RCDT ENEWS/EVENTS LISTING 1 FEBRUARY 2008

From Riverside Community Development Trust, 20 Newburn St, SE11 5PJ. 020 7820 0555. info@rcdt.org. www.rcdt.org

Previous ENews/Events Listings can be seen on www.rcdt.org

A VERITABLE FEAST OF EVENTS THIS WEEK

REPORT & FEEDBACK ON THE PEOPLE’S EXPO

WELCOME TO VAUXHALL GDNS ESTATE

RESIDENTS & TENANTS ASSOCIATION

Oval House Theatre Box Office: 020 7582 7680 (Tues-Sat, 3pm-8pm). 52-54 Kennington Oval, London, SE11 5SW

EXPO REPORT & FEEDBACK

Report. John Roberts (Lambeth Link Member on the Metropolitan Police Authority who chaired the event) has sent the following factual report on last Saturday's North Lambeth People's Expo event. Over 60 stalls exhibited including local health centres offering various health checks, African Child Association, Lighthouse Education Service, New Economics Foundation (Time Banks), South London Family Centre, Brook London, Age Concern, Kennington Association, North Lambeth Parish, GLE One London, Kennington Oval and Vauxhall Forum, Oval Partnership, Lambeth Voluntary Action Council, Riverside Community Development Trust, Lady Margaret Hall Settlement’s All Sewn Up Project, Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre, Friends of Durning Library, Kennington Park and Monkton St Community Care Centre. The Met Police provided a recruitment bus, mounted officers and various stalls related to the Expo theme ‘Community Safety’.  There were many more stallholders than could be accommodated in the magnificent venue of Lilian Baylis School. Flamenco dancers from the London School of Dance and young ballroom dancers from United Association of Ballroom Dancers/ Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre entertained the crowds. Local businesses provided raffle prizes including tea for two at the Marriott Hotel, County Hall and free massage /acupuncturist/ osteopathy sessions. Sponsored by the Metropolitan Police Authority, attendees were also provided with the opportunity to engage in a local democratic voting process on the day. Five local organisations presented their need for funding one of their projects. Over 100 votes were received and SE1 United, a local youth organisation and Vauxhall City Farm were voted the overall winners and awarded £500 each. Led by Democratic Services, the local Question Time provided attendees with the opportunity to ask questions to the panel Cllr Lumsden, Cllr Meldrum, Borough Commander Sharon Rowe and Jacob Whittingham, Chair of SE1 United, local youth organisation.

Feedback

A number of people who attended the North Lambeth People's First Expo last Saturday have emailed their comments.

John Roberts (Lambeth MPA link person) comments: It was an amazing day and had such good energy. I heard nothing but praise. The first pilot People First Expo, held at Lilian Baylis School on the 26^th January 2008, was a huge success for all participants.  We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the format, activities, and engagement with both known and new organisations from the attendees, stall holders and the many professional staff who shared in the organising and hosting of it.  All attendees agreed that the day provided all involved with an informal and friendly environment in which to network, question and find out more about the North Lambeth area and organisations.

Derrick Anderson (Lambeth Council Chief Executive): The Expo showed a great example of the demonstrable range and diversity of the voluntary sector. The cultural themes were appropriate and well received and the performances were very enjoyable. Personally, I gleaned several aspects into the different approaches of the voluntary and public sector that will come in very useful. There will be another Expo on Saturday in Brixton from 12pm and I am looking forward to hearing more from groups there.

Lorna Campbell (Prince's Ward Councillor): I think the event was well attended and a positive start in the process of seeking innovative but meaningful ways to interact with the diverse communities in Lambeth. As you are aware this is the first pilot and feedback will be key in working toward improvement and reaching more people who would not normally attend meetings.  It was good to see diversity  across the equalities streams e.g. age, ethnicity, disability etc. A good day.

