Members of the community and service users got their first glimpse at the new facilities and work to St Stephens Church this week which is now the home of Weir 2, part of the Weir Estate based ‘The Weir Link’ centre. Weir 2, marking the second year of services has been opened in partnership with the local church to accommodate the need for more space and to be able to offer new and existing services to the community.

The Weir Link which was opened on Weir Estate back in June 2008 by then MP, Keith Hill and began operating in September the same year, replacing the eyesore two storey derelict former laundry building.  The centre has outgrown their current available space and has sought new room to continue to offer current services such as Stay and Play and Toddler Tunes as well as social groups on offer to the community.

Rev Simon Gates, Chair of Trustees, delivering his speech

Weir 2 in partnership with St Stephens Church gives them new facilities to accommodate those services and develop new groups and projects identified by users and the wider community and now with a primary focus on Health and Wellbeing as part of the funding agreement.
Weir 2 will be managed by The Weir Link on weekdays. Funding for the project to transform the church rooms was obtained by a grant awarded by the Social Enterprise initiative fund, part of the Department of Health. The funding as enabled works to update the old rooms and receptions area as well as a new wheelchair accessible community mini bus.

Weir 2 will be able to hold larger groups and more services for The Weir Link, managed by members of the local community as trustees and a small team of staff.

The Weir Link’s ethos has always been to support the community and assist those at the fringes of society and offer Children Services and support to parents, as large part of its funding has been provided through Lambeth Council Children Services.

The opening of the Weir 2 was attended by many who work with or have used the facilities at The Weir Link over the past two years of its successful growth as well as the Assistant Director of Children and Young People’s Services, Stella Clarke who was full of praise for the Weir Link and its staff which is one of 27 Centres but unique in its one of the only ones not in a school and community led.   The Arch Deacon for the Church of England, Chris Skilton and local councillors, Lib Peck and Diana Morris were also in attendance aside many service providers and users.

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Cllr Peck said the new facilities are ‘a phenomenal achievement’ and ‘a genuine hub for the community’ adding later “I am very proud to be representing an area which has pulled off such a amazing and vibrant scheme” This was also echoed by her Councillor Colleague Cllr Diana Morris who said “It really is a culmination of a huge effort by all sorts of people and I am really proud to be able to represent such a thriving community”.

Simon Gates who is the local vicar at Stephens and also Chair of Trustees at The Weir Link spoke of his pride ‘surprise’ at success of The Weir Link “Getting the Weir Link was the dream come true but this is such a surprise to be able to have the need for our buildings used for the wider community in this way. We have about 21 users [at St Stephens] already and now with the Weir Link coming in, it just provides us with enormous additional usage”

The theme song for the event was foot print in the sand by X factor winner Leona Lewis, reflecting the new era for The Weir Link put together with a video showing the changes at St Stephens and the work of The Weir Link, which has been hailed as a excellent example of a co-op initiative working in the community by Lambeth Council leaders.

Many at the event unveiling of the new reception area, large lounge, Side hall, two brand new meeting/consultation rooms, a sports hall, a teaching kitchen and separate kitchenette and refurbished toilet facilities including new provision for infants were full of praise for the work which began at the start of the summer and months of work by the Weir Links Business development manager, Margaret Hedley who was credited with making it possible after putting together the application in 11 days.  Margaret Hedley said during the event “It is a very proud day for me and to be part of the story of the Weir Link as it moves onto its next phase, it’s very exciting.”

She added “The next thing for us is make full use of the investment given to us for the community and fulfilling the commitments we have made to deliver services and activities, it has been hard work but in the end its been an absolute joy and I don’t mind the hard work if it gets this kind of result.”

Services will focus on delivering benefits such as a focus on healthy lifestyles to those living around the new facilities to new health and well being.  This will include physical and talking therapies in order to promote physical and mental wellbeing in the wider community.

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Claire Rennie, Company Secretary and Trustee's Secretary of The Weir Link

Claire Rennie who is Weir Link Secretary of trustees and long serving member of Weir Estate Residents Association has been involved in the entire process of establishing the Weir Link as a model of best practice of a Children’s Centre and community led ambition and drive to establish the existing building and the new addition Weir 2 said “I am really delighted that as a community we are building on the work of Weir Estate Residents Association, the church, our councillors, this is such a testament of everybody working together from the safer neighbourhood team,  Clapham Park Wardens, loads of different groups I don’t want to name them all as I know I will forget some, but it says it all as there so many now, working together to increase services and provide more opportunities.”

She added of her pride and being ‘humbled’ at it success “This is a proud moment but I am humbled at though I chip in, many people chip in and it proves that we can achieve as a community, these new facilities gives us more robust foundation and more stability as we go on but will be in difficult times with a spending review coming up.”

There is concern over the children centre funding which could well be cut in the Governments spending review later on this month.

Claire Ballard-Yawson who is Centre Manager since joining the Weir Link in February 2008, working in the early days of the Centre at St Stephens said “I am very excited and as I used to work from here, the space is so much brighter and welcoming for local people but I am beginning to worry how long it take us to fill the spaces here and remembering The Weir Link was to be an all singing all dancing community and Children’s centre I think we will be full here very soon.”

She then joked when asked about the her fears over space at both facilities “Maybe there’s something over in Stratford that we can transport over here early one morning like the Weir Link was transported early one morning we can bring over to Clapham early one morning in a year or two.”

Megan, Assistant Administrator for The Weir Link

In response to seeing the new facilities and space at St Stephens Clare admitted she is ‘bit worried’ about the level of resources available but once they iron out the future problems they can look at building volunteer to work programmes for local people and went on to encourage Weir Estate and local residents “Use our services and if we are not offering what you want, we need your feedback to begin to offer more and better services”

The original Weir Link sits on the Weir Estate and works closely with the Weir Estate Residents Association whose involvement extends from residents seeking to see an end to the former laundry building which sat derelict for over thirty five years and has remained a strong supporter of the centre. Our Treasurer and Executive officer, Sue Cranmer said of the new look St Stephens “Its fantastic and I am so impressed and it’s lovely to see how the community can make things happen. Residents will definitely benefit and hopefully we will see far better participation from those living on Weir Estate and off the estate.”

The Weir Link would like to hear resident’s views on a wide range of services they could offer as well as arranged trips making use of their new mini bus as well volunteering opportunities. The Weir Link also has an outstanding rated Nursery.

You can listen to all the speeches and comments made at the Weir 2 opening above and view the pictures from the day’s events.

You can find out more about The Weir Link HERE

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