Forum Update, July 2024
Coming Events
Events at Brixton Windmill:
Guided tours of the windmill are offered on at least one weekend a month, the next being on 10 & 11 August.
A number of regular weekly activities take place in the education centre alongside.
For all events in Windmill Gardens, please see the website for details and booking, www.brixtonwindmill.org
Black Culture Market
This popular event returns to Downstairs at the Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road SW9 on Saturday and Sunday 27 & 28 July, open 11 am to 5 pm. Find a different mix of traders each day and support Black-owned businesses and makers in Brixton. Admission free but please book in advance via the website, www.blackculturemarket.co.uk
If you want to trade at these events, please e-mail to hello@blackculturemarket.co.uk
Exhibitions Underway
The Brixton Blog & Bugle Art Show runs at Brixton Tate Library until Thursday 25 July, open during library opening hours.
Ties that bind is the current exhibition at the Black Cultural Archives continuing until 8thSeptember. Not only an art showca
se, but also a crucial forum for education and connection, aiming to ignite discussions across the generation gap and encourage a deeper understanding of the complex mental health challenges facing the Black community today.
Other Local News
Use of International House extended to March 2027
It was reported at last month’s Forum meeting that the “meanwhile” use of International House was likely to be extended because the prospects for developing that and the Pop Brixton site were looking difficult. We have now heard that management by 3Space will continue until March 2027. They are keen to attract new short-term tenants to fill gaps left by those who had already moved out. Enquiries to host@3space.org
Advocacy Academy back soon!
The Advocacy Academy signed the lease this month on their new base in Beehive Place, next door to Photofusion below the Brixton Recreation Centre. The Liberation Centre will be a purpose-designed youth and community centre with affordable co-working spaces, offering an open-access sanctuary for young people.
The aim is to open in early Autumn. Booking arrangements will be similar to before, and will be on their website once agreed – so keep an eye on www.theadvocacyacademy.com
Site Allocations Plan re-opened for comments or objections
Due to an error in the original announcement, the Council’s Site Allocations Plan has been re-opened for objections, until 13 August.
If you have specific concerns, we urge you to share them with other local groups, and with us, or with the Brixton Society at planning@brixtonsociety.org.uk
For more about resisting plans for the Tesco site in Acre Lane, see the website https://www.bit.ly/brixtontesco or to support the petition, go to https://change.org/p/no-brixton-tesco-high-rise
The full package of Council documents can be found on the Lambeth website at: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy-guidance/site-allocations-development-plan-document
Still time to comment on Schools Closure Threat
Several primary schools are at risk of closure or mergers, due to declining numbers of school-age children in our part of Lambeth.
Family-size homes are increasingly shared by adult households in order to afford the rent. Smaller classes sound better, but because schools are funded by their number of pupils, smaller schools may be unable to cover their running costs.
Lambeth Council is consulting on proposals affecting several schools: Christchurch and St. John the Divine (North Brixton), Fenstanton and Holy Trinity (Tulse Hill), St. John’s Angell Town and St. Saviours (Herne Hill Road) and on the Clapham Park fringe, Glenbrook and King’s Avenue.
The closing date for comments has been extended to 18 August – see the consultation pages on the Lambeth website, www.lambeth.gov.uk or send views to pppconsultation@lambeth.gov.uk
Health and Social Care
Arts & Health Summer Project for Young People
Children and young people (ages 13-19) are invited to join a summer-long project to help redesign an element of the children and young people’s mental health care service CAMHS.
More details at https://bit.ly/4eOkEOr or to book, see https://lnkd.in/eugN6EKt
Mental Health First Aid courses
Art4Space are hosting further courses at their premises in Jeffreys Road, SW4, as follows:
- Youth MHFA, 3 & 4 October;
- Refresher course, 15 November;
- Adult MHFA, 5 & 6 December.
Courses are led by It’s a Playground and cost £325 for the 2-day course or £150 for the refresher (£125 for Lambeth residents). Details of all courses at www.art4space.co.uk
Be a voice for patients and public
There are two vacancies on the Lambeth Together board for representatives of patients or public. Closing date is 24 July, and more details can be found at www.lambethtogether.net/public.voice
HealthWatch Lambeth
This is your health and social care champion: if you have issues with local services, contact them at info@healthwatchlambeth.org.uk
Funding, Training & Support
Words of Wisdom
Sifting through the material collected for these bulletins revealed lots of useful advice on a wide range of topics from business start-ups to managing volunteers. Do tell us if there are any specific topics you would like us to cover in future bulletins.
Grant deadlines approaching
Once again, a reminder of grant schemes already notified by Integrate – if you missed the original alerts, contact them at: eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk
Health and Life Science Community Innovation Fund – grants of up to £40,000 but the deadline is Friday 19 July.
Freelands Foundation: Inclusive Practices Fund – grants up to £50,000 for art education for young people. Deadline Friday 19 July.
Social Enterprise Trade-up Programme, from the School for Social Entrepreneurs – support package including up to £7,000 match trading grant. Apply by Wednesday 24 July.
Woodward Charitable Trust – grants up to £3000 towards core costs for VCS groups, deadline Friday 26 July.
Re-Purpose: new initiative for Inclusive Growth in the Creative Industries – grants up to £25,000 for improving cultural assets or venues, deadline Friday 2nd August.
Cost of Living Grants Fund – 5 grant streams for voluntary, community or faith groups, deadline Friday 9 August.
Community Connections Fund, to support local groups and projects – development grants up to £10k, or project grants up to £200k, closing date 9 September.
New support for voluntary and community organisations
Lambeth Council is expanding support services for local Voluntary & Community Sector organisations, with a new contract to start in October and run for at least 2 years. This service is currently provided by Integrate, but the budget is being increased to allow for a wider range of support.
Your Forum
Forum meeting dates
We have booked open general meetings of the Forum for two Thursday evenings, from 7 pm on 26 September and 28 November. Both will be at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP (entrance faces Windrush Square).
We aim to hold 4 general meetings a year. Suggestions are welcome for other meeting places for Forum or board meetings, to
admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org
Appear in the next bulletin!
If you are doing something around the Brixton area, you are welcome to use these bulletins to tell other Forum members. We aim to circulate about the 10th of each month – but things can go wrong! So, send items to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com by the 3rd of the month, but sooner helps!
Personal appearances welcome!
If your group prefers to present its work or highlight a local campaign at a live meeting of the Forum, please contact the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com
Keep in Touch
We want to be inclusive and ensure that these bulletins reach all community organisations, social enterprises and activists in the wider Brixton area. To join, or to update our mailing list, please contact us at admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org