It’s that time of year when some have simply shut down for the summer, while others are busy trying to keep kids entertained through the school holidays – whether their own or somebody else’s. Please scroll further down the page for a summary of what’s on offer for them locally. Meanwhile, we can give you early warning of what’s coming up in the next month or two.
Autumn Meetings
The next two General Meetings of the Forum have been booked for Thursdays 26 September and 28 November.
Both starting from 7 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 1EP (entrance faces Windrush Square).
More details following next month, but the September meeting will focus on our Open Spaces while the main topic for November will be our Neighbourhood Plan.
Making Plans for Brixton
We will be following up shortly to build support for making plans that suit our community, rather than for developers to profit.
In the meantime, let’s remind you that the closing date for comments about the Tesco and Curry’s sites is 13 August.
The extended deadline for comments on school mergers and closures is 18 August – send to pppconsultation@lambeth.gov.uk
Lambeth Heritage Festival
The Festival runs through the month of September, with a record number of events spread around the borough. Pick up a programme at any Lambeth library, or see bit.ly/FestProg2024
Heritage does not have to be ancient, so it was good to see memories being collected at the Brixton Recreation Centre last Saturday. After all, the Rec has been open for nearly 40 years as well as the long process of design and build reaching back to 1971. This is part of a project led by Team GJC – for more details see www.revisitingbrixtonrec.org.uk
In addition to Heritage Festival events, there will also be opportunities to visit various local buildings over the weekends 14/15 and 21/22 September as part of London Open House – see the website https://programme.openhouse.org.uk
Other Coming Events
Art Shows
The latest exhibition at Lambeth Archives showcases the work of 4 African Women artists, in the Olive Morris Room at 16 Brixton Hill, SW2 1ET. Open during archives hours (closed Wednesdays and Sundays) until Saturday 31 August.
The Nature of Change is the theme of a joint exhibition at Photofusion and 198 Gallery.
It shows artwork from the Step Up programme of creative courses run for Lambeth residents. 10-week courses have been run 3 times a year in each location, and some 300 learners have passed through since 2019.
Displays at Photofusion continue until 18 September, now at 2 Beehive Place, SW9 7QR. Displays continue until 19 September at 198 Railton Road SE24 0JT.
Community Connections, 18 August
Myatt’s Fields Park on Sunday between 1 pm and 4 pm, meet with organisations supported by the Lambeth Community Connections Funds and other local services – plus live music and craft activities for the kids!
Creative Courses
Here’s two of the courses being run by Art4Space at their Creative Learning Hub, 31 Jeffreys Road SW4 6QU:
Creative Enterprise is aimed at people interested in setting up their own art-based business, and will run on Tuesdays 10 am to 12-30 from 17 September to 26 November.
Creative Remedies is for people who need a well-being boost, covering tapestry, painting and collage, running on Wednesdays from 10 am to 12-30, starting from 18 September to 27 November.
Enquiries to jewels@art4space.co.uk
Hausprint is at Vincent’s Yard, 23 Alphabet Mews (off Hillyard Street) SW9 0FN. They are starting a 40-week Etching course on Monday evenings (6-9 pm) in September. Enquiries to michelle@hausprint.studio
Next Black Culture Market
The next weekend in the basement of the Department Store in Ferndale Road is not until 5 & 6 October, but if you want to trade at this event, now is a good time to contact the organisers – see www.blackculturemarket.co.uk
Kids’ Holiday Activities
Summer of Food and Fun
Lambeth council is supporting activities at several sites around our area, running until Friday 30 August. These are generally free and aimed at children between 4 and 16 who are eligible for free school meals. For an overview see the Lambeth Council website, but contact each site for details as timings, activities and ages covered vary.
Allstars Activity CIC: Summer Splash at St. Helen’s Primary School, Knowle Close SW9: info@allstarsactivityclub.co.uk
Angell Delight: Unit B, Fairfax House, Overton Road, Angell Town Estate SW9 7JR: Angelldelightcommunity123@gmail.com
BIGKID: Summer Holiday Programmeat Dexters Adventure Playground, Montego Close/ Railton Road, SE24 0LH: jonathan@bigkidfoundation.org
Brixton Topcats: Summer programme at Brixton Recreation Centre, Brixton Station Road SW9 8QQ: southlondontopcats@gmail.com
Brixton Wings: Wind Beneath Wings sessions at Unit 4, Fairfax House, Overton Road, Angell Town Estate, SW9 7JR: medg@btinternet.com
Brixton Youth Theatre: Olympic Dreams drama workshops, at St. Vincent’s Brixton, Talma Road, SW2 1AS: carolinefunnell@btinternet.com
CHIPS Summer Programme: drop-in sessions aimed at local teenagers, Unit 7, Warwick House, Overton Road, SW9 7JP: kamika@chipspeace.org
Code 7 Funavation: Moorlands Community Centre, 50a Corry Drive, SW9 8 QT: Code7studio@outlook.com
Connecting-U: Summer 2024 Summer HAF @CEFlyncx, at Windmill Gardens, off Blenheim Gardens SW2 5DA: Community7@cefl.org.uk
Fulham Foundation: Holiday Kicks, football-based sessions at Ferndale Sports Centre, Nursery Road, SW9 8BP: kicks@fulhamfc.com
Let’s Create Summer School: Arts-led activities at 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, 194 Railton Road, SE24 0JT: kareen@198.org.uk
Max Roach Summer of Play: Max Roach Centre, Wiltshire Road, SW9 7NE: info@lccmaxroach.co.uk
UKLC Holiday Camp: aimed mainly at children from Latin backgrounds, St. Matthew’s Hall, 10 St. Matthew’s Road, SW2 1NH: info@uklatincommunity.org
Whippersnappers Summer Playscheme: Brockwell Lido, Dulwich Road SE24 0PA: yjama@whippersnappers.org
Scrap Club at Art4Space
Free workshops for children 4-16 years old running Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10-2 pm and Tuesday and Thursday 10-1 pm, until 30 August. Held at Art4Space Learning Hub, room for 8 per workshop – enquiries to jewels@art4space.org.uk
Summer at St Vincent’s
Leanne has asked us to highlight a few activities which are about to start for young people aged 8-13. To enquire or register, e-mail to leanneT@svp.org.uk
Singing Workshops: 2-5 pm on 20, 21, 22 & 23 August.
