Water buts and self-watering demo at Streatham Community Garden

Streatham Community Garden (located next to the Rookery at the top of Streatham Common) is holding a demo of self watering containers and water buts this Sunday, 29th July.

The demonstration starts at 1pm - a useful guide for hot and dry periods, and if you're going on holiday. Plus they'll be setting up our water butts (and showing you how) with help from Iain Boulton from Lambeth Council. You can also get tips on what you can plant now. If you can, those coming are also asked to bring: plastic bottles; a shallow, watertight tray; an old towel/tea-towel; small bag of sand.

Streatham Community Garden is open for community gardening every Sunday 12-4pm until the end of August.

With the new hot weather, they are also in real need of more helpers to assist with weeding, watering, planting out, and harvesting so do go along. You can turn up anytime between 12-4pm, and do as much or as little as you fancy.

You'll find them through the door in the wall at the bottom of the Rookery. You can drop by any time 12-4pm any Sunday. They have tools and gardening gloves, but if you can bring your own (especially gloves), please do in case they run short. Wear sturdy footwear and clothes that are suitable for gardening and weather-appropriate. Kids are welcome.

Save the Thameslink Service from Streatham Station

You may have have received one of several thousand personal letters that we have sent to Streatham Residents, about the new proposals for Streatham Station's Thameslink service.

We are urging people to act now to Save Streatham Station’s Thameslink Service.

If you want to see Thameslink services from Streatham Station continue to run beyond Blackfriars to the City, St Pancras and Luton Airport then please take action.

Network Rail is proposing that the service is cut, so that all trains from Streatham will terminate at Blackfriars. As well as causing longer journey times and inconvenience, it will also make travelling much harder for many including older people, and those with buggies and prams who may have to change and negotiate additional stairways between platforms.

The Government has launched a consultation. The deadline for responses is Thursday 23rd August 2012.

Whilst transport is usually considered a Green issue, we feel that this should be above party politics and a cross-party campaign.

You can email your views to: thameslink@dft.gsi.gov.uk or you can write to:
Combined Franchise Replacement, Department for Transport, Zone 3/15, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR

You can find out more information at: www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23

The local service is called the ‘Wimbledon Loop’. All you need to say is that you want Thameslink services to be retained between Streatham and the City of London, King’s Cross and Luton Airport.

How long are you likely to live in Streatham?

The Guardian website today has an interesting tube map showing life expectancy across the capital, illustrating well the link between areas of deprivation and life expectancy.

As Streatham isn't on the tube (which in itself speaks volumes) I thought it would be fun to dig up the stats on life expectancy in each of Streatham's four wards.

This is what I found courtesy of the latest data here.

Life expectancy by ward:

Streatham Hill

Male: 76.5
Female: 80.3
Average: 78.4


St Leonards

Male: 75.6
Female: 81.4
Average: 78.5


Streatham Wells

Male 75.2
Female 77.8
Average: 76.5


Streatham South

Male: 80.1
Female: 83.3
Average: 81.7

This gives an overall average for Streatham of 78.8

According to the Guardian life expectancy tube map the average life expectancy around the nearest stations are Brixton at 78, Tooting Bec at 79 and Balham at 80.

Progress on accessibility of Streatham High Road

The Streatham Guardian have today covered our report on accessibility on Streatham High Road. We found that around two thirds of shops on the High Road are inaccessible. But we are urging the council that the new money from the mayor's Outer London Fund which has been earmarked for improving Streatham's shop-fronts be used to address this issue.

The response from councillor Lib Peck, the Council's Cabinet member for regeneration was disappointing at one level but also encouraging at another:

“Unfortunately we can’t make businesses comply with disability access laws, but we do have some power around the Outer London Fund we will use it to make sure that those properties given money are already compliant.”

It is true that the council can't force local businesses to be accessible. But there is a lot councils can do. Indeed, it has a duty to do them under the Equality Act 2010 which places a responsibility on councils to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity for disabled people.

The council can, for example, take into consideration access issues when planning applications are submitted. It could run a campaign to raise awareness among local businesses. It could have included these issues in the Streatham Masterplan, but it did not. The fact is that the council has sadly not been proactive in addressing these issues.

One small element of progress however which is encouraging is that we are now getting these issues on the agenda. We now have the promise that money will only go to DDA compliant (accessible) premises, which means if businesses want the money they will need to shape up.