Stephen Morgan (Prince's Ward Councillor): I thought that the Expo was a very successful event. The only local meetings used to be area committees – with the Expo there were more people in attendance, more groups with stalls and information and everyone seemed to be having fun. I had the opportunity to speak with a number of residents and groups about a wide range of issues from street lighting and parking to the investment strategy and policing. I also met with over 30 users of the Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre and agreed to work with them to create a sustainable future for them in a new home. I am looking forward to the next Expo as I am sure it will be even bigger and better. I would also like to pass my thanks to John, Francis & everyone involved in creating such a wonderful event.

Andrew Sawdon (Oval Ward Councillor). The people’s asbo as it came to be known was a Lambeth Council led day-fair for the Council, plus police, fire-brigade and health services, and voluntary organisations.  Every one who came was given a free raffle ticket, a clever way of counting the attendance. And 270 tickets were issued we hear, including to volunteers staffing the stalls. A good time was had by all, and it was useful for networking and sharing information. But many locals remained unconvinced that they are being listened to. The Council has abolished the local forums where residents representatives no longer have a way of putting their views and influencing decisions, people were saying. The council, people told us, has abolished the area committees where councillors came out of the smoke free rooms of the town hall to take decisions locally in public, after listening to the public. There is nowhere we can go now to get our opinions listened to,

Maureen Johnston (Chair Kennington Oval & Vauxhall Forum): Lambeth have been promoting the Expo events as a new way of consultation.   The event, which was more of a road show than a consultation, concentrated on service providers such as the Police and Primary Health Care Trusts.  These organisations were well represented and people welcomed the opportunity to put faces to titles.  However, the event also gave a showcase to the number of voluntary organisations which are found in North Lambeth.   Anyone who visited the Expo would have been impressed by the sheer energy and vibrancy of these organisations.  We showed that North Lambeth is very alive and kicking.  The success of the event gave evidence to the value of the local Town Centre Office and its contacts. No doubt more people would have come to the event if it had been promoted more positively, certainly it should have had a full page in Lambeth life.    Success came in the face of an unsuitable venue and we would encourage Lambeth to build a programme to fit the venue in future and not shoehorn an event into an unsuitable site.   Perhaps there was too much going on for the time scale and at times it felt like “speed dating”.  Overall a very creditable effort, the entertainment was great - but not a consultation process.   We will still need the local Forums for that.

Betty Severn (resident): thought the day was a great success, well attended and the services and organisations did a great turn out. My only complaint was the food only serving jerk chicken, chilli meat and even the rice was spiced.  However, one cannot complain as it was free but next time, if there is a next time, it would be nice to have something we can all eat. Otherwise it was excellent.  

Chris Cossey (resident): I went along not knowing quite what to expect. I was very impressed by the number of organisations of various types that had been encouraged to present themselves, and I learned quite a bit by doing the rounds. The organisers had clearly worked very hard to put it together. So I think it was well worth while and should be repeated from time to time. My only major reservation, or rather concern, is that I understand that this was the 'pilot civic assembly' for North Lambeth originally promised for last November and that this is the Council's intended replacement for the abolished Area Committee meetings and the abandoned Area Partnership Forums. We may have gained a little, but we have lost a lot, most of all a regular forum where councillors and the public can listen to each other, propose ideas for improving plans and services, and have a constructive public dialogue that works 'bottom up' and not just 'top down'. Last Saturday's question and answer session was too much 'You ask the questions and we'll give you the answers'. The Council still has a long way to go to show it understands how public consultation should be organised in a way to satisfy the concerned and involved public.

ENews Editorial Comment. The Expo was a very useful exercise. Most of the people who attended appeared to be connected with stalls, Vauxhall Gdns Community Centre and All Nations Centre. It was also interesting to note that many North Lambeth activists did not attend – I wonder whether was due to the emphasis on community safety, which many people do not see as an issue relevant to their organisation's work. The absence of more members of the public is partly due to the poor quality of the publicity poster and flier. Their heavy purple background and very small print of the details were not things people would have paid much attention to trying to read, and possibly very difficult to read by those with poor eyesight. However, that aside the Expo gave a lot of people an opportunity to find out what is going on in the area, people who have not met before to meet each other, and for those who have not seen each other for a while to catch up with gossip and news. The Question & Answer session was not long enough given the need to introduce the Panel members and to say a few words about the deaths of and a minute’s silence for Vassall Councillor and former Major Liz Anderson and youth worker Paul Herndrich. There are clearly lessons to be learnt for the next two Expos:

¨                   a last minute push on publicity at street and estate block level;

¨                   more fliers up in shop windows, pubs and restaurants;

¨                   a car with a loud hailer going round the streets to remind people;

¨                   leafleting at supermarkets and outside primary schools.

