting your GP surgery, or visit
pharmacy.
OTHER NEWS
Warm Hubs Return:
Warm Space Wednesdays are back at Windmill Gardens. Brixton Windmill Centre is now open every Wednesday between 1 pm and 3 pm, continuing until 20 March 2024. Pop in for free hot drinks and a chat in their welcoming space. Ferisa will be providing free advice sessions from 2 pm on everything from benefits to housing.
If your group is offering something similar, we would love to share it with our network.
Advocacy Academy plans a new centre:
The Advocacy Academy has hosted some of our meetings in the past year, but had to leave its base in Vining Street last month.
They have signed a tenyear lease with Lambeth Council for space below
the Brixton Recreation Centre, with access from Beehive Place.
They are now fundraising to fit out a new youth and community centre on two floors, with a total target of £250,000.
They want to raise £50,000 of this through crowd-funding and local donations – see their webpage at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-liberation-centre-brixton
If you can offer volunteer help with fundraising, please contact benjamin@theadvocacyacademy.com
Brixton Tate Library closed for upgrade:
Brixton Library is currently operating from Level 5 of the Brixton Recreation Building, until 30 January. This is enable installation of a new lift (which will also serve the basement) and upgrading of the toilet provision. Lift works are likely to continue into May before full service is resumed, when the children’s library will return to its previous size.
Virtual Study Support Schooling Programme (VS3P):
The VS3P programe is run by CEFLyncx in the evenings during school terms. It’s an online extra curricular booster programme to provide extra learning support with English, Maths and Science for both primary and secondary age school children, to improve attainment levels in these core subjects.
For more information, see the website, https://cefl.org.uk/staying-on-top-of-the-game
KEEP IN TOUCH
Reach Other Forum Members:
If your organisation has not been mentioned in this edition, why not make an effort to appear in the next one?
If you are doing something locally, why not tell us about it?
We love to hear about events that are coming up, and we are happy to record your achievements as well.
We want to share information that will help local groups and enterprises, and interest the wider community.
Please send information for future bulletins to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com – preferably by the 5th of the month so that we can publish around the 10th.
Don’t Miss Out:
If you have not seen these bulletins before – or for a while – you can get on our mailing list by e-mailing your details to admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org
Use the same contact to tell us:
– if you want to add a colleague or neighbour;
– if you want to update your e-mail contact so you see these bulletins more quickly or reliably;
– if you have moved away or are no longer interested.