Print-making workshops: 11 am to 12 noon on Fridays 16, 23 & 30 August.
Canva Creations: 1-2 pm on Fridays 16, 23, 30 August.
Health and Social Care
Support for Carers
Age UK Lambeth and Carers’ Hub Lambeth are working together to offer support to unpaid carers, both while the person they care for is in hospital and after they leave hospital. Age UK Lambeth has a helpline for carers in this position, Monday-Friday office hours, and a Welcome Home service for discharged patients. Carers can call the helpline on 0333 360 3700 or e-mail to hospital2home@ageuklambeth.org
The Carers Hub is piloting in-hospital carers support in some local hospital wards: see https://www.carershub.org.uk/hospital
Shamha Drumming for Wellbeing
Free sessions are being held at St. Vincent’s Centre (Brixton Community Base) Talma Road SW2 1AS on Friday afternoons from 3 to 5 pm through August. Feel the rhythm and relax – drums provided. Enquiries to shamhavibration@gmail.com
Job Vacancies
Healthwatch Lambeth are looking for a new Chief Executive to lead a small team looking after the interests of NHS users and liaising with the SE London Integrated Care Board.
Closing date is 30 August but may close earlier if many applications received earlier. More details via their website at www.healthwatchlambeth.org.uk
St. Vincents Centre, Brixton, are looking for a Wellbeing Practitioner/ Facilitator to work with their Saturday Arts & Cooking group for young people, from September to April next year. £90 per 2 hr session, closing date 23 August. Enquiries to LeanneT@svp.org.uk
Funding, Training & Support
Funding deadlines
Once again, we remind you of grant offers already circulated by Integrate. If you missed the original alerts, please contact them at eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk
Lambeth Made Entrepreneurship programme: invitation to tender to run this service for young people age 16-30, up to £20,000 value, closing date 23 August.
Community Connections Fund: as flagged up last month, development grants up to £10k, or project grants up to £200k, closing date 9 September. There is also a Zoom briefing on Monday 19 August.
Thomas Wall Trust: up to £5,000 for projects connecting disabled or disadvantaged people with the countryside, closes 16 September.
Digital Funding for small charities: small grants up to £2500 for charities with turnoveress than £400,000, closing date 27 September.
Grants and Scholarships
We cast our net wide and found other opportunities worth exploring…
The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art has invited applications for several grants and scholarships. These can support exhibitions, publications, digitisation or conservation of artworks, and research projects. Closing date is 30 September. Enquiries to info@paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk or see their website at https://paulmelloncentre.grantplatform.com
Locality alerted us to the King’s Fund GSK Impact Awards, offering up to £50,000 for training and development for charities with a turnover of at least £150,000: closing date 30 August.
Training Opportunities
The Directory of Social Change is offering bite-size on-line learning sessions for small charities. All take place between 15 and 22 August and cost £35 each. More details on their website at www.dsc.org.uk
Getting on Board is running a series of on-line briefings for trustees of small charities in the week 4-8 November. That sounds a long way off but there is an early-bird discount offer if you sign up before the end of August. £15 for a full weekly pass sounds reasonable but sessions eventually appear free on Youtube. Enquiries to info@gettingonboard.org
Wikipedia can be a useful research tool, and an editing group has begun monthly meetings at Brixton Tate Library. Next two sessions are themed around Lambeth Heritage, on Tuesdays 27 August & 24 September, 6 pm to 8 pm. Enquiries to Colette Townend or Andrew O’Brien at Lambeth Libraries, ctownend2@lambeth.gov.uk
Business Exhibitions can be useful for small traders, start-ups and social enterprises, to keep in touch with developments and see which way your bigger competitors are going. There are often short free seminars too.
Invites and tickets for a wide range of events and exhibitions turn up in our in-box, so if you have a particular interest, tell us and we’ll see if we can share anything relevant to you: apiperbrix@aol.co.uk
Keep in Touch
We want these bulletins to reach all community organisations, social enterprises and activists in the wider Brixton area. Please contact us at admin@brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org
- If you want to be added to our mailing list, or to add a colleague or neighbour.
- If you want these bulletins sent to a different e-mail address, so that you see them more quickly or reliably.
- If you have moved away or are no longer interested.
See more about the Forum on our website at www.brixtonneighbourhoodforum.org
Your Forum Bulletins
We normally issue these bulletins via Mailchimp, but if needed, we can also supply it as a Word attachment, or even as paper copies – please tell us what works for you.
See your name in print! If you are doing something around the Brixton area – an event, a new service, or making changes in what you already do – you are welcome to use these bulletins to tell other Forum members. That’s well over 550 on our current list. We aim to circulate around the 10th of each month, but please allow us a week to put it together, because we work on a very part-time basis. Send items to the Forum Secretary at apiperbrix@aol.com by the 3rd of the month.