¨                   careful consideration needs to be given to stall layout in the halls, as the gap between blocks of stalls was often too narrow and got blocked with people talking preventing others seeing stalls. extending the time slot for the Q&A sessions to ensure that there is a full hour for the actual QAS after the introductions, explanations and any urgent matters.

¨                   a need to encourage more QAs in advance so Panel members have time to research and think about their answers.

It would be useful to have two such events a year in North Lambeth, preferably not around a specific theme, with an edition of a newsletter (e.g. modelled on the last year's Prince's and Vassall Wards newsletters). The more successful the Expos become it is going to be to difficult to find venues that can accommodate all the organisations that will want to have stalls in future. Just imagine if all the groups who were not there on Saturday had been. It would also help if the Expos are to be genuine partnership events if people from community and voluntary groups were involved in the planning groups. But however successful the Expos are/become, Chris Cossey has hit the nail on the head in asking how they will lead into the Civic Assemblies. At the core of the politics around the former Area Committees, the new Civic Assemblies, and the Forums like KOV, is the issue of on-going democratic engagement and the health of local democracy.  The Expos do not provide a solution.

To contact your local Councillors see the details on www.lambeth.gov.uk.

NEWS

Council Tenants Rents and Charges to Rise. Given the high level of Council housing in the area the proposed rent and charges increases facing Lambeth tenants from April could have an adverse effect on people spending in the local economy. Rents are like to go up by at least 6.5%. Rita Fitzgerald, the Chair of the Tenants Forum, and resident of Vauxhall Gdns Estate, told the Council Cabinet meeting on 28 January that she was disappointed that tenants’ views had not been listened to. Residents believed that front line services had declined and she warned against further cuts.

Vauxhall Gdns Estate Residents & Tenants Association.  Welcome to the VGERTA. The Estate is large and sprawling. The Association represents over 2,000 people. The blocks covered are: Arne, Arrowsmith, Kennedy, Jameson,  Darley, Mountain, Bland, Burchell, Haymans, Coverley, Baddeley, Malmsey. Pella, Duffell, Waylett, Edward, Wynyard, Sandcroft, Sedley, Averline St, Dunmow, Newburn St and Tyers Terrace. The Chair is Carroll Falconer, Vice-Chair Leanne Forbes and Treasurer Maureen Malcolm.  Lambeth Council used the opportunity in the first issue of its Vauxhall Gardens Estate News to welcome the formation of the Association and to advertise the Expo. The newsletter contains a report by the three Prince’s Ward Councillors, on the steps taken since the large meeting held about the murder of Carmelita Tulloch. ‘We have already introduced a package of measures to positively affect our neighbourhood, that ranges from environmental improvements: for example, greater use of CCTV and tackling drugs use on stairwells.’  Derrick Anderson, Lambeth’s Chief Executive, acknowledged that ‘attention can ebb away as priorities are refocused elsewhere’, and suggested the need for another meeting with residents.  The Council also used the newsletter to report on the plans to improve Spring Gardens. The Association has its own website. The Association’s Secretary and the editor of its website is Chrysostomos Loizou, a former member of the Waterloo Community Regeneration Trust, and former Secretary of the Gerridge Court RA. Minutes of the Association meetings are being put on the website. www.clik.to/vauxhallgardensestate. Email: vauxhallgardensestate@yahoo.com

Beaufoy and Lilian Baylis – What Next? A paper will be going to the Council Cabinet meeting on 17 March re-assessing the Prince’s Ward Investment Strategy and the way in which both the Lilian Baylis and Beaufoy Institute sites have been linked. It is hoped that for the first time the Cabinet will give serious thought to the Lady Margaret Hall Settlement and partners proposals for an Artisan School and Arts & Crafts Museum for the Beaufoy. The review of the strategy is being undertaken by Byron Miller, a consultant who several people at last Saturday’s Expo were able to talk to, The Corporate Committee has also asked for an up date on the Beaufoy for its meeting on 2 April.