But this is of course different from giving money to shops so that they can become accessible, as part of the programmes of shop-front improvements.

Safer Neighbourhoods Street briefing tonight - Mount Ephraim Lane/ Woodfield Grove

There will be an outdoor street briefing tonight (Wednesday) for Streatham residents, by St Leonard's safer neighbourhoods team at the junction of Mount Ephraim Lane and Woodfield Grove.

This is a meeting that any member of the public can attend. It begins at 7.00pm and will last around half an hour.

Streatham Vale Farmer's Market continues

Streatham Vale's farmer's market continues to be open for the next two Saturdays, 10am-2pm, at Granton Primary School, SW16 5AN.

This Saturday looks as if it will be a treat, and will include a star turn from the White Lion's Oz Bayldon.

The market expects to have: Brambletye Fruit Farm, Crumbs Bakery, The Giggly Pig, Fish Tale fresh fish, Natural Origin natural fruit juices, Backyard Bakery, The Mersham Shoot, Alex Dos Santos, Wild Country Organics, HotShot hot and cold drinks and St Mungo's Veg.

Gary Mercer runs a home bakery in Addiscombe, Surrey, where he bakes Real Bread - no commercial yeast, no additives, nothing artificial. His loaves are all naturally fermented with wild yeast, they take time to make, which gives them more flavour and makes them better for you.

Fish Tale stock a wide variety of fresh fish, as well as freshly prepared vegetable dishes.

Brambletye Fruit Farm have their usual biodynamic apples & juices and also now their first summer lettuces & salads.

Dos Santos Foods are producers of a wide range of high quality authentic Goan soul food & specialist caterers. Besides shipping of their renowned sausages across the UK & Europe, their Goan Chorizo was recently featured on the BBC "Indian food made easy and Market Kitchen"

Wild Country Organics is run by Dr Adrian Izzard, who has pioneered growing organic vegetables and oriental leaves from Green in snow to Komastsuna, in glasshouses without using artificial heating.

The Giggly pig co was formed in 2007 by Tracy Mackness from Romford. Made from their hand reared, outdoor rare breed British saddleback pigs, their sausages are available in 75 different varieties.

The free Dr Bike maintenance engineer will also be there to look over your bike as well as the Metropolitan Police Lambeth Safer Transport team to security register bikes and give out safety advice.

Also this week the market will have a special visit from Pandemic Steel band orchestra and Oz Bayldon of the White Lion, Streatham High Road, who will be performing on behalf of the music4Children charity.

Meeting on future of Streatham Library

The Streatham Society are holding a meeting tonight on the future of Streatham library service.

It comes as fears grow among many Streatham Residents that Streatham Library will be moved from the historic building given to the community in 1890 by Henry Tate.

The meeting will be held tonight (Monday 16th July) at "Woodlawns", 16 Leigham Court Road, Streatham, London, SW16, beginning at 8.00pm. All are welcome.

You can join a new Friends of Streatham Library Group on Facebook here.

Streatham's Got Talent at The White Lion

We attended a couple of meetings at the White Lion on Streatham High Road two weeks ago, to see how it can be better used as a community space. One of the outcomes is the 'Streatham's got talent' competition.

The idea is to encourage skills and confidence in young people around the streatham area. They will then be mentored by experienced and qualified workshop practitioners.

You can like the facebook page here.

And spread the word out to anyone who maybe interested

Open to all ages up to 21

Auditions will be held at

The White Lion, Streatham, 233 Streatham High Road, SW16 1BB

and will take place on

Saturday 21st July from 12pm-4pm

Saturday 28th July from 12pm-4pm
Sunday 29th July 12pm-4pm

there will then be a week of mentoring workshops taking place at The Stables Workshop Space, at the back of The White Lion, Streatham

Workshops will be held from

Monday 30th July - Friday 3rd August

Heats will then take place, the following weekend

Saturday 4th August from 12am-4pm
Sunday 5th August from 12am-4pm

and

Saturday 11th August from 12-4pm
Sunday 12th August from 12-4pm (Quarter Final)

with the semi-final and final on

Saturday 18th August from 12pm-4pm (Semi-Final)
Sunday 19th August from 12pm-4pm (Final)

Olympic-themed Fun Day on Streatham Common this Saturday (14th July)

There is an Olympic-themed Fun Day on Streatham Common this Saturday (14th July) from 1pm - 5pm.

