Renewed Calls for Action on Anti-Social Behaviour
Action on ASB convened a well-attended meeting at Pop Brixton on Monday 24 March, to take stock of progress a year after the last public meeting. The group has 250 members signed-up, and continues to lobby for more resources.
AoASB focusses on the 4 Central Brixton wards, but also liaises with the Herne Hill Forum and the Friends of Brockwell Park. Issues have been raised with the 3 local MPs, and in the House of Lords, while more local councillors are getting on board.
The Town Centre Police team had been reinstated, and the Home Office had funded police action on the Angell Town and Moorland Estates.
Efforts are being made to set up quarterly meetings between all the responsible agencies, but Lambeth is still hesitating. Others yet to be engaged are mental health services, London Underground and British Transport Police.
AoASB stressed that reporting issues will help attract more resources, and we will share how best to do that in these bulletins soon. In the meantime, see https://actionasb.org/
Neighbourhood Plan Bid
The Forum’s committee has agreed to make a formal application for authority to make a Neighbourhood Plan. This will include the Town Centre and nearby sites at risk of unsuitable development. Our aims are:
- To bring together local people to steer Brixton’s future together;
- To protect Brixton from excessive high-rise developments, like the failed Hondo Tower;
- To ensure that contributions from building developments support amenities that benefit the local community.
This is likely to be our major project for the next couple of years, but before we start changing plans, we need the go-ahead from Lambeth Council.
More Events coming up
MayFest at Brixton Windmill
On Bank Holiday Monday, 5th May, open 1 pm to 5 pm in Windmill Gardens. Celebrate folk traditions with live music, Morris dancing, craft activities, beer and food stalls.
For more details of this and later events, see the website www.brixtonwindmill.org
Brockwell Park Greenhouses
Another live music event coming up at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses:
Sunday 27 April at 6 pm, Hop Skotshne perform Klezmer tunes from eastern Europe.
Sunday 11 May – Spring Celebration:
1 pm to 4 pm, Bring your friends and family to enjoy spring-inspired food and drink, have a dance and enjoy music from the South East London Folk Orchestra, Raise the Roof Choir and more. There will also be craft activities, plant trails and more ways to celebrate nature, all to help raise funds to continue educational work with local schools and volunteers.
For event details and bookings, see
https://www.brockwellgreenhouses.com/events
Black Culture Market
Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1st June,
11 am to 5 pm each day, once again downstairs at the Department Store, 248 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FR. Free entry but please book in advance via www.blackculturemarket.co.uk
Art Events
Exhibition at Studio 73
Until Friday 19 April: The artwork and workshop of Priscilla Watkins and Jackie Clark, 2 pm to 6 m daily, at Studio 73 Gallery, Arch 18, Valentia Place, SW9 8PJ.
More details at https://lnkd.in/ecX-8un3
Brixton Blog & Bugle Art Show
The show is open to any artist – professional or self-taught – who is at least 16 years old and is based in or around Brixton.
You can submit up to TWO works. They must be no larger than 80 cm square and capable of being hung safely and securely on a wall. This year, sculptures can also be accepted if no more than 60cm high, on a base no more than 25cm square.
To enter, all you have to do is send up to three digital photos of each work to arts@brixtonblog.com
Please entitle the email ‘Summer Art Show’ and include your name, address, contact number, social media, the title and a brief description of the work including its dimensions. The closing date for entries is Monday 12 May.
All selected works will be exhibited in the Summer Art Show in the Brixton Tate Library between 30 June and 24 July 2024. The winner will be decided by a people’s vote.
Classes in Printing Techniques
Hausprint are offering more classes at their studios in Vincent’s Yard, 23 Alphabet Mews SW9 0FN (off Hillyard Street).
All enquiries to michelle@hausprint.studio
Jigsaw Woodcut course from Tuesday 22 April for 8 weeks.
Introduction to Etching, over 5 Wednesday evenings in May and June.
Monotype Study Day with water-washable inks, one Saturday in June.
Etching Year, 38 weekly sessions from Monday 8 September, 6 to 9 pm.
Art and Craft sessions at Art4Space
Lots of different sessions on offer at the moment, based at their studios in Jeffreys Road, SW4 6QU – for an overview, see their website, www.art4space.co.uk
Another weekly Creative Remedies season starts on Wednesday 30 April for 10 weeks, 10 am to 12-30 pm, creating a personal archive or shrine. Enquiries to jewels@art4space.co.uk
Green issues
Next Dr Bike Visit
The next session to help cyclists with repairs and maintenance will take place between 12 noon and 3 pm on Wednesday 30 April on Windrush Square, in front of the Ritzy Cinema.
Help is free, provided by Cycle Confident with the support of Brixton BID.
Volunteer at Brixton Orchard
Make the most of the Spring season by helping look after the Brixton Orchard, on the corner of Brixton Hill and St. Matthew’s Road. Free volunteer sessions are held on Thursdays from 1 pm to 3 pm – so 17 and 24 April are next.