ACE-UK. Arts & Culture of Ethiopia in the UK. You may have noticed that Mike Gebreyonhanes Tibebintermedia print and design shop in Cleaver St has closed down.  This is due to a landlord proposed hike in the rent. Mike is now running his business in a different way. He remains active in promoting Ethiopian arts and culture through ACE-UK, a voluntary and not-for profit organisation. It now has an office base First Floor, St Anselm’s Church Hall, 268B Kennington Rd. 020 7582 8000; 07951 488 220.

Roots & Shoots Training Opportunities. Roots & Shoots is recruiting for courses it is  running from September for 16-19 years in NVQs in Horticulture and Retail, English & Maths. The training includes work placements, paid travel, and teaching in interviewing skills. 020 7587 5307/1131; ian@rootsandshoots.org.uk. R&S, Walnut Tree Walk.

National Theme Days and Weeks. Throughout the year there is a plethora of theme days and weeks. Vauxhall City Farm draws attention to World Wetlands Day this Saturday, National Potato Day this Sunday, National Nest Box Week starting on 14 February and Fair Trade fortnight starting on 25 February. See Diaries for how to find out more. To keep abreast with such days and weeks go to www.countmeincalendar.info.

Gasworks’ Education and Outreach Programme receives a grant for £80,000. Even Better Together a three year programme of family arts workshops devised by Gasworker Anna Vass, has been kick started having been awarded a grant of £80,000 from the BIG Lottery Fund. Anna will have a busy three years as she plans to work with numerous organisations in the local area such as Hyde Southbank Homes, ATD Fourth World, and Archbishop Sumner Primary School, ensuring everyone hears about her activities and attends the workshops. Each workshop will focus on families being creative and working together on activities ranging form painting and drawing to installation and photography with exciting displays and events of families’ works presented alongside Gasworks’ existing contemporary art programme of exhibitions and residencies.

Call For Submissions: Spring Exhibition Mixed Show For Local Artists March. The Waterloo Gallery adjacent to The Waterloo Action Centre on Baylis Road, a stone's throw from Waterloo station, will be relaunching in early March. They are keen to hear from local artists - painters, designers and mixed media - who would like to submit works for a spring exhibition mixed show to celebrate the relaunch. The gallery is a community gallery with a 'not for profit' remit which is accessible to local artists and the community.  A special launch commission rate will be available for artists included in the first exhibition as part of promoting the gallery. To participate please phone or text Catey Hillier 07770 427068 who is curating the show with details of your telephone contact number. She will then call you to discuss the show and arrange for delivery of e-mail images of your work. (Catey is also involved in planning the next Kennington Association Art Auction.)

Archbishop Sumner School. The Morley College ‘Keep Fit’ classes are extremely well attended on Monday evenings. The instructor tries to ensure that everyone, have exercises to match their level of fitness. The costs are minimal as they are community classes.  All are welcome!! Next Friday sees Aesop’s Touring Theatre performing ‘The Search for the lost Tomb’ in conjunction with the Year 3 curriculum on Egyptians. The week after half term will be Parent conference week and book week. The School is encouraging lots of competitions relating to book week and is encouraging parents to start thinking about one in particular which could provide fun over half term. It is called ‘story in a box’. The idea is for the children to create a  3-dimensional story on a shoe box by creating  characters, scenery from anything (toothpaste lid – cup for Goldilocks, silver foil a pond, leaves and twigs etc. The School is in Reedworth St.