It's being organised by Love Streatham (see facebook page)

There will be loads of activities including bouncy castles, giant slide, bungee-run, face painting, mini-Olympics, toddler zone, youth zone, refreshments and more. And the best news of all is that all activities are FREE!

Don't worry too much about the weather (although it would be great if the sun in shining) because there is a marquee too.

Love Streatham are a group from local churches working together in the community. www.lovestreatham.org/funday

Report: Shop accessibility on Streatham High Road

We have just completed a survey of shop/ business accessibility on a the section of Streatham High Road which is the focus of change in the next two years. Our report is below, but among the findings are that two thirds of shops are inaccessible. Not only is this an issue of social justice, it also has significant implications for Streatham's local economy.

Survey of Accessibility on Streatham High Road

Thirlmere Road/ Tooting Bec Gardens crossing made accessible

We have had another accessibility success in getting the intersection of Thirlmere Road and Tooting Bec Gardens made accessible.

This follows the pavement widening at the bottom of Tooting Bec Gardens, the ramping of the vehicle crossovers on the same road, and the access improvement outside the Wellfield Community Centre.

Previously there was no ramp access here, so we approached the council, and it has now been ramped on both sides of the crossing.

Streatham Common Community Garden

Food growing projects are something that we are trying to promote in Streatham, as the local area has fallen behind other parts of the borough. You can can see how Lambeth is doing in this food growing map here.

However Streatham Common Community Garden is now open every from Sunday 12-4. All are welcome to come along and lend a hand.

The garden is based in the historic walled garden next to the Rookery, Streatham Common.

Local residents are invited to join and help in whatever way they can. This could be by volunteering to help clear the site and plant and harvest crops, coming along to community meetings about the project, representing the group at local events, or benefiting from training and education projects which are being set up.

You can register your interest on the website. You'll get email updates to tell you what's happening and how you can get involved. You can also join the Facebook group.

Find our more at: http://groupspaces.com/StreathamCommonCommunityGarden/

St Leonard's Safer Neighbourhood events in July

St Leonard's Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team have four events in July:

5 July 2012 - Drop-in surgery

An indoor one-to-one consultation session

Start: Thu 05 July 2012, 12:00 PM
End: Thu 05 July 2012, 13:00 PM

Location:Common Cafe, Greyhound Lane SW16


14 July 2012 - Street briefing

An outdoor meeting that any member of the public can attend held outdoors.

Start: Sat 14 July 2012, 11:00 AM
End: Sat 14 July 2012, 11:30 AM

Location: Babington Road o/s Babington Court


18 July 2012 - Street briefing

An outdoor meeting that any member of the public can attend held outdoors.

Start: Wed 18 July 2012, 19:00 PM

End: Wed 18 July 2012, 19:30 PM

Location:Mount Ephraim Lane j/w Woodfield Grove


25 July 2012 - Drop-in surgery

An indoor one-to-one consultation session.

Start: Wed 25 July 2012, 10:00 AM
End: Wed 25 July 2012, 11:00 AM

Location: Wimpy, Streatham High Road SW16

Streatham Peace Festival 2012

We are really pleased to be supporting the the Little Big Peace Event - a week long free festival in Streatham - which runs this year from September 17th - 23rd.

The little big peace event sets out to explore the culture and concept of peace in an inspiring and open-minded atmosphere. It aims to draw in the local and wider community, both as participants and event goers, with the idea of inclusiveness and acceptance, and that peace is both political and personal.

It was inspired by 'Peace One Day'.

This year's events will include:

- A screening of Peace One Day's film "The Day After Peace"

- An evening of talks and workshops led by John Paul Flintoff (author of "How to change the world").

- A lantern procession along Streatham High Road, followed by an evening of choral singing with The London Bulgarian Choir.

- A music & entertainment night

- A day of complimentary therapies (meditation, yoga, reflexology, alexander technique, reiki, shiatsu etc)

- An Evening of Music and song plus short film at the Hideaway jazz cafe, featuring Prem Rawat, globally renowned Ambassador of Peace.

- Workshops in local schools

- " Seeding the future": an evening of talks with an inspirational panel of speakers. How we can support young people and create an atmosphere of trust in our community.

- A football match - kids v/s celebs, on Streatham Common on September 21st.


All events are free. More infor at www.littlebigpeace.com for regular updates and on Twitter: @littlebigpeace