Brockwell Park News
Brockwell Hall progress: There are rumours of a “soft” opening for the completed Hall complex around the end of April. The new lease for the café has been awarded to Roots & Berries, who run the Rookery Café at Streatham Common.
Car Boot sales: the Friends of Brockwell Park will be holding these monthly on Summer Sunday mornings from 11 May to help raise funds for park initiatives, 9 am to 1 pm each day. Other dates are 15 June, 13 July, 10 August and 14 September.
Natural Plant Dyes
Here’s a call-out for community gardens to take part in a large-scale dye-growing initiative across London. The Remakery in Lilford Road has been working with Natural Dyes practitioner Zoe Burt to build capacity for natural dye research, to develop a hyperlocal textiles hub in London. If you are involved with a community garden and interested in this, e-mail alice@remakery.org
Black Growth CIC
Back in September, Obi Pearl approached us for support in establishing a regular Black Farmer’s Market in Brixton Station Road. Now the team has re-launched as Black Growth CIC with a wider mission. In addition to Obi and founder Natasha Pencil, the team now includes Larissa Brown and Michaela Crunkleton-Wilson. More details can be found at https://nit.ly/3X2qx2W
Health and Social Care
Carers Hub Lambeth
A carer is someone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who has an illness, disability, mental health problem or addiction. Some caring roles are big, others small, but either way, the Hub is here to help. If you live in Lambeth, or look after someone living in the borough, get in touch to find out more:
Website: www.carershub.org.uk
e-mail: connect@carershub.org.uk
Tel. (020) 7501 8970,
Based at 4th floor, 336 Brixton Road, SW9 7AA
Healthwatch Lambeth
Healthwatch Lambeth is your health and social care champion. They listen to what people like about services, and what could be improved. They share those views with NHS leaders and care providers to make change happen.
Their recent e-bulletin pointed out that April is both Stress Awareness Month and Autism Acceptance Month.
The Evening Sanctuary
This is a free out-of-hours service, providing short-term support for Lambeth residents experiencing a mental health crisis.
They offer a safe space for people going through a difficult time, someone to listen, and a few hours away from everything.
The Evening Sanctuary is open every night from 6 pm until midnight, at the Mosaic Clubhouse, 65 Effra Road SW2 1BZ, tel. (020) 7924 9657, e-mail: evening.sanctuary@mosaic-clubhouse.org web: mosaic-clubhouse.org/sanctuary
Other News
Walk This Way…
Lambeth Local History Forum recently published its programme of guided walks for the year ahead – over 120 in total! Highlights on home ground coming up soon include:
Sunday 27 April, 2-30 pm: Stockwell Green, book via www.brixtonsociety.org.uk/events
Saturday 10 May, 2-30 pm: Brixton Market Heritage Walk, book as above.
Sunday 11 May, 1 pm, Brixton Hill, circular walk from Windmill Gardens, book via www.brixtonwindmill.org/visit/guided-walk
For an overview, see www.lambethlocalhistoryforum.org.uk or pick up a leaflet at a local library.
Just-Us Youth Space
Just-Us is open every Wednesday from 3 to 7 pm for young people between 14 and 24, at the Liberation Centre, Advocacy Academy 2 Beehive Place SW9 7QR.
There will be snacks, workshops, hot food, free spaces to hang out, listen to music or do homework. Just-Us is a great first step for those who are angry about injustice to begin conversations, learning and organising.
Funding, Training & Support
Linking Community Groups
Lambeth Council convened a networking event for representatives of its many voluntary and community groups on Thursday 27 March. This was well-attended by a wide range of organisations, with much interest in a repeat event.
In the past, there have been a variety of networks, forums and consultative groups, hosted by different departments. Now there are moves to rationalise these and Lambeth has been reorganising its support staff into a single Community Partnerships Division.
One outcome is that Lambeth has begun circulating an e-mail bulletin to known VCS groups with news of funding or training opportunities and upcoming policies and projects.
Grant Deadlines
The usual reminder about approaching deadlines for various grant schemes. These were first circulated by Integrate, so contact eoin.heffernan@integrateagency.co.uk
if you missed them.
London Marathon Group’s Active Spaces Fund offers grants up to £80,000 to improve sports facilities and encourage activities. Expressions of interest can be sent at any time.
Barchester’s Charitable Foundation, grants up to £2,500 to combat isolation among the elderly or disabled (ongoing).
Laptops and Smart Phones
Clear Community Web continue to run advice sessions around the borough for setting up or trouble-shooting your laptop, tablet or mobile phone. For the current timetable, please see www.clearcommunityweb.co.uk/lambeth
They also offer an On-line Services drop-in on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, 11 am to 1 pm at Stockwell Park Community Trust, 21 Aytoun Place, SW9 0TE.