Community Safety and Policing Plans for Lambeth. The Community/Police Consultative Group for Lambeth will be discussing the community safety and policing plans for Lambeth for the year from 1 April, at its meeting at 6.30 pm. on Tuesday, 5 February at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham. Anna Tapsell, the Group Chair and Kennington resident,  has sent round the following message: This is the time of year when the Safer Lambeth Partnership is setting its priorities for the coming year.  In an allied process, the Borough Commander is compiling her Police Plan.  This collective endeavour should result in clear priorities and focused resources towards a safer Lambeth in 2008/9.  How that bureaucratic process works exactly and how we, as a community, get to influence it, will be explained by the boroughs Community Safety Team and the Borough Commander on 5^th February.  One thing is already clear: that this borough has an unacceptably high level of serious violent crime that particularly damages our young people, as both victims and perpetrators of violence.  Added to which, the high level of hidden criminal violence such as rape and domestic violence take their toll and all are, in my view, inter-related. Lambeth's CPCG has never ducked difficult issues, so we make no apologies for focusing in our next two meetings on those aspects of violent crime.  This month we will begin to look at the boroughs statistics on rape and why we appear to have such a high level of this nastiest of crimes.  We will also learn from Councillor Lorna Campbell what progress the Executive Commission on Guns, Gangs and Knives is making.  We will follow that in March with a presentation from those who work with the victims of domestic violence and will also be presenting our own research report on the policing of domestic violence in Lambeth.  Not perhaps the jolliest way to inaugurate Women’s Day but perhaps the single most significant factor in the profile of young offenders. In accordance with our pledge to move the venue of our meetings around the borough, we will be in St. Leonards Church for our meeting on 5^th February and back in Lambeth Town Hall for March 4th.  Although we have themed meetings which we plan in advance we will always find room for you to add to the agenda, but its helpful if you let me know in advance if it is likely to take up significant time. Look forward to seeing you.’

Domestic Violence. The Lambeth Gaia centre provides services that support women affected by domestic violence. It is contactable on 020 7733 8724; administrator@gaia-lambeth.com 10am-4pm Mondays to Fridays.

Are You a Parent? Did you know that there is a Parent Forum to enable parents and professionals to network and share information, and feed into the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership. The Forum meets 6 times as year, and also runs two social networking group events, and specific interest sub-groups/workshops. It has its own website area: www.lambeth.gov.uk/parentsforum.

Vauxhall Gdns Community Centre. Do you have an activity that you would like to teach or an event you would like to put on – a wedding reception, community event, or kids birthday party? VGCC is easy and cheap to hire. Its standard hire charges for community groups and local people start from £20 an hour. Cleaning and security charges may be added. Quality organic catering can be provided. To book call 020 7793 1110 or email lmhs@lmhs.org.uk.

Redfearn Centre. The Redfearn Centre at the front of Lilian Baylis School at 329 Kennington Lane is available for hire in school holiday periods Monday to Thursdays 9-5pm and Fridays 9am-9pm. It has an ICT suite, a large meeting area for 75 people, a kitchen/dining area and a small meeting area. Ideal for seminars, flexible away-days, workshops, etc. Centre Manager Denise Downie-Campbell. 07932046897. ddownie-campbe@lambeth.gov.uk.

South London Family Centre. The Centre provides a range of family support services, including mediation, conflict resolution and counselling, and deals with such issues as separation/divorce. school exclusion, peer pressure, confidence, health and anxiety phobias, anger management, drugs and alcohol. Not for profit organisation. 1 Othello Close, Kennington Rd, nr Kennington Tube. 020 7840 9020; southlondonfamily@yahoo.co.uk; www.southlondonfamilycentre.org.uk.

School Governors. Schools are constantly needing to recruit new members for their Governing Bodies. Details can be found on www.lambeth.gov.uk/services/education-learning.

North Lambeth Anglicans & Methodists. The Anglicans and Methodists in North Lambeth work in partnership through the North Lambeth Circuit and Parish. They have four churches: St Anselm’s, St. Peter’s, Vauxhall Methodist Mission and Lambeth Mission & St. Mary’s. The have hundreds of members and links with many community groups. They provide accommodation to Info University (at Centenary Hall), Pelican Nursery (at St Anselm’s) and Streets Alive Theatre at the Mission. Archbishop Sumner is the parish school. The Mission is used for rehearsals and performances, including by the Inner City Players who are currently rehearsing The Pirates of Penzance.  They have a Youth Team. Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides use the Mission and the Boys’ Brigade St Anslem’s. And of course there are regular cultural events at St. Peter’s, including the current programme of services and recitals. The parish office can be contacted on 7735 3403 and the circuit office of 7735 2166 or anselm@nlp@btconnect.com; cindy.office@lambethmission.org

Vauxhall Revisited: Pleasure Gardens and Their Publics 1660-1880.  July 14-16. The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Tate Britain, and the Museum of Garden History, supported by the Royal Musical Association and Southampton University's Music Department, History Department and School of Humanities present a three day event.  Pleasure gardens have been linked to a nascent public sphere, an urban renaissance and the commodification of culture in Georgian Britain. Verifying such claims, however, requires knowledge of pleasure gardens outside London, and a willingness to engage art historians, historians, musicologists, literary scholars and cultural geographers. This conference will do exactly that, providing an opportunity to compare different approaches, bringing new perspectives to bear on familiar sites of Georgian London. It will also showcase a wide range of research into hitherto neglected regional and foreign pleasure gardens and the reinvention of the pleasure garden in the Victorian period. Panels on musical and theatrical aspects and a performance of pleasure garden music at the Museum of Garden History will add another dimension to this very special event. Discussions have started on the possibility of including a local walk into the programme. The cost of attending the Conference will be full £80, Students/Concessions £60, or £40 for a day (no concessions). All tickets include entry to the opening reception at the Museum of Garden History on the evening of July 14 as well as tea/coffee at Tate Britain during the conference itself. Delegates will be expected to provide their own lunches. Delegates will also receive a 50% discount on tickets for the concert at the Museum of Garden History on July 14. Registration starts on 1 May and tickets may only be purchased from Tate Box Office. Further details on: www.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/events.html

LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS & NEWS

Planning Applications

27 January – 2 February

157 Kennington Lane. Approval of details pursuant to condition 3 (Detailed drawings of the new doors and windows indicating depth of the window reveals, materials, construction details, horizontal and vertical cross sections, including the design, mouldings and glazing bar pattern and details of the proposed secondary glazing including appearance and means of installation shall be submitted to and approved by or on behalf of the LPA prior to works commencing on site.  All works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved plans) of Planning Permission ref: 07/02692/LB (Extension of rear ground floor extension, replacement of ground floor metal door with timber double french doors, replacement of second floor metal window with timber sash window and the replacement of garage door with similar.  Installation of 2 fireplaces to ground floor reception rooms, installation of library shelves, removal of existing cupboards in ground floor reception, removal of existing shelves to second floor  bedroom and replacement with 3 shelves, reinstatement of ceiling rose in both reception rooms, restoration of sash windows to front and rear elevations, removal and replacement of existing secondary glazing and installation of secondary glazing to fanlight above the front door. (Town Planning 07/02692/LB and Listed Building Applications)) granted on 22.10.2007

http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publicaccess/dc/DcAplication/weeklylist_searchform.aspx. If this link does not work then go to www.lambeth.gov.uk and track through to Planning and Public Access database. And to go and see any plans is easy from the KOV area as the Town Planning Advice Centre is at Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, at Vauxhall Cross. 020 7926 1180. tpac@lambeth.gov.uk. Plans can also be seen at Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane.

Planning Decisions

27 January – 2 February. Technical access problems so cannot include any information on decisions. .

LOCAL LINKS – see www.rcdt.org

Waterloo/South Bank Events and News – see www.London-SE1.co.uk

ART GALLERIES & EXHIBITIONS

ENews/Events Listing compiled and edited by Sean Creighton, RCDT

Unless stated editorial comments do not reflect the views of the RCDT Board.

RCDT is supported by London Development Agency, and part-funded by Pedlar’s Acre Trust - Lambeth Council